Becoming (Daughters Of Saraqael, #1)

Nov 18, 2011 Chelsea Fine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Here's a book that will rock your world, make you smile, and keep you guessing. Where do I even begin?

From the first chapter I fell in love with the characters. They're real and likable and had me rooting for them the entire time! The love story between Amber and Gabriel (HOTTIE!) was especially touching. It was precious and delicate, but also honest and unbreakable. I smiled whenever they were together. I seriously did.

And the Estilorian world was wonderfully original. Filled with beautiful det...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Michele (Reading Lark/CanadianTwiMom) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fantasy, own-it, sci-fi, softcover

I was approached by Raine Thomas to review the first book her in Daughters of Saraqael trilogy, Becoming. Overall, I felt it was a decent effort by an independent author. From the story's synopsis, it sounded like something truly unique so that piqued my interest -- and it WAS unique. The mythology Raine created in this book was unlike anything else I ever read. It had a tinge of sci-fi mixed in with fantasy with a lore that almost made it sound like the Estilorians were angels, and their differ...more

I was approached by Raine Thomas to review the first book her in Daughters of Saraqael trilogy, Becoming. Overall, I felt it was a decent effort by an independent author. From the story's synopsis, it sounded like something truly unique so that piqued my interest -- and it WAS unique. The mythology Raine created in this book was unlike anything else I ever read. It had a tinge of sci-fi mixed in with fantasy with a lore that almost made it sound like the Estilorians were angels, and their different plane of existence could be construed as heaven.

I liked Amber well enough. At first, I had to admit that I rolled my eyes at the fact that she seemed totally clueless to fellow foster-child Garbriel's intentions. But she did quickly redeem herself as she seemed to gain more confidence as her relationship with Gabriel grew.

I adored Gabriel. He was the most strongly written character in my mind. Gabriel has harboured a protective and growing romantic interest in Amber since she came to live with him and Mrs. B. when they were both 12. Obviously, at 12, Gabriel didn't act on his romantic feelings for Amber, but he always knew she was for him. The depth of their feelings is more fully understood later in the story once we learn of their origins. They became best friends first, which I loved. Their relationship as 18 year-olds was adorable and loving.

Some of the complimentary cast of characters were strong, while others, perhaps, needed more development, or they were just dropped out of the story once they were no longer needed. I felt we got to know Olivia and Skye quite well but some of the others left me wanting to know more about them... especially Saraqael and his human love. We did learn a bit about them through Ini-herit's explaining Amber's history and through actual story flashbacks, which were clever, but I did want to know more... like what kind of man/Estilorian he was, why he loved her mother so much to go to such extremes. It just left me wanting a bit. Note: I have since found out that the author is releasing a prequel-style novella called Foretold, which will serve as Saraqael's story.

Again, while I felt that this story definitely had some strengths in some of its characters and uniqueness, it might have benefited from a bit of 'tightening up'. I felt the explanation of their origins was a bit long and overwhelming. I also found the different tiers/groupings of Estilorians sort of hard to remember and what was each of their significance, and why they were so significant to the story. Perhaps, dividing the Estilorians into three groupings rather than... I lost count... would have been easier on my memory.

I don't know if there was actually a strong plot by the truest definition. I think it was basically about a girl coming of age and learning the reasons behind her difficulties in life (and they were truly unlike anyone else's). There was an underlying theme of some of the 'bad' Estilorians wanting to rid the Estilorian plane of anything that resembled an abomination. This sort of simmered on the back-burner throughout the book until close to the end of this installment where there was the inevitable battle.

Overall, I feel the book has some merit and might appeal to some fantasy/sci-fi followers who are looking for something completely different from the mainstream supernatural genre. The story definitely held my interest but might have benefited from some 'polishing' for lack of a better word. A good effort by an up and coming author.

Finally, I'd like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-appeal, young-adult, still-reading-series, indie

This review first appeared here on my blog!

Becoming is one of those books that you sit down to read a few pages of and next thing you know, you're looking up at the clock and an hour has somehow passed you by! I honestly adored this book from start to finish and my only regret is that I didn't read it sooner. Becoming first caught my eye a while back because of its lovely cover. Once I read the description, I knew this was a book that I could not miss out on. Power surges? Alternate planes? I ju...more This review first appeared here on my blog!

Becoming is one of those books that you sit down to read a few pages of and next thing you know, you're looking up at the clock and an hour has somehow passed you by! I honestly adored this book from start to finish and my only regret is that I didn't read it sooner. Becoming first caught my eye a while back because of its lovely cover. Once I read the description, I knew this was a book that I could not miss out on. Power surges? Alternate planes? I just had to know how it was all going to play out.

I loved pretty much everything about this book. From page one, the reader is thrown into an absolutely fascinating story. We get to know the two protagonists, Amber and Gabriel and see the close but complex friendship they have. Amber hasn't had an easy life; all her foster placements didn't end well through no fault of her own, but this doesn't stop Amber from being a kindhearted and selfless character who you can't help but adore.

There is certainly a lot of tension from the very beginning of this book. Amber and Gabriel are constantly living in fear of Amber having one of her ''surges'' and the possible consequences of that. Amber never really gets to relax and just enjoy her life because she never knows what's ahead of her or how dangerous it is! When Amber and Gabriel find out that there are others like her out there, they are quite willing to believe it because they had already seen the impossible happen several times.

My favourite part was when we found out about the Estilorians and their story. It was just so intriguing and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page. I love how Amber found out so many secrets about her own past and faced it with courage and a level-head! Gabriel and Amber are really forced to grow up pretty fast in this book but their relationship is sweet, even if it all gets a bit cheesy at times!

I also really loved the characters names in this book. They were just fun to look at and added a unique aspect to this book! If you haven't already figured it out, I thoroughly enjoyed Becoming and will be getting to the rest of the series in the coming weeks so look out for those review. I'll also be reviewing Defy next week for the blog tour, which is based on the same world but is a separate series! (less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone with a pulse :)

Shelves: favorites, cover-love, makes-my-heart-swell, nook, books-i-own, signed, paranormal, young-adult

I was lucky to have the chance to read the first 3 chapters of Becoming before it was released (Thanks Raine!) and I was instantly hooked. I had to know what happened. I have been anxiously awaiting the release.

The world of the Estilorians is a world unlike any other. I have never read anything like this. From the very beginning (prologue, ahem) my heart was pounding. Amber is a young woman that is easy to relate to and root for. I immediately liked her and felt her feelings of loss, excitement,...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

The best part about Amber is that she's smart. She doesn't take forever to hem and haw about whether Gabriel is interested, she doesn't fret about the existence if the Estilorians. She just takes action which is awesome!

I had a little trouble with the world-building- it's very detailed and I kept forgetting the classes of Estilorians, but it didn't take away from the story. I also was told about a handy Estilorian chart on the authors website... How cool is that?! All in all a fabulous story w...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Bayan Basri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: heros-or-heroins-i-adored, magic, multiple-pov, my-book-boyfriends, no-love-triangle-thank-god, trilogy, strong-heroin, ya-paranormal

Wow. What a ride!

This book was totally different than any other. The world-building was very creative and completely magical.
The writing style was amazing. Beautiful and easy to read. And while I haven't had the best of experiences in reading multiple point of view books; it totally worked with me in this book. In fact, I loved it.

Amber is a really cool character. While she has a problem with letting people in, she wasn't rude or hateful towards them. In fact she's really nice and kind, but she...more

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May 23, 2012 Emily Leathers rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: meh, find some better fantasy

Recommended to Emily by: a blog with a preview of Defy

Shelves: kindle, read-preview, self-published, magic, fantasy, non-fiction, young-adult

This book was all lead-up and introduction, and felt like it never really got off the ground. This is probably because it's the first book in a trilogy and the author *was* using it to introduce the characters and ideas. Unfortunately, that meant that there was very little non-trivial action, and a whole lot of flat description.

I felt like reading the book wasted my time - I didn't get any exciting descriptions, but there were too many descriptive words that distracted from a smooth flow. I did...more This book was all lead-up and introduction, and felt like it never really got off the ground. This is probably because it's the first book in a trilogy and the author *was* using it to introduce the characters and ideas. Unfortunately, that meant that there was very little non-trivial action, and a whole lot of flat description.

I felt like reading the book wasted my time - I didn't get any exciting descriptions, but there were too many descriptive words that distracted from a smooth flow. I didn't connect to the characters or understand how they grew, yet clearly they were growing in the author's eyes. She just didn't let me into their world - though it's clear she was trying, and thought she had succeeded.

Two things that really bothered me in the character development:
1) Gabriel's was very inconsistent. (view spoiler)
2) Amber felt too much like a Mary Jane character. She was good at all the right things at all the right times, whether or not those things had been mentioned earlier. And, most bothersome, her emotional maturity didn't make sense - she was great at it all the time, without any real explanation of how that changed.

Ms Thomas's writing style is fine, but always leaves me wanting a little something more. This book however was much better in that regard than the preview of Defy that I read - I couldn't even finish the preview on that one. I can't quite put a finger on what I don't like, but I think the gist of it is that she writes like I do - straightforwardly, and without the inspired descriptions that make a truly great novelist. She goes in heavy on the adjectives, but they all just end up feeling like her high school teacher told her she needed 2 in every sentence so she made sure they were there - they don't add much, and (at least for me) often detracted from the flow and impact of the story. Oops!

I did like the very sweet, very chaste romance, though once again the descriptions and dialog were horribly cheesy. (I love the romantic side of romance stories, but don't particularly enjoy the bodice-ripper style.)

Readability: 4
Writing style: 3
World building: 4
Character development: 4
Enjoyed: 4
Learned something: 1
Personal appeal: 3
What I expected: 5
Edition read: 3 (Kindle edition had random words hyphenated in the middle as if they were expected to be broken across lines, but weren't.)(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Becca Walters rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-ve-reviewed-on-my-blog

*Taken from my blog, OtherRealmReviews.blogspot.com, not edited for any other site*
First off, I want it known that this was already written a week ago, my loving fiance however, took the laptop and didn't know to NOT CLOSE THE TAB, so now.. (huge pout), I am re-writing my review, which isn't all bad, since I won't be in utter shock and writing, like the first time, BUT, I am doing it under protest. Protest, because Raine's new book, Defy, the first in the trilogy that follows the ones I am revie...more *Taken from my blog, OtherRealmReviews.blogspot.com, not edited for any other site*
First off, I want it known that this was already written a week ago, my loving fiance however, took the laptop and didn't know to NOT CLOSE THE TAB, so now.. (huge pout), I am re-writing my review, which isn't all bad, since I won't be in utter shock and writing, like the first time, BUT, I am doing it under protest. Protest, because Raine's new book, Defy, the first in the trilogy that follows the ones I am reviewing, was released today, and I haven't gotten to read it yet!
Alas, I knew I needed to write this, (and get it posted, the fiance WILL be home sometime tonight!) before reading the new one, as to not inadvertently review the new one, in this same group. For those to whom that sentence made sense, thank you for following my somewhat twisted thought processes, and for those to whom it did not make sense, my apologies.
Daughters of Saraquel.... omg. I don't have words, even a week, two weeks, and I suspect even six months from now, later. I just don't. Raine Thomas has proven I am NOT the only person in the world that thinks the way I do, lol, poor Raine, but her ability to make it clear to others, well, I envy it. She tells a story so rich, so intricate, and yet, still manages to NOT lose her reader. Something I am still working on.
The main characters exhibit the best humanity has to offer in terms of a desire to do right. Yes, I did intentionally word it that way, because that is pretty much how I view it. We can do right or wrong, and the girls constantly watch themselves to make sure which path they are traveling, a concept I think reaches far more than just myself and my son, judging by the other reviews. What I truly enjoy and what sets these apart from other fantasy novels based on good and evil, is that Raine allows the characters to ALL have both aspects, even those inherently evil ones, and allows you to see the struggles that we all endure as we walk our individual paths. I connected with some aspect of every single character, and I've never, in over 3000 books, and 38 years, encountered that. I empathized (read my first post, I am an empath) with every single character, including Aurora, the feline counterpart to Olivia.
I challenge anyone to read these books and NOT connect to the characters. I cannot imagine someone not finding at least ONE character that was so deeply like themselves, and yet, I can tell you, I saw aspects in ALL of them. Raine has such a clear understanding of humanity, our emotions, and how those emotions can lead the best of us, to do the worst of things, and vice-versa, that you cannot help but connect with her books, and her.
I have been so blessed, the night I was reading the first one, was a very hard night for me. I won't go into details, but I was seeking a distraction from reality, and even my favorite books (Marina's Tales, reviewed first in my blog) were not providing it. My eyes lit on Raine's books, and I decided to trust my instincts. I cannot tell you how glad I am that I did. I also wrote her a letter that night, going into more detail as to what I was trying to evade, and somehow, between her book, and my letter, I made the most valuable thing in the world... a new friendship. However, that didn't happen till I was done with the books, so nope, it's not because I care about Raine that I will crow about her books. That would have happened no matter her response to my letter. :)
There is no simple way to put it that will accurately reflect the quality of the writing. She has no typos, which I find in the big box books anyway, no grammatical issues, nothing of the technical problems that plague so many books.. but she DOES have everything that truly matters. There is a depth of passion, love, and sheer soul that she puts into her work that I see glimpses of in most writing, but rarely is it thrown out there for the world to judge. She puts 110% of herself into what she is writing, and I hope that I have accurately conveyed that.
On that note, as much as I LOVE talking about her books, I am dying to read one.. and mean it is actually starting to make me batty, so, I suggest, when you are done reading the Daughters of Saraquel's trilogy, that you go find "Defy", the story beyond it, and somehow, I already know, it's going to be on my kindle's favorites shelf along with it's predecessors. GO READ! :) (less)

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Apr 18, 2012 Jenna Wainman-Riley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kick-ass-books

Okay. This is going to be hard to review when I've already read the rest.

Well. I'll start with what I liked and what I dis-liked.

Dis-likes:
1) preeeeeeeeeeedictable love story. Seriously. Just no.
2) this is about all the books but, THEY ARE ALL THE FREAKIN' SAME. It's like " oh hey my sisters fell in-love with their guardians, ID BETTER DO THE SAME. " ugh. One was enough, two times tolerable. Three times? Nu-uh.
3) the other two sisters Skye and Olivia were kinda really annoying.

Likes!
1) the...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Every three years, Amber Hopkins explodes. Okay, not a blown-to-smithereens explosion, but whatever it is always hurts like hell and leaves her life a shambles. She’s already worked her way through five foster placements, and she’s doing whatever she can to avoid getting blasted into a sixth.
As her eighteenth birthday approaches and she feels the strange and powerful energy building, disaster looms. When the inevitable explosion occurs, her life gets its biggest shakeup yet. She’ll not only lear...more Every three years, Amber Hopkins explodes. Okay, not a blown-to-smithereens explosion, but whatever it is always hurts like hell and leaves her life a shambles. She’s already worked her way through five foster placements, and she’s doing whatever she can to avoid getting blasted into a sixth.
As her eighteenth birthday approaches and she feels the strange and powerful energy building, disaster looms. When the inevitable explosion occurs, her life gets its biggest shakeup yet. She’ll not only learn how her fellow foster and best friend, Gabriel, really feels about her, but she’ll discover that she isn’t really without family.
To top it all off, she’ll finally find out why she’s having the power surges: she isn’t entirely human.
Amber must become, transitioning to another plane of existence and risking the loss of the most important relationship she’s ever had. Her choice will impact the future of an entire race of beings, and will pit her against an enemy that will prey upon her doubt to try and take her very life.
Kind of makes the explosions now seem like a cakewalk.

I love the cover of this book! It was on my recommend list and I just went straight to it. I think its beautiful. Oh I know you ‘can’t judge a book by its cover’ but it sure does help!

I could not picture what Amber and Gabriel looked like throughout the entire first half of the book. This there for left me feeling fairly unconnected towards them both. It was either my fault for not concentrating enough, or there was not a description there that had enough depth. I’m not sure which.

This now brings me on to the ‘not concentrating enough’ part. It took me till well within the second half of the book to feel the actually pull to carry on with it. I found myself very easily distracted. That very rely happens to me when reading. I even resorted to reading in the bath so there was no distractions around that could deter me.

The fact that Gabriel is only 18 and spoke like a 40 year old man really ticked me off sometimes. At times I thought it made the story feel cold... (Not quite sure how that is possible but that’s how I feel) and unbelievable. His old fashioned manners on the other hand, I had no problem with. Gosh, I wish a boy would come and open my car door for me.

Why oh why, is the girl in every book I read so innocent and self-loathing! In this book yeah I kind of get the fact that she has had a hard upbringing from having to move from different homes all the time, also the fact that she keeps ‘exploding’ doesn’t help. Still I just want a girl that remotely loves even some part of her, likes to shop like the average girl and can put on some makeup without making a deal out of it.

The saving grace and the only reason I got through the first half of the book was the romance between Amber and Gabriel. I’m not going deny it. I’m a girl that likes to read about a fire towards two people at their first glance. But I found myself loving the tenderness and understanding these two seemed to have for each other. I like that they were best friends first and then went into a relationship together.

And then all of a sudden, bam! Amber and Gabriel find out they are both not human and we are transported to another plane of existence. You find yourself in an entirely different type of world which is so original and well developed in comparison to the undetailed lives they lead in the human world. Maybe a little too detailed at times. I found myself being left behind on some of the smaller details. This did not however, keep me from understanding the story as a whole.

The addition of Amber’s sisters, Olivia and Skye made all the difference to the book with their little quirks. I loved Skye with her positive and relaxed attitude. Then there is the Olivia who is so logical and thinks that all things come down to science and maths. I also found myself liking Amber when she was around her two sisters. You see her allowing herself to care and connect with them both.

The only thing stopping me form loving this book instead of just liking it,was the begging. I can definitely say I will be reading the sequel.
(less)

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Apr 04, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Amber knows there is something wrong with her. She avoids connections and contact with almost everyone. Her best friend Gabriel is the only one who knows she’s “different” but she still not sure he’ll stick by her when things go bad again. And she knows it will happen again soon.

Every three years Amber has an episode of some sort of power surge which destroys her life. As her eighteen birthday approaches she feels the familiar tremors that lead up to and explosion. Following her biggest surge y...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Chlo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ah-mazing, 1-in-a-series, absolute-faves, more, omg-omg-omg-3

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS IN PARTICULAR SECTIONS MARKED WITH A * AT THE BEGINNING AND A * AT THE END

omg amazing.

I don't know how many of u know about my reviews, but I only review really amazing books and .... OH MY GOD this is amazing

reasons why, for me, it stands out from other books:

1. the love <3
now, of course this book has love and a love interest, but it's not the same 'ach! just get on with t and get together' love as it happens soon into the book. for me, it is refreshing to read...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Emily Ward rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, own, ya, unique-fantasy, self-published

I had my eye on this trilogy for a while, but a sale for 99 cents made me pick up the first one about a month ago. I got the chance to finally start reading it on Friday, and I finished it last night. To be honest, it's more of a 4.5, but I rounded up :) The story starts off with a great, endearing romance that sucked me in right away. Of course there was some stuff before that, but Gabriel and Amber's relationship was so enjoyable to read.

There's a healthy balance of mystery surrounding Amber'...more I had my eye on this trilogy for a while, but a sale for 99 cents made me pick up the first one about a month ago. I got the chance to finally start reading it on Friday, and I finished it last night. To be honest, it's more of a 4.5, but I rounded up :) The story starts off with a great, endearing romance that sucked me in right away. Of course there was some stuff before that, but Gabriel and Amber's relationship was so enjoyable to read.

There's a healthy balance of mystery surrounding Amber's strange origins and we also get the chance to see the people who know more than Amber and the reader. Amber and Gabriel are both really likable while still having flaws. Actually, I take that back -- I can't think of any flaws in Gabriel yet! He's not your typical controlling, secretive, dark YA love interest. I don't really understand the appeal of YA novels that have an ordinary girl trying to find out the supernatural secret of her crush. I like YA where the girl has the secret, or she at least has something going on, too -- books like Unearthly, Hush Money, Solstice, and now Becoming by Raine Thomas.

About halfway through, things slow down a bit with a hefty infodump. I'm not sure how this could have been done differently, but I only retained part of the knowledge I know I'm supposed to have. I need an Estilorian encyclopedia or something because I can't keep track of all the different classes and histories and planes of existence (wait, there are only two, right?). Note to self: Google to see if there is something like this.

After said infodump, the pace is back up and running. Amber and Gabriel are faced with big choices and are soon heading to the Estilorian plane of existence to save the people, though I don't really know how. Honestly, I might need to run over certain parts again because I was reading so quickly because it was such a fun read.

I don't want to spoil anything, but I'll just say that I really liked the Estilorian plane. I liked the description (though sometimes it bordered on too much) and the very different field of the world. It's evident the author gave these people a distinct culture and traditions and really thought it through. I could definitely take a page or two from her book on worldbuilding, which I usually put on the back burner.

The ending climax was pretty cool -- some great action scenes with the girls really kicking ass. I'm excited for the next book, and I wish I would have bought it at 99 cents when I had the chance! But I'm happy to support a self-published author with the hefty fee of $2.99 ;)

In short, I recommend this trilogy for fans of YA fantasy, especially readers who enjoy romance, male love interests who are gentlemen, interesting female protagonists, and strong worldbuilding. A great addition to YA fantasy.(less)

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Aug 18, 2011 BookHookup rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed Becoming and want to share with you just some of the reasons why you should read it.

First, let’s talk about the characters. They are vivid and easy to like. From the very beginning, Amber made me smile and I envy her ability to persevere. Even with the obstacles she’s experienced in life, she maintains the capacity for curiosity and a healthy amount of sarcastic humor. Then there’s Gabriel. He is the perfect southern gentleman…observant, caring and oh so polite. Ms. Thomas...more I thoroughly enjoyed Becoming and want to share with you just some of the reasons why you should read it.

First, let’s talk about the characters. They are vivid and easy to like. From the very beginning, Amber made me smile and I envy her ability to persevere. Even with the obstacles she’s experienced in life, she maintains the capacity for curiosity and a healthy amount of sarcastic humor. Then there’s Gabriel. He is the perfect southern gentleman…observant, caring and oh so polite. Ms. Thomas writes him in a very swoon-worthy way. And, unlike many other books, the secondary characters in Becoming are given the right amount of attention and care by the author so that the reader connects with, and cares about, them as well.

Secondly, the relationships in this story never seem forced. The book begins with existing bonds and new ones are developed throughout, especially as Amber discovers she has a family she knew nothing about. Of course, there’s a romance to consider here as well. Now, normally, I don’t like love that comes to fruition too quickly. In this case, however, the event may appear quick but, in reality, it is the culmination of much that has happened before the book even begins. Once I understood that, I jumped right in and willingly basked in the new relationship “glow”!

Finally, in this book Amber discovers she’s not entirely human and transitions to another plane. I know what you’re thinking…this is exactly the place where many books would rely on descriptions of worlds we’ve all read about before. However, this plane is written in such a creative way that it captures your imagination…which thrilled me as a reader. I was fascinated by this world (and the people who call it home) and happily experienced several “well…I didn’t see that one coming” moments.

I know there are those readers who do not appreciate when too much time is spent on details and feel it slows down a book. I did find that occasionally there was a bit too much description in some scenes. However, trust me when I say that this book would not be as intriguing without those details, especially those in the first half. So…don’t let that deter you….keep reading because what happens after the foundation is laid is the beginning of a wonderful adventure!(less)

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Jul 30, 2011 Janice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mythology, romance, action and adventure - what more could you want in a book?

I met Raine on Twitter a few weeks ago and the first question I asked her was who the girl in her profile picture was? The picture turned out to be the cover for Becoming. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but how could you not be excited about a book cover that looks the way this one does? Another thing that sold me was the first sentence of the blurb, `Every three years, Amber Hopkins explodes.' I mean,...more

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Mar 27, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Annabell

Becoming (Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy #1)
Author: Raine Thomas

Synopsis: Every three years, Amber Hopkins explodes. Okay, not a blown-to-smithereens explosion, but whatever it is always hurts like hell and leaves her life a shambles. She’s already worked her way through five foster placements, and she’s doing whatever she can to avoid getting blasted into a sixth.

As her eighteenth birthday approaches and she feels the strange and powerful energy building, d...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Annette M Guerriero Nishimoto rated it 4 of 5 stars

Today's review is on Becoming by Raine Thomas

Becoming is the first installment in Thomas' Daughters of Saraqael series and took me just two days to finish, it was that good.

Amber Hopkins' life has never been easy. Every three years something happens to her causing her extreme physical pain as well as the mental anguish of having to go to another foster placement. With the help of Gabriel, another child living with the affectionate Mrs. B, she is able to calm down some and avoid an all out blow u...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-paranormal, fantasy

Daughters of Seroquel follows Amber, a 17 year old foster child who lives with her guardian and “brother,” Gabriel. Amber is not a normal teenager, every three years she has an “incident,” which is best described as a surge of power with Amber at the apex. As Amber approaches her 18th birthday, she and Gabriel are on alert for her next incident as they have been getting stronger as she ages.

I am not giving away much but saying that Amber is not entirely human. It turns out Amber is a product of...more Daughters of Seroquel follows Amber, a 17 year old foster child who lives with her guardian and “brother,” Gabriel. Amber is not a normal teenager, every three years she has an “incident,” which is best described as a surge of power with Amber at the apex. As Amber approaches her 18th birthday, she and Gabriel are on alert for her next incident as they have been getting stronger as she ages.

I am not giving away much but saying that Amber is not entirely human. It turns out Amber is a product of a human mother and an Estilorian father. What are Estilorians? They are powerful long-lived beings that used to roam the earth with humans but now live on a different plane of existence. Amber and her two sisters, the daughters of an Estilorian named Saraqael, have grown up on earth for their protection. While most of the Estilorians believe that the daughters of Saraqael are a miracle (Estilorians don’t really procreate, they just create), there is a subset, the Mercesti, who wants to see them dead.

Confused yet? I’m just getting started. The Estilorians are split up into factions or tribes based on their abilities (or not). There are Mercesti, Elphresti, Orculesti, Corgloresti, Waresti, Scultresti, Lekwuesti and Wymzesti. Of course since every time I saw the word Estilorians, I thought of Estonians, and several of these names sound like variations of common Polish names, I kept imagining a race of northern and eastern Europeans. Some of these factions are based on abilities, for example, the Orculesti are mind readers & communicators and the Wymzesti are prognostic. Some of them are not, the Mercesti are merely the group of Estilorians who think that the daughters of Saraqael should be killed. I had hard time making sense of this tribal division and an even harder time accepting that each faction has its own eye color and if for example, a Orculesti decides to become a Mercesti, his or her eye color would change to match the Mercesti.

Personally, I hate these complicated otherworldly societies. The Estilorian factions reminded me of many of the angel books I’ve read that classify angels into various groups (with almost equally annoying names) with different skill and powers. I know a lot of people like books with this type of set up, it just isn’t for me.

While I’m on a rant about the names – surely I can’t be the only person who thinks that Saraqael is awfully close in name to the anti-psychotic, Seraquel.

Amber and her two sisters eventually meet. Of the three of them, one is described as strong willed, responsible, loyal and a fighter, one as a caring, nature-loving intellectual and one as an outgoing free-spirit. I’ll bet you can’t guess which one of those three is the oldest and which is the youngest. The descriptions reminded me of the three Halliwell sisters from Charmed (before Paige replaced Pheobe).

Despite all my criticisms, I did not hate this book, I just didn’t like it. The story is very well paced and has the appropriate amount of action and suspense. The love story is believable and not forced at all. The characters are decently fleshed out, and despite my personal feelings towards the world-building, it is well done.

My only other criticism is broader than just this book – but I would like to know when, “better than her,” (or “than her” after any other comparative verb) became grammatically
acceptable.
I can definitely see why some like and even love this book, it just wasn’t for me and I won’t be reading the rest of the trilogy.
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Mar 12, 2012 Mandy (I read Indie) Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

My take...
Amber shies away from people and from being the center of attention. She just doesn't have the self-confidence it takes to be one of those people who love attention....any attention. I guess if every 3 years you have an "Incident" that gets you shipped off to the next foster home, it’s understandable then.
Amber has only one person who knows about these "Incidents" after helping her through one at age 15. He is her best friend and her foster brother. But don't let Gabriel catch you call...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Future Slayer Girl (aka: kitten) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorite

I have to say to start out, that I normally have a huge aversion to young adult fiction that is labeled to have a romance in it. My brain sort of has a mini seizure and I walk away going, no!

However, something drew me to this new book series. I found out about it following the author via twitter, followed the link to her website, read the synopsis to book one, and instantly I was sold.

No vampires, no werewolves, it was a totally new and fresh idea for my brain to savor and lap at slowly, and sa...more I have to say to start out, that I normally have a huge aversion to young adult fiction that is labeled to have a romance in it. My brain sort of has a mini seizure and I walk away going, no!

However, something drew me to this new book series. I found out about it following the author via twitter, followed the link to her website, read the synopsis to book one, and instantly I was sold.

No vampires, no werewolves, it was a totally new and fresh idea for my brain to savor and lap at slowly, and savor and then devour it did!

The beginning of the book opened a secret door into this new world featuring the Estilorians, a race that used to exist parallel to humans. Till of course humans fearing that which was different repelled the race. We enter this series with Amber and Gabriel as our books leads. Instantly I took a liking to our teenage heroine, she was moody and standoffish without being overwhelming. We see so many authors take this over the top. Gabriel is her best friend and of course they both secretly pine for one another.

It was expertly written out. There was no eye rolling, it was subtle, and easy the romance between these two. I could see it all in my head and it was making me smile. I was soon falling in love with the two leads.

The story develops on a slowly rising roller coaster that gives us little glimpses into the villain of this series. I found myself, of course far too curious about the villain (I have a thing for alpha males) and he of course had that alpha personna leaking from the page. However, as the story takes off and they enter the Estilorian plain I come to find a whole lot of alpha!

It was a book that captured my attention from the very beginning and by the end when the action and some trouble goes down I was weeping for Amber and Gabriel. I can only describe it as magic to read. So few young adult books give us something different and unique to enjoy. I enjoyed this one as much as some of my favorite adult fantasy series. Bless Raine Thomas for releasing all the books at the same time; I might have burst if I have to wait. I'm going to burst once I finish this series and have to wait for her next one!
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Jul 27, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I discovered the author of Becoming, Raine Thomas, on twitter. After checking out her website, I was drawn to the beautiful cover of this book. I’d be lying if I said the cover didn’t get me interested. I am a sucker for YA books that deal with mythology, so I kept checking twitter and the author’s site for news of when the books would be released.

Luckily, I happened to be on Twitter when I noticed Raine’s tweets about her books being processed to be published just a couple days ago. I’m pretty...more I discovered the author of Becoming, Raine Thomas, on twitter. After checking out her website, I was drawn to the beautiful cover of this book. I’d be lying if I said the cover didn’t get me interested. I am a sucker for YA books that deal with mythology, so I kept checking twitter and the author’s site for news of when the books would be released.

Luckily, I happened to be on Twitter when I noticed Raine’s tweets about her books being processed to be published just a couple days ago. I’m pretty sure that within about 10-15 minutes of Becoming being published, I bought it.

The book starts out with a little action and then you are introduced to Amber, one of the sisters and main character. Amber has been in many foster homes, which seems to happen about every three years, though that reason is explained throughout the book. Amber likes to fly under the radar and hates to stand out, but when her guardian (Mrs. B), the longest one she has had, tells her that she is taking her for a haircut as her graduation present, she can’t say no and risk hurting the closest thing she has had to a mother.

The seemingly simple haircut sparks a change in a relationship with her best friend. I immediately fell for the story between Amber and Gabriel, though I knew it couldn’t be simple. While on her long awaited graduation trip to Alaska, Amber discovers that she has sisters. The seemingly strange story of her heritage helps bring a dream she has been having into perspective.

Meeting the sisters and seeing their story unfold pulled me along as I wanted to see how things would turn out for them. There is action in pieces throughout the book leading up to a larger sequence. I really enjoyed the characters and how they interacted and handled some of the surprises along the way. I do wish there was more description about what the new plane looked like, but I feel this will be developed more in the other books since they take place in the Estilorian plane. There is just enough of the antagonist in the book to spark interest, knowing that this was not the last time we will hear about these characters.

If you are looking for a book with characters that are interesting, with a little mythology and angles thrown in, then I think you will enjoy this book. I had a hard time putting this book down, as my “just one more chapter” would turn into reading 5-10 more chapters. Becoming is the first in a trilogy that I can’t wait to finish. (less)

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Jul 15, 2012 Cami Hensley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-paranormal

http://myaddictionisreading.blogspot....

The relationship between Gabriel and Amber is so incredibly sweet! The friendship they have shared for 8 years and just the comfort level they have with one another is so perfect.

I liked how we get the typical teenage issues in this story as far as Amber's insecurities and loner status. Gabriel's devotion to her even as just a best friend is so endearing. The transition of their relationship just felt so natural.

The revelations that come upon their trip t...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Henrietta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Becoming is book one of the Daughters of Saraqael trilogy. This book centers around Amber, the oldest daughter of Saraqael, a non-human being from the Estilorian plane. Being semi-Estilorian and semi-human, Amber has inexplicable power that no one can truly understand. Because of her unique semi-human condition, she is being sent to live among humans on the Earth plane.

Amber wants to live a normal, stable life. Unfortunately, unexplainable disastrous incidents kinda keep happening and she has be...more Becoming is book one of the Daughters of Saraqael trilogy. This book centers around Amber, the oldest daughter of Saraqael, a non-human being from the Estilorian plane. Being semi-Estilorian and semi-human, Amber has inexplicable power that no one can truly understand. Because of her unique semi-human condition, she is being sent to live among humans on the Earth plane.

Amber wants to live a normal, stable life. Unfortunately, unexplainable disastrous incidents kinda keep happening and she has been requested to move from one foster home to another every few years. Since twelve, she has been living with her fellow foster, Gabriel, under the care of Mrs. B. Although an unexplainable incident happened to her at age fifteen, Gabriel was by her side and he helped her live through the incident. She and Gabriel become best friends. To Amber, Gabriel is her anchor, her source of strength. To Gabriel, Amber is not only his best friend, but also the only person that he truly loves and cares deeply. As Amber gradually uncovers her origin, she realizes that she and Gabriel must make a choice of no-return… but can they live through the consequences together?

I really appreciate Thomas’s imagination in the world building of the Estilorian plane. The Estilorian world is similar to Earth but more archaic. There is no electricity, no movies, no television, no ipod, no internet. The Estilorians have detached themselves from most emotions and to them, love is a vague concept, something absurd and incomprehensible. Due to their lack of emotional expressions, the Estilorians often state things in a very factual manner and I find it interesting and sometimes hilarious to read the dialogue between the daughters of Saraqael and their non-sarcastic Estilorian friends.

There are three daughters of Saraqael: Amber the oldest, Olivia the second-born, and Skye the youngest. They are triplets. They look almost identical in appearance but they have very distinctive personalities. If you ask me which daughter I like the most, I’d say it’s really hard for me to choose because I am fascinated by all three of them. I am fascinated by their personalities. I am fascinated by their vivacity. I am fascinated by their expressive interactions. Even when they have not been growing up together, I like that they quickly warm up to being family and they are not afraid to step into the unknown together.

Personally, I do not find any dull moment while reading this story. I’m actually quite amazed by the ambitious setting, the lively characters and the dynamic plot. I particularly enjoy the conflicting circumstances that are being revealed when a class of Estilorians introduces chaos and harm into the relatively peaceful life on the Estilorian plane. I also like the unexpected twist of events when jealousy causes sentient beings to unleash malice and bring out the worst behaviors of all time.

Although there is no breakneck chase or action, Becoming offers a beautiful introduction to the adventurous world of the Estilorians. I had a wonderful time reading this story and I look forward to getting my hands on the rest of the series.

--
This post was originally published on my blog.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Jedidiah Behe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Becoming was such a great book. I originally purchased this book because of an ad that caught my eye and now I am so glad that it did.

This novel had such an interesting plot and it was so refreshingly different from anything that I have read. I absolutely loved the idea that Raine Thomas came up with.

The book starts out following a teenage foster child named Amber and the struggles she has faced growing up because of a strange occurrence that keeps happening to her every three years. The probl...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Lena rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 30, 2011 Tarrin Lupo rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel had great pace and was fun to read. Dare I say it was almost two novels in one. The main characters are funny and likable. The book has a heavy love and romance vein in it that weaves itself very well to the plot line. The love story is not forced or tacked on like an after thought, as many books in this genre do. The author did an excellent job at keeping it balanced and not letting it overtake the storyline. The book majorly shifts in the last 1/3 and it is almost like reading an en...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Tona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though she has had a hard time trusting people after the countless foster homes, Amber has finally found a home. A home with people that love her. Amber has had these "episodes' every three years. It seems that when the pressure mounts she explodes. For her graduation gift she is given a makeover by her foster mother. This makeover brings around the eventual telling of her foster brother that he is in love with her. This foundation of friendship and love is the how Amber is able to accept that s...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Jen (Dream Reads) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, reviewed

When it comes to Young Adult Fantasy, it really doesn't get better than Becoming. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. I wasn't just blown away, I was swept away. I loved everything about Becoming. It was charming, fresh, innovative. World-building at it's finest. Truly, a beautifully crafted story with lovely characters, settings, raw emotion and a powerful message. In this book, love truly does conquer all. And I'm not only talking about romantic love, but love for one's se...more When it comes to Young Adult Fantasy, it really doesn't get better than Becoming. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. I wasn't just blown away, I was swept away. I loved everything about Becoming. It was charming, fresh, innovative. World-building at it's finest. Truly, a beautifully crafted story with lovely characters, settings, raw emotion and a powerful message. In this book, love truly does conquer all. And I'm not only talking about romantic love, but love for one's self and for our fellow man. There is an underlying theme in this book that without respect, love and understanding, you really can't go anywhere in life. And I really loved it!

The romance in this story was incredibly refreshing. There are no love triangles. No instantaneous love. The love shared between the main characters, Amber and Gabriel, is a love that is nurtured overtime, grown out of mutual respect and admiration. They are friends first and fall in love later. The only hurdles in this love story are the personal insecurities and doubts of each character rooted in their complex backgrounds. The love in this story felt very real and it was very sweet. Amber -who is the female lead in this book- is a very strong young woman, who is unassuming and very funny. Her main struggle being her general distrust of others due to not having a stable home for most of her childhood and being moved across several foster care homes for most of her life. Gabriel, the male lead in this book, is more of a gentle spirit, strong but more comfortable around others. He is a true gentleman and really is the perfect balance to Amber's more distant nature. I loved that Amber and Gabriel felt very real, the dialogue for both of these characters was incredibly believable and truly authentic to how people sound like in their late teens.

When it comes to world-building, I thought that Becoming shined. Why? because it was really creative, intelligent, and complex. In Becoming instead of having angels, fairies, vampires, or wolves, we have a new type of being introduced to us. They are called The Estilorians. In this book, the humans are not aware of their existence; even though at some point in time, humans and Estilorians shared the world. The difference between the two being that Estilorians have a slight different appearance, special powers and react different to emotion while humans don't have any special powers and are more emotional beings. Eventually, The Estilorians have to separate themselves from the humans and become the stuff of what human myth and legend is based upon. And from here on, the book delves and centers itself around the myth about the daughters of Saraqael, an Estilorian and we soon discover new truths about our main characters, the Estilorian world and people, and their battles.

But above all, my favorite part of Becoming is it's study on emotion. Each character in the book has a very particular personality and struggle. Whether it is being too distrusting, too logical or too fearful and when you add the lack of emotion that characterize the Estilorians you have yourself a quite fascinating read on how the lack or excess of emotion can affect any culture (human or not). Also, I felt like this book centers around how dangerous the fear of the unknown can get. How it can devolve into cruelty, coldness and jealousy even. And considering how fleshed out each character in this book is, both primary and secondary characters, the reader soon finds themselves absolutely captivated and invested in each characters emotional struggle and journey to overcome what main issue plagues them.

I definitely can't wait to read about Olivia and Skye's journey in book two and three, in the Daughters of Saraqael series. Because like Amber and Gabriel, they were also quite interesting and lovely characters to read about it.

My advice: Read this book. It has everything you want in a Young Adult fantasy/romance novel. It is packed with adventure, love, creativity, insight, and humour. Becoming is truly captivating from start to finish.

My Rating: 5/5(less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Gracey Castro rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone of all ages

Recommended to Gracey by: Twitter updates

That this book is not my normal genre and loved it, surprises me.

Raine Thomas has taken the gift of placing a reader right smack in the middle of her story. The Estilorian trilogy is just magnificent.

Three sisters meeting for the first time at the age of eighteen is hard enough, finding out you are only half human...well that just adds a huge wrench. Each one gifted and we the readers get to meet them, bond with them and travel to another plane, their home. The Estilorian story is fast paced. Yo...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mel by: Jen (Dream Reads)

Shelves: kindled-it, sci-fi

I really enjoyed this book. It's the first in a series that I think I'll come to really like. I don't read a ton of sci-fi books but I thought this one was fun and really kept my interest all throughout. I really liked the main girl Amber, who was a tomboy type of character who spent the majority of the book coming into her own in all aspects of her life. I liked how she was able to over come her hardships and natural skepticism to accept her new life and all it afforded her. Her relationship wi...more

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Becoming (Daughters of Saraqael #1)

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