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Matchbox Girls

by Chrysoula Tzavelas (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 58 ratings · 30 reviews

Marley Claviger is just trying to get her life together. Stumbling into an ancient conflict between celestial forces is going to make that a whole lot harder...

When Marley wakes up to a phone call from a pair of terrified children, she doesn't expect to be pulled into a secret war. She rescues them from an empty house and promises to find their missing uncle. She even man...more

Paperback, 326 pages

Published February 21st 2012 by Candlemark & Gleam

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Jul 20, 2011 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is an atypical urban fantasy. As much as it's a story about sexy supernatural bad-asses wielding the weapons of Creation at each other, it's also a story about parents and children, and learning to take responsibility for others. If you like urban fantasy with actual substance to it, you should read this book.

There are no vampires. There are, however, angels and demons. The book also features one of the best smart-ass villain/anti-hero characters I've read.

(Note: my review is based on the u...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was not at all what I expected. Fairies, Angels, Demons, Mortals, all in conflict over twin girls for reasons none of them are certain.
I liked this book because I get tired of the same stereotypical archetypal roles - angels are good, demons are bad, faeries are mischievous. This book really tured all of those on their heads. Each of the characters is motivated differently and good and evil is really dependent on where you stand in terms of your motivation.
I am usually not one who li...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Charlotte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marley grew on me – as did the rest of the book. But I spent the first chapter or two wavering between really liking it and being put-off by the unusual style. The longer I read the more the style grew on me.
I still think I would have liked the story even better if the writing had been slightly less esoteric – but even that couldn’t take away from the draw of the story.
Chrysoula Tsavelas has created a vivid reality in “Matchbox Girls” that feels well thought out. The angels/demons/humans idea ha...more Marley grew on me – as did the rest of the book. But I spent the first chapter or two wavering between really liking it and being put-off by the unusual style. The longer I read the more the style grew on me.
I still think I would have liked the story even better if the writing had been slightly less esoteric – but even that couldn’t take away from the draw of the story.
Chrysoula Tsavelas has created a vivid reality in “Matchbox Girls” that feels well thought out. The angels/demons/humans idea has gotten a lot of play in the book world lately, but Tsavelas takes the familiar theme and creates new depths and twists. Mixing the Fae in as well was an inspired choice.
Marley is an interesting lead character. We are thrown into the middle of her world without a lot of explanation. This makes for a disjointed and somewhat confusing start. On one level this completely works. I was figuring things out as she was. Where it occasionally came up short is that the reader doesn’t have the knowledge of Marley’s history that Marley obviously has. A few times it almost felt like as a reader I was supposed to already know something that I had no way of knowing. This was a tiny bit frustrating.
There are freaky Angels, mellow demons and two adorable little girls (with intense powers) thrown in the mix as well. My favorite character by far though is “the Whispering Dark” – I mean how cool a name is that. And what a character. A part of me is sincerely hoping that behind that kaiju façade is some incredibly sexy dark demi-god that Marley can totally fall in love with. The chemistry between them was astronomically more intense than between her and either of the other 2 possible hook-ups.
Then there is the odd bit of steampunk thrown in with the heavenly machinery. Jury is still out on that one, but secretly hoping to be convinced.
I really am looking forward to the next installment. I am hoping that the writing itself will be less disjointed. On the one hand it did help to get into the mind of Marley – who is on medicine to control what she believes is an anxiety disorder – and see the world perhaps as she sees it. On the other hand it seems a bit much at times. Maybe now that she is no longer repressing an integral part of who she is the writing will reflect that by becoming more concise as well. As long as it doesn’t lose the edge it has.
That’s not asking too much… right?
Oh – and more sexy kaiju. Can’t have enough of that particular sexy kaiju.
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Aug 27, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Urban fantasy with angels and halfbloods running around the world is nothing new, but Tzavelas manages to bring some fresh energy to the genre. Marley is a mess of social anxieties and aimlessness, and her two best friends are only slightly more on top of their game. Watching Marley pull herself together as she puzzles through situations that she would have sworn would have broken her has a poignancy and an urgency that keeps the pages turning.

The twin girls are particularly well written--it's r...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Mikaela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I received this book as part of a Kickstarter pledge. Since I was in an Urban Fantasy slump, I didn’t read it immediately. Which I regret, since this is a really good Urban Fantasy novel. The intriguing worldbuilding takes the standard tropes of angels, demons and fairies, and twists them around a couple of times, until the end result is something unique. The writing starts with a bang, or a phone call to be more correct, and it doesn’t slow down. Marley’s reaction to the events were refreshing...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Gar rated it 3 of 5 stars

Urban fantasy from an author I sort of know, in an online sense; years and years ago we both were on a roleplaying MUD based on the White Wolf's "World of Darkness" setting. At that time in the newish interwebs, there were a lot of those around. The one I spent time on was notable primarily because the administrative staff insisted upon people actually being able to write in a way that showed basic grasp of spelling and grammar, and also because it didn't involve a sea of BDSM bars that people w...more Urban fantasy from an author I sort of know, in an online sense; years and years ago we both were on a roleplaying MUD based on the White Wolf's "World of Darkness" setting. At that time in the newish interwebs, there were a lot of those around. The one I spent time on was notable primarily because the administrative staff insisted upon people actually being able to write in a way that showed basic grasp of spelling and grammar, and also because it didn't involve a sea of BDSM bars that people would type about walking into in their trenchcoats and katanas. (Trenchcoats and katanas being the 90's era World of Darkness equivalent of putting on one's robe and wizard hat, you see.)

Anyway, I bring that up because I think the WoD and rpg-world influence in general shows in the book. It's an original setting mind you, but it has that kind of rpg-world feel to it. Umpty supernatural folks of different origins and powers and different power sources and mention of different schools of magic and passing references to different levels of jargon-souls (numina and spirit and chakras and whatnot) and people having access to the Backworld jargon plane and being able to manipulate The Geometry jargon substructure, and organizations with technomagical geegaws and Hushes and Covenants and so forth. Angels and demons and nephilim and "kaiju"* and secret pasts. All of which I don't really find terribly interesting on its own anymore.

There is, however, no swooning over vampires, sparkly or otherwise, and things move along at a brisk clip despite all the world-jargon flair on all the characters. I enjoyed it overall, so using the IMDB user rating scale, I'm going to declare it the best book ever. (If I hadn't enjoyed it overall, it would contrariwise be the worst book ever.)

* This was hands-down the most distracting element in the book. There were allegedly incredibly powerful and hostile supernatural critters much worse than demons, and they got termed kaiju. And yes, the term means "big monster" roughly, so sure, but dammit, kaiju are Godzilla and Monster Zero and all those guys. Kaiju are not and never will be dark smirking guys. I will die upon this hill, and die proudly.(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 April Steenburgh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

It starts out mundane enough- a call from the children of an acquaintance asking Marley to come over, that their uncle is missing and they were told to call her should anything happen. The mundane ends there, shifting seamlessly into a world peopled with angels, demons, and their offspring- all of which seem to have an unhealthy interest in the kids Marley now finds herself in charge of, and determined to protect. A celestial war is unfolding, and the children are at the center of it all.

What ca...more It starts out mundane enough- a call from the children of an acquaintance asking Marley to come over, that their uncle is missing and they were told to call her should anything happen. The mundane ends there, shifting seamlessly into a world peopled with angels, demons, and their offspring- all of which seem to have an unhealthy interest in the kids Marley now finds herself in charge of, and determined to protect. A celestial war is unfolding, and the children are at the center of it all.

What caught me first about the book is the reality of Marley’s anxiety problem. As someone who has struggled with anxiety, the writing rang so very true, and made Marley not only a flawed and human character, but really someone I was rooting for on a very personal level. I cheered every triumph and winced in sympathy every time she stumbled. For someone with an anxiety disorder, it is sometimes an overwhelming feat to do something as basic as get behind the wheel and drive to work. To see Marley work through that and carry the book to its conclusion was magnificent.

I also became very attached to Marley’s friends, Penny and Branwyn. Their friendship is so tangible and true- it made me want to make some phone calls to friends I have accidentally neglected while life has been busy distracting me.

Tzavelas also has the benefit of having her fae and celestial beings act inhuman, something I adore in any books those forces appear in. On one hand there are the fae, the celestials, and the demons. On the other, the humans. Caught in the middle are the crossbreeds. The mistakes. The Nephilim. And it is in the dual nature, that sense of being caught between that twists through the Nephilim characters, where Tzavelas’ writing really shines. Here is an author who has a grasp on that anxious tension that results from being neither here nor there, and trying to figure out where and how you belong. Matchbox Girls is a book about twisting your own fate from the threads we are given at birth, and it is a splendid journey.(less)

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Jan 18, 2012 Arlena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, ebooks, fantasy

Chrysovla Tzvelas did get my attention with her novel "Matchbox Girls."
This author was able to make one feel like they were with her in every move in the story. The story opens when Marley Claviger awakens from a frantic phone call from two scared twins that needed her help. Their uncle Zachariah
was missing and Marley soon found out that she was to care for the twins until he was found.
The story was full of excitement of one disaster after the other and was played out in so many celestial surpri...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Cyrano rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book starts out feeling very familiar for folks who are hep to modern urban fantasy, with the young adult whose life is unsatisfying and frustrating finding herself thrust into a frightening and action packed situation when she opens a door that shouldn't exist. Enigmatic characters suddenly emerge who know more than she about what's going on, and they display murky uncertain motives.

Characters are fun and real, and occasionally frustrating in the way that real people are. The twenty-someth...more

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Mar 19, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Right! This book is a Kickstarter project I recently backed that has turned out to be one of the best books I have read in a very long time. The characters are real and engaging, the mythos is believable and intriguing, the story line keeps you turning pages and guessing throughout the entire book. You have to love a book that lets you giggle at the antics of very powerful demons while still feeling afraid and worried for the characters because their antics don't detract from how dangerous they...more

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May 04, 2012 Silvergift rated it 4 of 5 stars

Free goodreads giveaway book. A good story overall. The supernatural side of things was not well explained, and it bugged me when the main character seemed surer of things than the reader, who, in this text, is supposed to be the next closest person to her mind. Of course, it didn't help that there were so many grammatical mistakes from the printing - I hope someone edits the book before publication.

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Jan 23, 2013 Vanessa Wolf rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-first-reads

A NetGalley first reads
The author of this review received an advance copy for an honest review

Definitely one of the better urban fantasy books I've read. The story is sort of a cross between Neil Gaimen's universe with a Jim Butcher-esque plot, only with girls and a protagonist who doesn't whine about their lack of abilities. The story starts with the basic above synopsis and moves quickly into the action. The main protagonist Marley, suffers from anxiety attacks, but not bouts of self-doubt (...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, arcs, paranormal-read, my-library

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

My Summary: One phone call can change everything.

When Marley receives a phone call in the middle of the night from her friend Zach's neices, she knows something's very wrong. Zach loves the kids and would never leave them alone for so long, but his prolonged absence is starting to worry her. With nothing else to do but pick up the kids and take them back to her place, Marley takes up the...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Kissed by Ink rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, in-my-mailbox, ink-to-review

I am not really sure where to begin with my review, but I guess I can first say that I liked the concept of the book. Marley started out being a character who demanded that we pay attention to. Her high anxiety and inability to function elicited pity from me. Once the twins called on Marley to be their “safe person,” she quickly rose to the occasion of being a woman of strength. Chrysoula really developed Marley into a hero from the ground up. The young twins, left by their mother as Marley was,...more

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Feb 12, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very intense story with great world building and characterization. Marley, a young woman struggling to keep herself afloat, suddenly finds herself in the midst of a battle between good and evil, throwing her already chaotic life into even more disarray.

I thoroughly enjoyed Marley’s character, especially as she matures throughout the story, going from a woman full of anxiety to a more self-assured person willing to do anything to protect those she cares about. She is a very believable...more This is a very intense story with great world building and characterization. Marley, a young woman struggling to keep herself afloat, suddenly finds herself in the midst of a battle between good and evil, throwing her already chaotic life into even more disarray.

I thoroughly enjoyed Marley’s character, especially as she matures throughout the story, going from a woman full of anxiety to a more self-assured person willing to do anything to protect those she cares about. She is a very believable character, and I loved that she is flawed, just like the rest of humanity. It was refreshing to have a genuine heroine that wasn’t always sure of herself and was afraid, and yet persevered to do what is right. Having no previous dealings with children, it was also comical to see her interact with the four-year-old twins who are being sought after by a band of sinister creatures. Marley’s inexperience shines through as she tries to figure out what to do with the girls, what to feed them, how to communicate with them—and as if this isn’t anxiety provoking enough for Marley, the girls uncanny abilities, and the abilities of those attempting to take the girls from Marley, all add to this enticing story.

Now, the young girls do see a lot of things that no child should ever see, and some readers may find this a bit jarring—especially as the children become extremely distraught on many an occasion, worried that the adults in their lives will abandon them as everyone seems to have already done. It’s a bit heartbreaking, and I definitely thought, many a time, that these girls were witnessing way too much to come away unscathed, and my heart hurt for them. Although a fantastical story, Tzavelas gives her characters and their feelings extreme human qualities, which, in my opinion, makes it a very well written story and the girls are an interesting pair, adding depth to the story.

I really enjoyed the otherworldly feel of this novel as well. While good and evil converge on Marley’s world, confusing her beyond belief, the author creates an amazing array of action sequences as Marley finds herself on the run. Unsafe and scared, Marley must trust people she wouldn’t normally give the time of day, and rely on them to keep the girls, and herself, safe. This is a really good read...

To see my full review upon release (2/20/12):

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
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May 24, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: looking for something different, fantasy lovers

Who knew two little girls could change your whole life - especially when they aren't even yours!!

This book started off pretty slow for me, but by about page 30, I was really into it. Unfortunately, I think the author tried to go too in depth with some of the explanations of things - the site that was given to Marley for instance. I think there could have been a better way to describe what she was seeing, how she saw it, and how she did it. But as it was, I had to read and reread it several times...more

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Apr 09, 2012 S.L. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was not entirely sure what to expect, since I am a bad friend and had not popped by to take a look at Chrysoula's web serial. I had nothing -- NOTHING -- to worry about. Matchbox Girls grabbed me from the get-go and didn't let go.

Chrysoula has a way with character. I am a character-biased reader, I freely admit that, so there was no way I wouldn't want to know about Marley, the book's incredibly strong yet far from perfect protagonist. It wasn't just about her, though. Every secondary charact...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Matchbox Girls threw me a loop, I tell you what! Not in a bad way at all. It starts off a bit like a book from the Series of Unfortunate Events. Two precocious young girls (who are eons ahead of other people their age in terms of intelligence) wake Marley out of a dead sleep to come and save them. Their Uncle has vanished, and they were instructed to call her if that ever happened. Doesn't bode well does it? Well rest assured that if that was your assumption you are right! What ensues is a story...more Matchbox Girls threw me a loop, I tell you what! Not in a bad way at all. It starts off a bit like a book from the Series of Unfortunate Events. Two precocious young girls (who are eons ahead of other people their age in terms of intelligence) wake Marley out of a dead sleep to come and save them. Their Uncle has vanished, and they were instructed to call her if that ever happened. Doesn't bode well does it? Well rest assured that if that was your assumption you are right! What ensues is a story filled with dark corners, deep secrets, and all manner of angelic and demonic creatures. It's pretty fascinating!

Let's start with what I loved about this book. The characters. Marley is so sweet and broken. She feels like madness is constantly pressing in around her, and yet when the girls need her she finds the strength to press on. I adored her character. She was so mothering. The girls themselves are adorable, albeit slightly creepy at times. They are so smart. I was engrossed by them alone the majority of the story, trying to uncover their secrets. Add in all the other characters who flit in and out of the story, and you have a well rounded group. Tsavelas allows the reader plenty of time to get to know this group, and it is easy to fall in love with them.

What I didn't enjoy so much is the over abundance of information that is often thrown out at the reader in certain parts of this book. There are a lot of different creatures that correlate with the angelic hierarchy in this book. While I respected the want to share them all with us, and help us form connections between them, it was all very confusing. There were pages that I had to read, and then re-read, just to make sure I was really understanding what I was meant to. After a while, especially towards the end, I found myself just skimming to get the parts that were really important and pushed the plot forward.

At the end of the day, Matchbox Girls was a book that I enjoyed. I can't say that I would have picked it up on my own, but I'm glad that I gave it a chance. This is a different look at the paradigm between good and evil, and it is given a deliciously mysterious twist. Despite some flaws, I think it is a unique book! I'd say that if you are looking for a new read, something a little different, give this a shot.(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 ♈Adrianne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Matchbox Girls has a good storyline. The writing of Tzavelas is very different from, well, all authors I've read. That fact alone did not prevent me from finishing the book. Matchbox Girls is a great urban fantasy story with angels, demons, & faeries. It all combined to make a great read. The details in this story were unbelievable!! I haven't had visuals like that in such a long time. Like epic fantasy, just toned down for urban fantasy. Love it. As I said earlier, the writing style was dif...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Cassandra (The Book & Movie Dimension blogger) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review, urban-fantasy

--Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog--

Matchbox Girls's premise thought when first approaching to read that it may be interesting but for the most part was disappointed.

Marley was a girl with certain anxiety problems who it appears has become close to twin sisters Kari and Lissa. They become really close and then when for some strange reason their guardian, Zachariah , disappears Marley becomes the person they must turn to , Marley, really doesn't want to get i...more --Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog--

Matchbox Girls's premise thought when first approaching to read that it may be interesting but for the most part was disappointed.

Marley was a girl with certain anxiety problems who it appears has become close to twin sisters Kari and Lissa. They become really close and then when for some strange reason their guardian, Zachariah , disappears Marley becomes the person they must turn to , Marley, really doesn't want to get involved but she can't bear the twins to be in danger. She is now part of a war with angels. One where angels aren't the only ones with a foothold on the war having to do with the twins. Worse still in trying to find a way to protect the twins from forces that see the twins as habingers of destruction, it becomes apparent Lissa and Kari's father is Akkaterin Ettoriel the angel who wants to eliminate them. Research Girl or really Marley must look now for a safe way out of this mess. Things start to become difficult as Penny who is known as Smile Girl , and Branwyn who goes by Action Girl are put into the Celestial war as well. Leading Matchbox Girls in a dangerous direction. There is hope to be found with the Senyaza company a mysterious group who help fellow Nephilim against angels. Yet, as Marley is about to learn the supernatural is a harsh and complicated place.

Some of the let-down qualities of Matchbox Girls is that it wasn't the type of book you get to enjoy right off while you start reading. You have to read for almost a while until it actually grabs your attention. There was also toward the end of the story it was rather vague as to what happened concerning Akkaterin Ettoriel and a certain action he did. When in reading its better for all readers to really understand what's going on which we didn't get here concerning what happened with Akkaterin Ettoriel. Besides these two issues in Matchbox Girls everything else wasn't too bad. There is an intricate building of the paranormal involved where we are introduced to the world of the celestials that are trying to get the twins. It included a unique hierarchy that was something like this: angels are much like in the t.v. show Supernatural where they follow heaven's orders without question, nephilim who are the children of fallen angels and humans, demons who may or may not be good, and Kaju who are these types of monsters that are almost as powerful as celestials-angels. There are also some other rules involved with the powers of being a nephilim or an angel.

In Matchbox Girls the story is so creative that it has potential for even more content. Leaving with a way for us to find futher to who are Marley's parents, what the story is of Lissa and Kari's father & mother , including a possible romance on the rise with Marley and Corbin, a fellow Nephilim. All of which still have a seedling of wanting to know what will happen next since the book is capable of growing on you. Will be reading future books to come if there are sequels. Really hope will be better than Matchbox Girls since saw potential in this one that could've been better realized.
This isn't an amazing book or almost amazing book but an ok book. Should you like to take you chances with it then go ahead.

Overall: Not good, Not bad read
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Angels, Romance(less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-worked-on, absolute-favorites, fantasy-and-scifi, here-be-monsters

I wasn't sure I would like this book, but Kate insisted that I would love it and she was right. I fell head-over-heels early on and haven't looked back.

Similar to Pilgrim of the Sky, another C&G book I fell absolutely in love with, Matchbox Girls features a main character who is not at her best when we meet her, but becomes more than she thought she could be by the end. Marley's anxiety feels real, not a mere character flaw or plot device, but real -- the kind that sits on your chest and clo...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars

It’s early in the year. So what? I already know that Matchbox Girls is going to make my list of “bests of”.

This title is a perfect score in characters – and, as you know, that’s one of the most important things for me. I need to be able not to sympathize with them, not to like them... but to believe them. If you make me take that step, the rest is almost done, because in order to make a character believable an author needs to make it understandable and genuine, which takes care of the sympathy a...more It’s early in the year. So what? I already know that Matchbox Girls is going to make my list of “bests of”.

This title is a perfect score in characters – and, as you know, that’s one of the most important things for me. I need to be able not to sympathize with them, not to like them... but to believe them. If you make me take that step, the rest is almost done, because in order to make a character believable an author needs to make it understandable and genuine, which takes care of the sympathy and the liking, respectively.

As you can imagine, this is exactly what happened in Matchbox Girls, and in that order. I’ll freely admit that I didn’t know how I’d feel reading about the twins. I didn’t know if they’d slow down the story. And when I saw Marley’s handicap, I wasn’t sure she could even make a reliable support character, let alone a fascinating lead.

This feeling of doubt didn’t last the first chapter. By that point, I was hooked. I could see how the flaws and apparent weak points weren’t explained away, but integrated in the plot. I got to know the characters – perhaps not every single detail, but more than enough to know that each of their reactions was honest. They had reasons to act as they do, all of them (except perhaps Zachariah, but that’s another story) and I could see them fighting for those reasons, growing, adapting.

With such a level of character development, it’s almost difficult to write a bad book. And Matchbox Girls didn’t rely only on characters.

The mystery in this novel presented a conundrum I loved. I can’t say much about it, not without spoiling some nice surprises, but I love to present old roles under new moral lenses, and I think this is what Ms. Tzavelas has accomplished here. She’s gotten the myth, and she’s given us a “what if...” that effectively keeps us wondering and mistrusting and cheering the cast the whole time. And by the end of the novel, I was effectively cheering characters I had openly mistrusted at first.

Matchbox Girls wraps nicely in a way. The major conflict is solved (in a most satisfying way, I must add) and the main characters have found some kind of closure. Which means you can go right away and buy your own copy, because you won’t want to kill me for the anxiety of waiting for the sequel to come up.

That said, though, I am awaiting quite anxiously for the sequel to come out – because there’s one planned, right? There are so many things that still need to be addressed – Zachariah’s motives need more examining, the twins need more explaining, Corvin’s ‘selfish’ motives must be explored and I, for one, want more about Marley, her powers and her new relationship with Senyaza Corp.

So, when can I expect to be a happy girl again? I really want to come back to this world. I know you will, too, as soon as you open the first page. (less)

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Mar 12, 2012 Emily (Heinlen) Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Chrysoula Tzavelas has a very accessible writing style, which makes this book just fly by as you read it. I loved the characters, they were so unique and well-developed that you felt instantly connected to them. I loved the story as it was just different enough to be unlike anything that I had previously read. The author gives you just enough clues throughout to make you think you know what's happening and then she sucks you in with the unknown. Great book!

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Mar 14, 2012 Chris Gwinn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was a little apprehensive about picking this up. I've known the author since high school and hadn't read anything she'd written since then. What if I hated it? I've hated friends' books before. And it's full of fairies and magic children and angels. Oh s***. I'm going to hate this and have to pretend I don't.

What I had forgotten to keep in mind is that Chrysoula's smart and talented and just as bored by the cliches of contemporary fantasy as I am. And it took about 10 pages to get from concern...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Sannie Hald rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013, free, read2review, ebooks

I received a digital copy from Candlemark & Gleam in exchange for an honest review by requesting on Netgalley.

Angels, demons, nephilim, fey, little girls...

This book has a lot going on unfortunately I disliked the main character so much, and the girls.. So this book was just annoying for me.

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May 27, 2012 Kylie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very much enjoyed this book. The characters were great, their personalities real.
If you enjoy Urban/Paranormal fantasy I would highly recommend reading this one, especially if the focus on "romance" in many of these titles annoy you. This is a real story, with a real plot not riding on a relationship.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 24, 2013 Jami Leigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, kickstarter, paper

Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Style: 4 stars
Pace: 3 stars

A bit slow at first, but interesting concept and good writing once I got into it. There were a few points that confused me, but that might have been more because I was reading it in small chunks at work in downtime than any fault of the book, so I didn't ding that aspect. (We can't use kindles at our desks, and have to use paper books. I might make a dent in my backlog of them this way!) There's a lot of doubt/introspection/angst, ma...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Stevie Carroll rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a lot of fun. Marley is a female protagonist with a proper network of friends, which made me very happy, although I'd have liked to have got to know some of them better. I also had a lot of love for her starting point of low confidence and competence, some of which (possibly most of which) is connected to the world she discovers as the story progresses. Basically my one complaint was that I wanted more of everything.

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Jan 27, 2013 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: signal, indie

Creative.

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Mar 30, 2012 Marlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

This one's a keeper. The series will definitely be one that I follow. The author does a great job of weaving the LA wildfires into a story of smokey deception by various levels of angels. These are not the cherubim and seraphim of childhood tales. But I love how the three young women handle things!

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Urban Fantasy: Matchbox Girls Blog Tour and Giveaway	1	7	Feb 14, 2012 12:21am
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About Chrysoula Tzavelas

I love to read long, well-thought-out reviews (even critical ones), and sometimes I even write them. I'm fond of urban fantasy and some paranormal YA, although I'm also pretty critical of what I see as weaknesses in the genres. I also like to read traditional fantasy, the occasional science fiction novel, classics, and old Regency romances. When I read a new book, I do it obsessively, unless it's...more

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