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The Redemption Saga #1
A Life of Shadows
Sawyer Matthews knows how to put one foot in front of the other, to keep moving while the nightmares haunt her, and her own failures taunt her. She's become a master at doing awful things with good intentions, terrible things for the sake of those who need her. She's long given up on being the hero, trying to find peace in no longer being the villain.
When her past comes back and she finds herself caught by the International Magi Police Organization, she'll have to revisit her own personal hells and finally confront the very monster that made her what she is. The very monster that has already killed her once before.
Will the “dead” Magi assassin Shadow finally come out of the dark to begin a fight for a redemption she doesn't believe she deserves? Or will her nightmares drag her back into the shadows that have defined her life?
*This is an Urban Fantasy reverse harem series of full length novels where the leading lady doesn’t have to choose from her romantic interests. This series will have M/M content.
These books are rated for mature audiences, 18+ due to violence, language, and sexual themes.
This series deals with several triggering topics including, but not limited to, suicide, child abuse, rape, and PTSD.*
When her past comes back and she finds herself caught by the International Magi Police Organization, she'll have to revisit her own personal hells and finally confront the very monster that made her what she is. The very monster that has already killed her once before.
Will the “dead” Magi assassin Shadow finally come out of the dark to begin a fight for a redemption she doesn't believe she deserves? Or will her nightmares drag her back into the shadows that have defined her life?
*This is an Urban Fantasy reverse harem series of full length novels where the leading lady doesn’t have to choose from her romantic interests. This series will have M/M content.
These books are rated for mature audiences, 18+ due to violence, language, and sexual themes.
This series deals with several triggering topics including, but not limited to, suicide, child abuse, rape, and PTSD.*
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2018
About the author
Kristen Banet
27 books1,331 followersKristen Banet has a Diet Coke problem and smokes too much. She curses like a sailor (though, she used to be one, so she uses that as an excuse) and finds that many people don’t know how to handle that. She loves to read, and before finally sitting to try her hand at writing, she had your normal kind of work history. From tattoo parlors, to the U.S. Navy, and freelance illustration, she’s stumbled through her adult years and somehow, is still kicking.
She loves to read books that make people cry. She likes to write books that make people cry (and she wants to hear about it). She’s a firm believer that nothing and no one in this world is perfect, and she enjoys exploring those imperfections—trying to make the characters seem real on the page and not just in her head.
She might just be crazy, though. Her characters think so, but this can’t be confirmed.
Check out her social media to catch what's going on in the worlds inside her head. She drops teasers, new covers, and opens ARC reader slots through her Facebook group, The Banet Pride.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kristenbanet...
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBa...
She loves to read books that make people cry. She likes to write books that make people cry (and she wants to hear about it). She’s a firm believer that nothing and no one in this world is perfect, and she enjoys exploring those imperfections—trying to make the characters seem real on the page and not just in her head.
She might just be crazy, though. Her characters think so, but this can’t be confirmed.
Check out her social media to catch what's going on in the worlds inside her head. She drops teasers, new covers, and opens ARC reader slots through her Facebook group, The Banet Pride.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kristenbanet...
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBa...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews
June 11, 2018
3.5-ish?
A Life of Shadows is entertaining. But to me, it didn't really stand out from the huge pile of fantasy RH released so far this year, and that means it failed to engage. The book has quite a few of the most common RH tropes: we're talking Mary Sue heroine, Terribly Tragic Past, MC training with the heroes, and an especially Evil Ex.
However, it does contain some less common elements, like M/M action, which served to make the read more fun and raised my expectations for more original content. The romance is a rare slowburn that teases just enough to stay interesting. I can see real chemistry between the MC and some of the harem members, especially because the author devoted time to developing each love interest's personality.
The Redemption Saga contains one of my absolute favorite tropes: The non-human character constantly confused by our strange human ways. Quinn is the best! He takes the top spot in this harem.
Basically, the harem characters are awesome. I would seriously rather read a story about this team before they meet the heroine, Sawyer. I like them much more than I like her.
Speaking of, our MC Sawyer is presented as an anti-hero. She has a dark past as an assassin that she tries hard to cover up. I honestly didn't see her that way - Sawyer is pretty softhearted and charitable. Given that she can't join an official crime-busting organization, she does her best to dissuade criminals by beating them up or taking in their victims. Overall, Sawyer is less of a Daredevil and more of a Captain America.
tl;dr: A great harem, but otherwise fairly typical for the genre.
A Life of Shadows is entertaining. But to me, it didn't really stand out from the huge pile of fantasy RH released so far this year, and that means it failed to engage. The book has quite a few of the most common RH tropes: we're talking Mary Sue heroine, Terribly Tragic Past, MC training with the heroes, and an especially Evil Ex.
However, it does contain some less common elements, like M/M action, which served to make the read more fun and raised my expectations for more original content. The romance is a rare slowburn that teases just enough to stay interesting. I can see real chemistry between the MC and some of the harem members, especially because the author devoted time to developing each love interest's personality.
The Redemption Saga contains one of my absolute favorite tropes: The non-human character constantly confused by our strange human ways. Quinn is the best! He takes the top spot in this harem.
Basically, the harem characters are awesome. I would seriously rather read a story about this team before they meet the heroine, Sawyer. I like them much more than I like her.
Speaking of, our MC Sawyer is presented as an anti-hero. She has a dark past as an assassin that she tries hard to cover up. I honestly didn't see her that way - Sawyer is pretty softhearted and charitable. Given that she can't join an official crime-busting organization, she does her best to dissuade criminals by beating them up or taking in their victims. Overall, Sawyer is less of a Daredevil and more of a Captain America.
tl;dr: A great harem, but otherwise fairly typical for the genre.
September 21, 2023
Rating : 5 stars
I loved it. A Life of Shadows had everything on its side to make it absolutely fantastic.
1. Sawyer was an amazing character, very complex, strong, neither good nor bad. She was the soul of the book and while not always likeable, she was incredible.
2. It's dark. But even darker would have been perfect.
3. It has action and Sawyer is really strong. Meaning she's not weaker than the guys so they can play Knights in shining armor. She is the strongest, period.
4. Wolves pet. That has to be a point on itself.
5. Wonderful harem. They're not lovey dovey or boringly perfect. They have substance and I can't wait to learn more about them.
6. Hm... Quinn? Omg Quinn! Caveman met raised by wolves and the result he's oh so loveable.
full review to come with my eagerly awaited reread when book 2 will be there
update 28/05: full review to come whenever i feel like it
> MM
> No FF
booked.unicorn
I loved it. A Life of Shadows had everything on its side to make it absolutely fantastic.
1. Sawyer was an amazing character, very complex, strong, neither good nor bad. She was the soul of the book and while not always likeable, she was incredible.
2. It's dark. But even darker would have been perfect.
3. It has action and Sawyer is really strong. Meaning she's not weaker than the guys so they can play Knights in shining armor. She is the strongest, period.
4. Wolves pet. That has to be a point on itself.
5. Wonderful harem. They're not lovey dovey or boringly perfect. They have substance and I can't wait to learn more about them.
6. Hm... Quinn? Omg Quinn! Caveman met raised by wolves and the result he's oh so loveable.
full review to come with my eagerly awaited reread when book 2 will be there
update 28/05: full review to come whenever i feel like it
> MM
> No FF
booked.unicorn
February 11, 2018
Jesus in a handbasket this was awesome. Dark and hard and lovely and sweet and heartbreaking. A Life of Shadows was one of the best books I’ve read in a WHILE (it even squeezed a few tears from my cold rock of a heart). All of the characters were 3 dimensional, reactions were believable, the MC knew what was going on the the boys had to play catch up (and the more they knew, the less they wanted to figure it all out for real. They wanted the answers, but were a little worried to know). They figured out her secrets in bits and pieces, some as she wanted to give them, and some she just couldn’t hide.
Sawyer is a character with a loud voice, with secrets and darkness but who ultimately doesn’t know if she wants to be saved. She might. She thinks maybe she could, but also isn’t sure she deserves it and that, coupled with some truly tragic backstory, is part of what makes this book so damn enthralling. You’re with her every step of the way.
What I find truly remarkable though is Banet’s ability to round out the side characters. Each of them have motivations you can see; they feel like real people, like you could run into them on the street. Each of them is far deeper than you originally see, just like any person you first meet gives you the first impression then the more you know them, you see the layers and the complexity. Banet gives us the complexity woven into a storyline run by a woman who knows what she wants but also realizes when to fight and when to capitulate. When to give up and when to stand her ground. She’s rational, she’s lethal, and I’m in love with her. Side note. I had a book hangover for almost a month. You’ve been warned.
Sawyer is a character with a loud voice, with secrets and darkness but who ultimately doesn’t know if she wants to be saved. She might. She thinks maybe she could, but also isn’t sure she deserves it and that, coupled with some truly tragic backstory, is part of what makes this book so damn enthralling. You’re with her every step of the way.
What I find truly remarkable though is Banet’s ability to round out the side characters. Each of them have motivations you can see; they feel like real people, like you could run into them on the street. Each of them is far deeper than you originally see, just like any person you first meet gives you the first impression then the more you know them, you see the layers and the complexity. Banet gives us the complexity woven into a storyline run by a woman who knows what she wants but also realizes when to fight and when to capitulate. When to give up and when to stand her ground. She’s rational, she’s lethal, and I’m in love with her. Side note. I had a book hangover for almost a month. You’ve been warned.
June 10, 2018
2.5 Stars
I didn't like this book, it was very cliche. Sawyer could do about everything, all the guys feel a connection to her, they all got on with each other. It was just there.
I did enjoy that we had a black heroine and that earns it two stars alone.
I didn't like this book, it was very cliche. Sawyer could do about everything, all the guys feel a connection to her, they all got on with each other. It was just there.
I did enjoy that we had a black heroine and that earns it two stars alone.
March 20, 2018
What I expected
Kick ass characters
Kick ass action
Magic and well, a lot of ass kicking.
This was not delivered. Instead, it was a book about a whole lot of feelings and thoughts [yawn].
Needless to say I was disappointed in this book. The author could “write” but she didn’t have a story to tell. Here, you had a heroine that was supposedly a tough, bad ass chick with a bad temper. The only thing she was bad ass at was training. The only action you got from her was the first chapter (of course. Because that’s where the author tries to grab you) and at around 80%.
As for her bad temper that everyone “feared” pppsssh. I didn’t see it. So many times she got stabbed in the back and nothing came of it.
The editing was really bad. A lot of small words left out. And what’s up with Sawyer constantly wanting to screw everyone in the house, but does nothing? Basically, this book had no purpose and no point. I kept waiting for that big bomb to drop, and there was nothing.
To my Goodread buddies who gave it 5 stars, I’m sorry, but I just can’t find what was so appealing. Oh well, each to their own, I guess.
April 28, 2018
A Life Of Shadows was an entertaining and interesting kind of read. However, Sawyer was complicated. Sawyer was hilarious yet overly complicated. She was a complete bad ass who took shit from no one. I absolutely loved her. I loved her relationships with each guy but I was expecting a hell of a lot more when it comes to reverse harem.
This must've been the kiddie version because there was zero smut! NOTHING. NADA! ZILCH PEOPLE. I was highly disappointed. I would'v accepted like 5% smut.. yet kisses did nothing for me. I wanted more than this teasing. UGH!
Other than that, the villain Axel annoyed me endlessly. He acted like such a brat sometimes. Heck, Missy was more of a villain than him and I hated the bitch. I have a feeling something is going to happen with him in the next book or so whenever I get to those/when they come out. I'm sure I'll be on the lookout.. but I'll mostly be expecting smut people!
Overall, it was an okay book. Disappointing to no end, but I still enjoyed it. The characters were enjoyable which definitely made me breeze through this book. I can't wait to read the next one - I DEMAND SMUT PEOPLE!
This must've been the kiddie version because there was zero smut! NOTHING. NADA! ZILCH PEOPLE. I was highly disappointed. I would'v accepted like 5% smut.. yet kisses did nothing for me. I wanted more than this teasing. UGH!
Other than that, the villain Axel annoyed me endlessly. He acted like such a brat sometimes. Heck, Missy was more of a villain than him and I hated the bitch. I have a feeling something is going to happen with him in the next book or so whenever I get to those/when they come out. I'm sure I'll be on the lookout.. but I'll mostly be expecting smut people!
Overall, it was an okay book. Disappointing to no end, but I still enjoyed it. The characters were enjoyable which definitely made me breeze through this book. I can't wait to read the next one - I DEMAND SMUT PEOPLE!
November 6, 2020
Spoilers ahead, 2. 75* NOT quite 3
Continuing my RH streak but I'm really struggling with this 😭 one
I really shouldn't have continued, I will say there's nothing WONG with this book but it just didn't work for me
Book 1 was the word building and back story etc- I was bored a lot. No real romance
Book 2 was actually all about a case the team got and it's resolution. Some romantic development, I THINK she's slept with 2 of the guys
Book 3- I quit this maybe about half way through? By then she's still with 2, some m/m action occurs and the others are making their approach. The problem is I'm bored and Zander is really annoying me so I'm out
Quinn was my favorite character
RH
One of the guys turns out to be the brother of her evil ex
1 was a part of the duo that made up her childhood best friends. They'd hooked up once and she got caught up in a nightmare he of course turned into a manwhore. She however was no shy wallflower
One wss a Good guy with his head up his ass, judgemental and also one of her childhood friends
One was the brother of her ex but nothing like him. There was some resemblance though
One was barely tamed and had occasional sex with a member of the team. I liked him
One was a consummate flirt and bisexual playboy
No others after meeting h though they thought about it once
Continuing my RH streak but I'm really struggling with this 😭 one
I really shouldn't have continued, I will say there's nothing WONG with this book but it just didn't work for me
Book 1 was the word building and back story etc- I was bored a lot. No real romance
Book 2 was actually all about a case the team got and it's resolution. Some romantic development, I THINK she's slept with 2 of the guys
Book 3- I quit this maybe about half way through? By then she's still with 2, some m/m action occurs and the others are making their approach. The problem is I'm bored and Zander is really annoying me so I'm out
Quinn was my favorite character
RH
One of the guys turns out to be the brother of her evil ex
1 was a part of the duo that made up her childhood best friends. They'd hooked up once and she got caught up in a nightmare he of course turned into a manwhore. She however was no shy wallflower
One wss a Good guy with his head up his ass, judgemental and also one of her childhood friends
One was the brother of her ex but nothing like him. There was some resemblance though
One was barely tamed and had occasional sex with a member of the team. I liked him
One was a consummate flirt and bisexual playboy
No others after meeting h though they thought about it once
March 18, 2018
I loved, loved, loved this book. First being a black woman who reads so much, I find it refreshing to read a paranormal book where the main h is not your typical pale female because the world is made up of many beautiful people.
Now I absolutely loved Sawyer. I think what I loved the most about this book is that it dealt with the gritty real world. It didn't shy away from the harsh realities of the dark world because unfortunately there are many dark things going on in this world.
Looking forward to the next read..
Now I absolutely loved Sawyer. I think what I loved the most about this book is that it dealt with the gritty real world. It didn't shy away from the harsh realities of the dark world because unfortunately there are many dark things going on in this world.
Looking forward to the next read..
September 21, 2019
Good read, enjoyed it, but felt like something was missing.
I’ll continue with the series.
I’ll continue with the series.
March 9, 2023
Nice read. Tropey, but interesting enough to move forward taking into consideration that the series has multiple installments.
April 16, 2020
Couldn’t make it past the first chapter. The editing is pretty bad and the dialogues are ridiculous. So much info dumping. Felt like it was trying way too hard to be edgy, but came up short. The bad guy’s lines were so juvenile and unrealistic I half expected him to break out into evil muahaha laughter spontaneously. Just yikes.
March 17, 2018
I loved it. And I adored Sawyer, she is the kind of heroine we should see more often.
May 12, 2018
Just as good the second time around. Off to read A Heart of Shame and can't wait!
See Edit below.
Wow. Best damn thing I have read in ages. Compelling world-building and a complex, kick-ass heroine to boot. Plenty of tension and an engrossing backstory.
I enjoyed the Wild Pride series, though it had its issues, but Kristen Banet has clearly grown by leaps and bounds as an author. This was beautifully done. Well, except that it needs a good line edit to fix all the prepositions, determiners and other small words missing currently - and there are a lot of them. But it didn't overly hamper my enjoyment of the story.
Honestly, I loved this so much that I kept reading slower and slower and slower the farther I got. I really didn't want it to end, even knowing the next book is to be released in less than two weeks.
Banet has created one of the all-time great main characters in Sawyer. She is fiesty, sassy, and incredibly strong, but also damaged. She has both a dark side and a deep well of sadness with which she is struggling to cope. And she manages very well without being self-pitying or whiny or even so broken that it is hard to read - but all very believably and capably handled by the author.
And Sawyer's men. She has created five very distinct individuals, all of whom are rather unique. Something that is becoming more and more rare as the RH genre grows. Quinn is a tour de force - scary and crazy and strange and utterly unique. And I adore his character! Elijah, Mr. Cowboy, is a doll and sexy as hell. And the others - Vincent, Zander, and Jasper - are coming into their own.
Clearly Banet knows how to write compelling and interesting characters. (Edit: see note below re: smoking)
The world-building is also wonderful. I love her take on the paranormal with the Magi. The way she has developed that concept is interesting and a unique twist. She has solidly built the world, and it is immersive. I love that she has filled it with as much intrigue and darkness as she has idealism and light. Actually MORE of the dark than the light.
I also loved the fact that she managed to bring solid closure at the end of this first book. I greatly appreciate the lack of a cliffhanger! But the story she has crafted is so compelling that I will be eagerly awaiting the next book.
Honestly, I found very little to criticize in this great first book. Aside from the editing issue, that is.
Oh - and I found all the cigarette smoking that was all but celebrated to be very off-putting. In this day and age, anything that glorifies smoking doesn't seem like a great idea. Not to mention, picturing a love interest as a smoker just makes me want to gag. It's like kissing an ash tray and stinks in general.
(Edit: I have clearly come off as far too judgmental with this comment about the smoking. And it was not my intent. I am not going to remove it, because it reflects my thoughts at the time, and it does bother me. However, it also is part of what makes Kristen's characters so very believable and REAL. We all have vices, and often they are our coping mechanism, so including them in a book that, as Kristen accurately points out, is far from YA grounds a character in something real. And I want to commend the author for that. My knee-jerk reaction to it is my own personal issue - as a former smoker, and one who lost several family members to lung cancer as a result of smoking. I will add, too, for those of you who have not yet read the book, the issue only comes up a handful of times. It is not something that is shoved in your face - it is just part of who the characters are. And Kristen has a very good blog post explaining her point of view here: Kristen Banet's blog. It is well worth the read.)
Overall though, if you haven't read this book yet, you really need to. ASAP!
UPDATE PROGRESS NOTES:
88.0% "The author has some sort of cigarette obsession, I swear :( Yet another smoker. The large percentage of smokers in this book does not match the number of people who still smoke in this day and age. And smoking IN a hospital room? With critically injured people. PLEASE!"
75.0% Pot, meet Kettle...thy name is Sawyer - “Don’t keep secrets from me,” she whispered back after a moment. “Ever again.”
70.0% "Quinn...wow, I totally can't resist Quinn. Finally a POV chapter of his, and I am sunk! Not that I don't kinda have a thing for all the guys in their own way."
68.0% "Sawyer is da bomb. 'Nuff said."
48.0% Great line! "For a mystery wrapped in an enigma with more than a bit of danger topping it off, he was an insanely attractive man."
46.0% "Lots of funny little typos like this (mostly missing words like 'the' or 'with', etc.)."
37.0% "Ugh...in this day and age, why would anyone write smokers into their book?"
34.0% "If they've tied up all Sawyer's funds, how will she keep paying for Liam's apartment and education, and the other good things she is funding? This really sucks :/" (had resolution later)
32.0% "I am really hating the way everything is being handled here in terms of bringing Sawyer in. *sigh* And the tension begins..."
27.0% "You know a book's got you totally hooked when you can't even be bothered to make notes or updates! Loving this one!"
13.0% "Gotta say, I am loving this so far. Compelling world-building and a complex, kick-ass heroine to boot. Plenty of tension and a engrossing backstory. Yay!"
2.0% "The talking out loud to herself to give us backstory about what is going on isn't very believable. Would rather it either narrated or an internal monologue of a checklist. Because who is going to be breaking in somewhere and talking out loud to themselves? Makes no sense."
1.0% "Heh...the glossary is a creative way to dump a lot of worldbuilding/backstory on the reader without reams of exposition. I wonder how many skip over it?"
See Edit below.
Wow. Best damn thing I have read in ages. Compelling world-building and a complex, kick-ass heroine to boot. Plenty of tension and an engrossing backstory.
I enjoyed the Wild Pride series, though it had its issues, but Kristen Banet has clearly grown by leaps and bounds as an author. This was beautifully done. Well, except that it needs a good line edit to fix all the prepositions, determiners and other small words missing currently - and there are a lot of them. But it didn't overly hamper my enjoyment of the story.
Honestly, I loved this so much that I kept reading slower and slower and slower the farther I got. I really didn't want it to end, even knowing the next book is to be released in less than two weeks.
Banet has created one of the all-time great main characters in Sawyer. She is fiesty, sassy, and incredibly strong, but also damaged. She has both a dark side and a deep well of sadness with which she is struggling to cope. And she manages very well without being self-pitying or whiny or even so broken that it is hard to read - but all very believably and capably handled by the author.
And Sawyer's men. She has created five very distinct individuals, all of whom are rather unique. Something that is becoming more and more rare as the RH genre grows. Quinn is a tour de force - scary and crazy and strange and utterly unique. And I adore his character! Elijah, Mr. Cowboy, is a doll and sexy as hell. And the others - Vincent, Zander, and Jasper - are coming into their own.
Clearly Banet knows how to write compelling and interesting characters. (Edit: see note below re: smoking)
The world-building is also wonderful. I love her take on the paranormal with the Magi. The way she has developed that concept is interesting and a unique twist. She has solidly built the world, and it is immersive. I love that she has filled it with as much intrigue and darkness as she has idealism and light. Actually MORE of the dark than the light.
I also loved the fact that she managed to bring solid closure at the end of this first book. I greatly appreciate the lack of a cliffhanger! But the story she has crafted is so compelling that I will be eagerly awaiting the next book.
Honestly, I found very little to criticize in this great first book. Aside from the editing issue, that is.
Oh - and I found all the cigarette smoking that was all but celebrated to be very off-putting. In this day and age, anything that glorifies smoking doesn't seem like a great idea. Not to mention, picturing a love interest as a smoker just makes me want to gag. It's like kissing an ash tray and stinks in general.
(Edit: I have clearly come off as far too judgmental with this comment about the smoking. And it was not my intent. I am not going to remove it, because it reflects my thoughts at the time, and it does bother me. However, it also is part of what makes Kristen's characters so very believable and REAL. We all have vices, and often they are our coping mechanism, so including them in a book that, as Kristen accurately points out, is far from YA grounds a character in something real. And I want to commend the author for that. My knee-jerk reaction to it is my own personal issue - as a former smoker, and one who lost several family members to lung cancer as a result of smoking. I will add, too, for those of you who have not yet read the book, the issue only comes up a handful of times. It is not something that is shoved in your face - it is just part of who the characters are. And Kristen has a very good blog post explaining her point of view here: Kristen Banet's blog. It is well worth the read.)
Overall though, if you haven't read this book yet, you really need to. ASAP!
UPDATE PROGRESS NOTES:
88.0% "The author has some sort of cigarette obsession, I swear :( Yet another smoker. The large percentage of smokers in this book does not match the number of people who still smoke in this day and age. And smoking IN a hospital room? With critically injured people. PLEASE!"
75.0% Pot, meet Kettle...thy name is Sawyer - “Don’t keep secrets from me,” she whispered back after a moment. “Ever again.”
70.0% "Quinn...wow, I totally can't resist Quinn. Finally a POV chapter of his, and I am sunk! Not that I don't kinda have a thing for all the guys in their own way."
68.0% "Sawyer is da bomb. 'Nuff said."
48.0% Great line! "For a mystery wrapped in an enigma with more than a bit of danger topping it off, he was an insanely attractive man."
46.0% "Lots of funny little typos like this (mostly missing words like 'the' or 'with', etc.)."
37.0% "Ugh...in this day and age, why would anyone write smokers into their book?"
34.0% "If they've tied up all Sawyer's funds, how will she keep paying for Liam's apartment and education, and the other good things she is funding? This really sucks :/" (had resolution later)
32.0% "I am really hating the way everything is being handled here in terms of bringing Sawyer in. *sigh* And the tension begins..."
27.0% "You know a book's got you totally hooked when you can't even be bothered to make notes or updates! Loving this one!"
13.0% "Gotta say, I am loving this so far. Compelling world-building and a complex, kick-ass heroine to boot. Plenty of tension and a engrossing backstory. Yay!"
2.0% "The talking out loud to herself to give us backstory about what is going on isn't very believable. Would rather it either narrated or an internal monologue of a checklist. Because who is going to be breaking in somewhere and talking out loud to themselves? Makes no sense."
1.0% "Heh...the glossary is a creative way to dump a lot of worldbuilding/backstory on the reader without reams of exposition. I wonder how many skip over it?"
May 2, 2018
4.5 Stars... I would have probably given it 5, but there were a lot of editing errors that started to annoy me.
Sawyer is a totally kick ass heroine with a skewed moral compass. She has had a horrid past that as it starts to unfold, you can't help but feel for her. However, she is definitely not a victim or a damsel, she is a survivor who embraces her darkness, and has worked hard to ensure that she is strong enough to face her demons if/when the time comes. She is a richly written character and definitely the heart of this book. However, that takes nothing away from her misfit harem of guys who are all very well fleshed out characters in their own right, each with a unique personality and demons of their own. I can't wait to learn more about each of their back stories in future books and see her relationship develop with them.
Everything in this book is balanced perfectly. The action and pace of the book work well, the character development is fantastic, there is a well thought out plot which drives the story, and the romance is not forced or rushed. There is plenty of chemistry and sexual tension between her and her guys, and the seeds of their relationships have been planted so that they can grow in a more realistic manner in subsequent books, but that is about where the romance stops for now, and I felt that was perfect for book 1 in this series due to everything else going on around the characters.
I honestly can't wait for book 2 and definitely more Quinn!
Sawyer is a totally kick ass heroine with a skewed moral compass. She has had a horrid past that as it starts to unfold, you can't help but feel for her. However, she is definitely not a victim or a damsel, she is a survivor who embraces her darkness, and has worked hard to ensure that she is strong enough to face her demons if/when the time comes. She is a richly written character and definitely the heart of this book. However, that takes nothing away from her misfit harem of guys who are all very well fleshed out characters in their own right, each with a unique personality and demons of their own. I can't wait to learn more about each of their back stories in future books and see her relationship develop with them.
Everything in this book is balanced perfectly. The action and pace of the book work well, the character development is fantastic, there is a well thought out plot which drives the story, and the romance is not forced or rushed. There is plenty of chemistry and sexual tension between her and her guys, and the seeds of their relationships have been planted so that they can grow in a more realistic manner in subsequent books, but that is about where the romance stops for now, and I felt that was perfect for book 1 in this series due to everything else going on around the characters.
I honestly can't wait for book 2 and definitely more Quinn!
February 22, 2018
I rarely geek out about a book but this one was sooooo good. Seriously. It earned every damn star. There's very little "sexy times" involved with this one but the story itself is just so damned good. We get a great introduction to the heroine and her dark past. Her abilities are unique and refreshing. She is a good person that does bad things, and you know what? I can get behind it all. The only part I had a little grievance with was when she just started to go along with what the guys wanted. I really did not appreciate that, and if it weren't for her reasoning why it would lost a star because it frustrated the hell out of me, but the book itself was so good I couldn't do it. Five stars to Kristen Banet. I'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel.
August 31, 2021
dnf @57 percent
A wattpad book
A wattpad book
June 5, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The beginning was kinda slow but hey what do you expect when your building your characters and their relationships. So I give it a pass.
I like this book "SO FAR" because the heroine is a BADASS and doesn't take sh*t from anyone!!! And yes she's a freaking HERO to many. But as much as she's a badass she can also be and show vulnerability when applicable. And don't even get me started on the heroes... oh boy do they ever step back and let her shine!
Overall rating:
4.5*~ A Good Read.
I like this book "SO FAR" because the heroine is a BADASS and doesn't take sh*t from anyone!!! And yes she's a freaking HERO to many. But as much as she's a badass she can also be and show vulnerability when applicable. And don't even get me started on the heroes... oh boy do they ever step back and let her shine!
Overall rating:
4.5*~ A Good Read.
May 21, 2020
I don't know if this series is going to work for me, because at this point, I seriously dislike all the guys. I loathe their condescending bullshit. I loathe that they happily take every goddamn thing in Sawyer's life away from her, disregard anything she wants, her choices, her free will.
I like Sawyer a lot. But there's only so much I can tolerate her self-loathing allowing her to accept their treatment of her. And don't get me wrong, the self-loathing is understandable ... she's been through some shit, and she's been forced to make choices no one could make and still feel happy with themselves.
But fuck those guys on their high horse judging her, as if they have any right. Fuck them for demanding that the law be held as unbreakable and sacred, from their stupidly easy position - as agents, they are literally unregulated. Magi don't even have any basic human or civil rights. So it's fucking easy to argue that someone ELSE should have to obey the law when the law doesn't apply to you at all.
I don't know that I'm going to be able to come around on them. I think they all fucking suck. Except Quinn, mostly. But that's just not enough. They treat her like the scum of the earth, and she accepts it like it's her due. They take her home, her friends, her family, her life, her money, her choices, her ability to defend herself - - and they force her to live the life of their choosing.
I don't know why she stays with them. And it's going to be hard to swallow, especially when we get her full story and we find out that none of it - NONE OF IT - was her fault at all. Of course, they still judge her for it, because they are dickheads. And the magical organization still happily wants to kill her, even though the only reason they caught Axel is her. And her self-loathing, now that we know the truth of what happened, isn't going to justify her allowing this to go on much longer.
I guess we'll see.
I like Sawyer a lot. But there's only so much I can tolerate her self-loathing allowing her to accept their treatment of her. And don't get me wrong, the self-loathing is understandable ... she's been through some shit, and she's been forced to make choices no one could make and still feel happy with themselves.
But fuck those guys on their high horse judging her, as if they have any right. Fuck them for demanding that the law be held as unbreakable and sacred, from their stupidly easy position - as agents, they are literally unregulated. Magi don't even have any basic human or civil rights. So it's fucking easy to argue that someone ELSE should have to obey the law when the law doesn't apply to you at all.
I don't know that I'm going to be able to come around on them. I think they all fucking suck. Except Quinn, mostly. But that's just not enough. They treat her like the scum of the earth, and she accepts it like it's her due. They take her home, her friends, her family, her life, her money, her choices, her ability to defend herself - - and they force her to live the life of their choosing.
I don't know why she stays with them. And it's going to be hard to swallow, especially when we get her full story and we find out that none of it - NONE OF IT - was her fault at all. Of course, they still judge her for it, because they are dickheads. And the magical organization still happily wants to kill her, even though the only reason they caught Axel is her. And her self-loathing, now that we know the truth of what happened, isn't going to justify her allowing this to go on much longer.
I guess we'll see.
November 26, 2018
I actually really liked this book.
It was soo... raw in emotion.
Something I heavily love in my reading material.
I can’t really say much, there’s not much to say. Usually when I love a series I either have many words or I have none.
Today, I have-
JUST KIDDING I NEED TO SAY MY WORDS DAMNIT.
Sawyer: I actually don’t like her name. For some reason the names really have to connect with the character for me... for it to fully encompass in my mind. Now, Shadow, I can get behind. She’s so much more of a Shadow than a Sawyer. Sawyer sounds like she wears sundresses and listens to old school Taylor Swift in her barn home. But Shadow... She’s something FIERCE. *Cue Tyra Banks*
She’s also extremely broken. And it’s explained in a way that makes your heart pang a little.
Again: emotion.
I’m a fan of this.
The guys: quick recap because I can’t go into it yet:
Quinn: fucking love him. And his dynamic with Elijah, ugh yes. More please.
Elijah: I actually don’t like him at all. It’s the hat. It really is.
Lose the hat hot dude. Thanks.
Zander: love the name. Love his persona. Can’t wait to see what he and Sawyer end up doing. It’s gonna be fucking wild.
Vincent: I saw that relation from a mile away. I mean... Italian... AND GREEN EYES?? Don’t people know green eyes are an extreme recessive trait???? I ain’t need no Sherlock Holmes material to figure that one out.
Jasper: FINALLY. A dude that isn’t a complete, whole rock-bodied ADONIS. I mean, he’s ripped and beautiful but he’s missing part of his leg. I like this. We finally bring some variety into the men of the RH world. I dig it.
The book was actually very engaging. The lull of her being at their house was outpaced by the action scenes towards the end. Peeling back the layers with thorough anticipation also had me intrigued and unwilling to put this book down.
I’m left wondering where book 2 will go.
It was soo... raw in emotion.
Something I heavily love in my reading material.
I can’t really say much, there’s not much to say. Usually when I love a series I either have many words or I have none.
Today, I have-
JUST KIDDING I NEED TO SAY MY WORDS DAMNIT.
Sawyer: I actually don’t like her name. For some reason the names really have to connect with the character for me... for it to fully encompass in my mind. Now, Shadow, I can get behind. She’s so much more of a Shadow than a Sawyer. Sawyer sounds like she wears sundresses and listens to old school Taylor Swift in her barn home. But Shadow... She’s something FIERCE. *Cue Tyra Banks*
She’s also extremely broken. And it’s explained in a way that makes your heart pang a little.
Again: emotion.
I’m a fan of this.
The guys: quick recap because I can’t go into it yet:
Quinn: fucking love him. And his dynamic with Elijah, ugh yes. More please.
Elijah: I actually don’t like him at all. It’s the hat. It really is.
Lose the hat hot dude. Thanks.
Zander: love the name. Love his persona. Can’t wait to see what he and Sawyer end up doing. It’s gonna be fucking wild.
Vincent: I saw that relation from a mile away. I mean... Italian... AND GREEN EYES?? Don’t people know green eyes are an extreme recessive trait???? I ain’t need no Sherlock Holmes material to figure that one out.
Jasper: FINALLY. A dude that isn’t a complete, whole rock-bodied ADONIS. I mean, he’s ripped and beautiful but he’s missing part of his leg. I like this. We finally bring some variety into the men of the RH world. I dig it.
The book was actually very engaging. The lull of her being at their house was outpaced by the action scenes towards the end. Peeling back the layers with thorough anticipation also had me intrigued and unwilling to put this book down.
I’m left wondering where book 2 will go.
April 24, 2018
Amazing
Wow just wow. Sawyer is one amazing lead character. She kicks butt without anyone's help and has a huge secret that could destroy her life. As Axel hints her down she taken by a group of men that could end up being her salvation. There are so many twists and turns in this story that I don't even know where to start except to say that it will totally blow your mind. I am completely invested in the story now and cannot wait to get my hands on the next one to see what happens next. I loved every minute of it so I give it 5/5 stars.
Wow just wow. Sawyer is one amazing lead character. She kicks butt without anyone's help and has a huge secret that could destroy her life. As Axel hints her down she taken by a group of men that could end up being her salvation. There are so many twists and turns in this story that I don't even know where to start except to say that it will totally blow your mind. I am completely invested in the story now and cannot wait to get my hands on the next one to see what happens next. I loved every minute of it so I give it 5/5 stars.
May 10, 2018
Let me whisper my review...
Have you ever read a book and noticed the author has a weird writing quirk? Sometimes a word is repeatedly used and shouldn't be? Uh huh. With this book it is the word "whisper". She whispers, he whispers, they all freaking whisper.
I think the author has a start on what could be an okay series. But it needs work. A lot.
And I'm guessing that 90% of the 5 star reviews are fake.
Have you ever read a book and noticed the author has a weird writing quirk? Sometimes a word is repeatedly used and shouldn't be? Uh huh. With this book it is the word "whisper". She whispers, he whispers, they all freaking whisper.
I think the author has a start on what could be an okay series. But it needs work. A lot.
And I'm guessing that 90% of the 5 star reviews are fake.
February 18, 2024
I decided to review this series after completing the entire 5 books. These books are well written and they maintained my interest until the end. The characters have depth and flaws that make them engaging. This is a slow burn reverse harem book and each of the men help the main character heal a part of her damaged whole while she also helps them. Fascinating magic system and world building. I recommend this series
August 7, 2022
Didn't make it very far in this. Felt like you got dumped in the middle of the story rather than this being first book in the series, and it's trying really hard to be 'edgy' and 'hardcore' just by having all the characters swear a lot and have unrealistic dialogue. Terrible book; don't understand the high ratings.
April 2, 2018
This book started off rocky. I almost stopped reading it. But I am glad I got through it! This is definitely a series i want to follow!
March 7, 2018
This was a very surprisingly good read. I wished it'd had a little more romance, but I guess that comes with the sequel. Can't wait!
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
July 30, 2024DNF at 1%.
I'm not a fan of the narrators style on this so I read reviews. Doesn't seem worth it.
I'm not a fan of the narrators style on this so I read reviews. Doesn't seem worth it.
August 10, 2020
I tore through this book, loved it.
December 5, 2023
3.5⭐️ but it’s a struggle to make it through the first half.
I truly, truly HATE it when Kindle deletes my reviews!!
So this had a pretty rough start.
It’s basically one long info dump for the first 30-40% or so
We barely touch on the actual plot, and spend all that time in setting up the world and FMC.
It’s done with a whole heap of irrelevant data, and worse, uses the dialogue repeatedly.
It ends up sounding stiff, stilted, over explained, and fake.
It has no conversational flow, and is absolute cringe.
More over, the FMC doesn’t match the setup she’s given.
She’s something of a Mary Sue-Super Assassin.
But a lot of her behaviours, dialogue, and reactions, simply don’t match that idea.
She’s bluntly, too young to be that experienced, mature [in lifestyle], or infamous. She was essentially a working assassin for only 4-5 years, and that includes training.
So, I was all ready to give this a harsh critique, and basically shrug this off, and move on.
But, after we got into the actual story, it started to improve.
Sadly we lost all other character interaction, and became limited to the mains [as is so often the case in all the different romance genres].
But the dialogue improved, the quality of story telling improved, and some of the believability in its world building definitely improved.
Good touches of humour, great fun bits of snark, and no unforgivable a-holes, but some definite tension and ‘discussions’.
I became interested, and genuinely enjoyed myself.
No romance as yet, but the setup has been done, and the mystery and adventure for this story was wrapped, so no ‘real’ cliffy.
So, I will be reading on, and fingers crossed we’re done with the info dumping. [Author needs to read some others, and maybe watch some Criminal Intent, and learn how it should and could be done. 😬]
I truly, truly HATE it when Kindle deletes my reviews!!
So this had a pretty rough start.
It’s basically one long info dump for the first 30-40% or so
We barely touch on the actual plot, and spend all that time in setting up the world and FMC.
It’s done with a whole heap of irrelevant data, and worse, uses the dialogue repeatedly.
It ends up sounding stiff, stilted, over explained, and fake.
It has no conversational flow, and is absolute cringe.
More over, the FMC doesn’t match the setup she’s given.
She’s something of a Mary Sue-Super Assassin.
But a lot of her behaviours, dialogue, and reactions, simply don’t match that idea.
She’s bluntly, too young to be that experienced, mature [in lifestyle], or infamous. She was essentially a working assassin for only 4-5 years, and that includes training.
So, I was all ready to give this a harsh critique, and basically shrug this off, and move on.
But, after we got into the actual story, it started to improve.
Sadly we lost all other character interaction, and became limited to the mains [as is so often the case in all the different romance genres].
But the dialogue improved, the quality of story telling improved, and some of the believability in its world building definitely improved.
Good touches of humour, great fun bits of snark, and no unforgivable a-holes, but some definite tension and ‘discussions’.
I became interested, and genuinely enjoyed myself.
No romance as yet, but the setup has been done, and the mystery and adventure for this story was wrapped, so no ‘real’ cliffy.
So, I will be reading on, and fingers crossed we’re done with the info dumping. [Author needs to read some others, and maybe watch some Criminal Intent, and learn how it should and could be done. 😬]
July 6, 2020
I wasn't sure cause her other book was kind of nice just not that great but then I saw it's RH with m/m elements and I was all...
---------------
False alarm. The series is actually even... let's just say it didn't caught my attention quite like it should have or could have.
Though I can also tell you it managed to do what few romance books - and ever fewer RH books do - wait. As in, you have to wait to see them do... anything, actually. Which is like major points with a healthy dose of confusion.
I am pretty sure there is this society-conditioned expectation that RH and other polyamory books are just a kinky erotica - in a "what's the point of getting them together if not to get their freak on?". Relationship plays the second, if not the third fiddle in here.
Also, major RH points for actually making a strong but not macho-absurd-strong female lead.
Like, really, after watching women revert to the fifth century ninny just because there are 4 or more guys more than ready to catch her and protect her from bad stuff, it's actually an accomplishment to see her kick-ass all the way through.
But information pacing is one of the major points in this book - it's an art to explain the relevant (and only relevant) information in the right amount in the right time. It's hard. And it could have gone better. Like, *sigh* why should I care kind of better.
Anyone, sorry.
---------------
False alarm. The series is actually even... let's just say it didn't caught my attention quite like it should have or could have.
Though I can also tell you it managed to do what few romance books - and ever fewer RH books do - wait. As in, you have to wait to see them do... anything, actually. Which is like major points with a healthy dose of confusion.
I am pretty sure there is this society-conditioned expectation that RH and other polyamory books are just a kinky erotica - in a "what's the point of getting them together if not to get their freak on?". Relationship plays the second, if not the third fiddle in here.
Also, major RH points for actually making a strong but not macho-absurd-strong female lead.
Like, really, after watching women revert to the fifth century ninny just because there are 4 or more guys more than ready to catch her and protect her from bad stuff, it's actually an accomplishment to see her kick-ass all the way through.
But information pacing is one of the major points in this book - it's an art to explain the relevant (and only relevant) information in the right amount in the right time. It's hard. And it could have gone better. Like, *sigh* why should I care kind of better.
Anyone, sorry.
May 12, 2022
I cannot get over how many times the characters whisper or mumble in this book. It's almost every single time a character speaks, and that's really not exaggerating. Addressing an entire group of people? The character whispers. Having an angry, heated argument? For some reason everyone's whispering. In the middle of an actual battle? Whispering! Mumbling! More whispering. This alone may keep me from ever trying anything else by this author again. That, and a whole lot of missing or swapped words throughout the whole book that made sentences incomplete or jumbled.
Overall a lot of nothing happened in this story and then the conclusion came out of nowhere with hardly any lead up to it. I'm still semi-interested to see what happens in the next book, but I'm battling my desire to see how the dynamic changes after this ending, with the need to never ever read another character whispering shit at the weirdest moments.
Overall a lot of nothing happened in this story and then the conclusion came out of nowhere with hardly any lead up to it. I'm still semi-interested to see what happens in the next book, but I'm battling my desire to see how the dynamic changes after this ending, with the need to never ever read another character whispering shit at the weirdest moments.
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