Voluspa

Nov 19, 2012 SuperHeroQwimm rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: firstreads-giveaways, favorites

*I received this for free from Goodreads First Reads*

I absolutely LOVED this book! The first chapter was a bit choppy and had me confused until I realized it was basically a prologue, but anyways, the little bit of choppy-ness is so worth it. I felt such a strong connection with Amy, the main protagonist, but also with many other characters. This book has magic, adventure and a modern young love story that was very appealing to me. This book talks about three realms, Voluspa being one of them, a...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fantasy, young-adult, ya, shapeshifters, paranormal

Amy’s entire world is transformed when she finds an old history book about a strange/fantasy world called Voluspa. The book awakens Amy’s hidden magical powers and she is sent into the world of Voluspa.

In Voluspa, she meets a shape shifter named Drake. She and Drake have an almost instantaneous connection, but their attraction is forbidden.

Amy attends magical school to develop her powers, but an unsettling undercurrent is growing in Voluspa and both Drake and Amy are in great danger.

Fun, Young...more

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Aug 20, 2012 George rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a delightful, fantastical tale of a young girl with a destiny far beyond even her active imagination. The story is involving, the characters are well developed and believable, and the topics that surface are varied and meaningful. The narrative is concise and fast-paced, giving the book a sense of urgency and causing the reader to not want to put the book down. The language is cinematic and would lend itself nicely to a script treatment; and I mean that in a good way. This book would eas...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Imly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amy’s life as a self-conscious, lonely girl changes forever when she finds an old history book
about a strange world called Voluspa. The book awakens latent magical powers that transport her
to this alternate realm. There, she meets and instantly connects with Drake, a powerful
shapeshifter and the son of one of the clan leaders. As she and Drake struggle with their
forbidden attraction, Amy begins developing her own powers at a magical school. But discord in
Voluspa is growing, and when Drake is in...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Paula Fritz rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first started this book, I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did. However, only a few pages in and I was hooked. This story was the perfect mix of real life and fantasy. It had a romantic love story, yet there was enough action to not be like another Twilight-type book. Personally, I preferred the romance over the action, but there was a great proportion of both. I think this book would be great for a coming-of-age teenage girl, who can easily relate to Amy's character. She feels awk...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from one of the authors after she saw I didn't win it in the giveaway, so thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to read and review your book!

Originally, when I first saw this book, I thought it might be geared toward a younger audience because of the cover. I felt that because it was a drawing that it might be meant for younger readers instead of young adults. However, I was pleasantly surprised after reading only a couple of pages.

I felt that the authors did a g...more I received this book from one of the authors after she saw I didn't win it in the giveaway, so thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to read and review your book!

Originally, when I first saw this book, I thought it might be geared toward a younger audience because of the cover. I felt that because it was a drawing that it might be meant for younger readers instead of young adults. However, I was pleasantly surprised after reading only a couple of pages.

I felt that the authors did a good job at describing the world of Voluspa, as well as the characters. Every scene was well described and very vivid. It felt as if you were actually in Voluspa standing next to the characters. The characters were very well-developed, and the storyline was very good. I think Amy was a strong main character. She took all the information about this new, magical world very well. She didn't just hide and think she was going crazy; she charged right ahead and learned everything she could. I also feel that Amy is easily relatable, especially to teenage girls who stuggle with their self-esteem. The romance played out very well. While it was kind of an "insta-love" type romance, it didn't hinder or overshadow the story. The chemistry between Drake and Amy is undeniable, as well as the chemistry between Jacek and Sonja. (view spoiler). While I didn't figure out (view spoiler), I knew that there had to be some connection between them.

There were a couple of reasons I couldn't give this a 5 star rating. For me, there were a few too many errors. Mainly this was spacing, and punctuation, but there were also some spelling errors. Another thing I had a problem with was, what I'll term, skips in time. In one sentence you were reading from Amy's POV, and then the next sentence was from a different character. If there would have been some type of marking to indicate that the story was changing perspectives, I wouldn't have minded so much, but since there was nothing, I was confused sometimes. However, I did find the different POV's interesting nonetheless because it gave you a more complete sense of the story. Finally, there were times I felt that you could tell there were two authors contributing to the story. There seemed to be a slight disconnect with wording. For example, sometimes Amy would speak like a normal teenager, but then other times she would speak like a person with a tremendous vocabulary.

Despite the few flaws, I greatly enjoyed this book, and am eagerly awaiting the next one. There is a major cliffhanger at the end, so be prepared. I hope the next one will be just as good (but with a better cover) because this novel has great promise. (less)

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Aug 03, 2012 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars

A bit confusing to start, I was glad I kept trucking along! Don't let the first chapter scare you. I had to re-read things a few times to make sense of what was going on, but never fear, as the novel progressed everything was made clear.
I found it had a Harry Potter edge- Narnia vibe with a Twilight-esq twist!
Voluspa is a wonderful imaginary world full of colorful characters and earth-like qualities.
I enjoyed the imagination put into this novel.
It was a more simpler, innocent story compared to...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Beza rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was given to me by Ray East in exchange for an honest review.
The main character Amy just lost her step father and goes to live with her grandmother. When she is at her grandmother's she finds a book that transports her to another realm called Voluspa, and this is where all the adventure starts...

Cover: I really dislike the cover for this book! It makes the book look like its for middle schoolers rather than for young adults. However I'm really glad Ray asked to review this book because...more This book was given to me by Ray East in exchange for an honest review.
The main character Amy just lost her step father and goes to live with her grandmother. When she is at her grandmother's she finds a book that transports her to another realm called Voluspa, and this is where all the adventure starts...

Cover: I really dislike the cover for this book! It makes the book look like its for middle schoolers rather than for young adults. However I'm really glad Ray asked to review this book because I probably would not have read the book other wise{ I know I know don't judge a book by its cover, but I can't help it!}

Characters:
Amy is fifteen and at first its really hard to forget that. Espescally since Drake is 17. But as the story goes along Amy starts acting older and more mature I forget that her and Drake are 3 years apart. Its not just that she acts older, when she makes the change from Earth to Voluspa, she becomes comfortable in her own skin and becomes more confident. You can tell that she belongs in Voluspa and that it is her home. I love how Drake is not your typical bad boy but he is not a sweetheart all the time either. Over all what I got from was a sweet loving guy that is head of heels in love Amy but still has his moments of anger and jealousy... and just happens to transform into a big scary ass dog....
The supporting characters were great. They supported and helped the main characters while still being individuals with problems and scars. My favorite supporting character had to be Jacek, because you get to know him the best out of all the other supporting characters.

Plot:
The beginning is very hard to get into, I had to force myself through the first couple of chapters before I really started to enjoy the book. The plot goes at a fairly fast pace. Other than the beginning you will pretty much get sucked into the book. I will warned you though there is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end of the book which makes it very obvious that there is going to be a sequel.

Warning:
This is a self published book, which means that there are spelling mistakes. Also the book format for self published book is different, so if your big on grammar or does not like indie books this book is not for you!
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Jul 18, 2012 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review can also be found at http://stuck-on-reading.blogspot.com/

To be honest when I received the request from Ray East to review Voluspa I almost turned it down. I thought that it would be to much of a middle grade read to appeal to my taste. I'm glad I didn't because once I got into it I was hooked. It took me a little while to get into the story, more from outside influences than the story itself so I put it down for a couple days before I picked it back up.

The story follow Amy a fifteen...more This review can also be found at http://stuck-on-reading.blogspot.com/

To be honest when I received the request from Ray East to review Voluspa I almost turned it down. I thought that it would be to much of a middle grade read to appeal to my taste. I'm glad I didn't because once I got into it I was hooked. It took me a little while to get into the story, more from outside influences than the story itself so I put it down for a couple days before I picked it back up.

The story follow Amy a fifteen year old girl from New York City, she lives with her alcoholic step father that neglects her and is very much an outcast among her peers. When her step father dies she goes to live with her grandmother in Georgia that she has had very little contact with throughout her life. While going through her mother's childhood room in an attempt to learn more about her mother who died when Amy was just a toddler she comes across a book called 'Legends of Voluspa', which she believes to be a work of fiction. After she starts reading the book she begins to have dreams that she is in the world of Voluspa. When she can't wake herself from her dream she soon realizes that Voluspa is a very real place and she has somehow transported herself there. Soon she meets Drake, a shape shifter, and find the friends and acceptance she has always longed for all while finding out more about herself and her family's connection to the magical world of Voluspa.

It's been awhile since I've read a straight fantasy book, so it was quite refreshing to read this. I loved the mythical creatures and magic that are in Voluspa and I want a pet Typhon. The authors do an amazing job of painting the picture of what the world of Voluspa is like it was very easy to get lost in the story.

I enjoyed watching the growth of Amy as a character throughout the story and how she goes from a shy outcast to a confident heroine. Drake was a great character, he is kind, loyal, confident, and a little bullheaded sometime but most guys are. Jacek is a bit of an enigma and I hope to find out more about him in the next. Amilio and Sonja are more of minor character but still serve their purpose and loyal friends and key members of their group.

The relationship between Amy and Drake is definitely interesting, there is a lot of chemistry there but not the instant love thing that I'm not a fan of more of an instant attraction and easy friendship. It was nice to watch how their relationship developed in the story.

Voluspa is a great fantasy read for anyone looking to escape into a magical world for a few hours and I can't wait for the sequel to be released.(less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Sharmin rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Middle grade, YA

3.5 Stars for an Enjoyable Read

Voluspa was a well-paced book with delightful characters making it a pleasant fantasy book to read not just for Young Adults but for middle grades too. Amy was instantly likeable as the main character. She obviously wasn’t used to being taken care of—which is why I was a little frustrated with her when she first meets Drake (who, by the way, is hot). I understand the author’s play on every teen’s desire to escape the real world into one where life isn’t as monotono...more 3.5 Stars for an Enjoyable Read

Voluspa was a well-paced book with delightful characters making it a pleasant fantasy book to read not just for Young Adults but for middle grades too. Amy was instantly likeable as the main character. She obviously wasn’t used to being taken care of—which is why I was a little frustrated with her when she first meets Drake (who, by the way, is hot). I understand the author’s play on every teen’s desire to escape the real world into one where life isn’t as monotonous and had such fun being swept into the world of Voluspa.

When we first meet Amy, she might as well have been an orphan. Amy can’t wait until the day she graduates from high school when she can finally escape all the bullies. The only family Amy has left, her stepdad, is a drunk who rarely remembers to feed himself much less Amy. So, all this has made Amy strong and dependant only on herself. She’s used her routine until her stepdad finally has too much to drink and passes away. Amy is taken in by her grandmother where she discovers some things about her parent’s past and is brought into the “magical world of Voluspa”. She meets new friends and a certain kind-hearted, caring animal until he goes missing too. Now, Amy must save Drake and find her identity in the new world she lives in.

Amy’s group of friends, her relationship with Drake (which often times I fought not to like) made Voluspa a magical read. It has all the makings of a good fantasy book. Although I have to mention that the reason I fought against liking Amy and Drake’s relationship was because it was glorifying the insta-love trend in YA. But Drake had his own life and values and so did Amy and I slowly began to see that towards the end of the story. Also, to play the devil’s advocate, teens are very emotional and everything with us is sometimes very instantaneous. So, when we fall for someone, we fall hard. Regardless, I enjoyed Voluspa for what it was meant to be, a fantasy love story and would recommend it to not only young adults but to middle grades too.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of Voluspa from the kind authors in exchange for my honest review of the book.

This review can also be found on my book blog @ www.abattalionofwords.blogspot.com
Enter via rafflecopter to WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK on my blog!
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Jul 31, 2012 Ivie Isler rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-ya

***Storyline: 4 stars Formatting: 2.5 stars***

Voluspa A Magical World is the first book in a series. The book begins with a snapshot of a war before the main characters’ time against the Tyrannos/Gangrels and the people of Voluspa. The end of the war reveals a prophecy. Fast forward a few decades and readers are introduced to Amy who is an outcast in school. After her step-father’s death that leaves her an orphan, she is taken to her grandmother’s house. While there she gets transported to Volus...more ***Storyline: 4 stars Formatting: 2.5 stars***

Voluspa A Magical World is the first book in a series. The book begins with a snapshot of a war before the main characters’ time against the Tyrannos/Gangrels and the people of Voluspa. The end of the war reveals a prophecy. Fast forward a few decades and readers are introduced to Amy who is an outcast in school. After her step-father’s death that leaves her an orphan, she is taken to her grandmother’s house. While there she gets transported to Voluspa after reading about the world in her late mother’s journal. In Voluspa she meets Drake and friends who teach her about the world’s landscape/layout, clans, magic and a bit of the world’s history. Amy soon starts school in this new world and learns to harness her magical abilities. Later in the book her abilities are pivotal when she and Drake’s friends confront Lord Vali and the Gangrels in order to try and rescue Drake. The ending seems a bit abrupt, but that’s alright. Readers will just need to pick up the next book in the series to continue the quest that began in this one.

The book sets up the story for the rest of the series by introducing readers to the different realms, fantasy creatures, and magical items. One aspect that was very fresh and well thought out was the different magical abilities of the clans. In fact, the authors describe different levels that students must master before they finish their schooling. They even explain special skills people of the clans can try to master.

There are several things I hope the authors further flesh out in the series. First is that a Menden character is brought into the storyline. I’d like to learn more of that clan and the creatures associated with them—pixies. Also, I hope that Naiads are included as well. We are briefly introduced to these creatures, and Amy’s Naiad definitely has a story to tell—I think that she was Amy’s mom’s naiad as well. And I also hope that Mount Herio will be part of the series because that is a unique idea as well. Lastly I hope that Amy’s grandmother is brought back into the story. We were briefly introduced to her before Amy slipped into Voluspa. I think Amy can learn a lot about her own history and abilities if her grandmother is brought back into the storyline.

Since this is a self-published book, readers will need to get used to there being no indentions or extra spacing between paragraphs. Paragraphs can seem to easily run together. Also, there are several spacing and punctuation issues, but I didn't find any grammatical issues. If readers can overlook the formatting, then the story is enjoyable.
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Sep 13, 2012 Ruty B rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, for-review, from-the-author, fantasy, young-adult, romance

What if you find out that you are more tan just a mere human? What if someone told you that there is another realm out there and you belong to it?

Amy has always been an outcast. A motherless fifteen-year-old struggling to survive in the teenager world sees her life fall apart when her stepfather suffers an accident.

After discovering that she has a grandmother and being dragged to her house, she started to discover thing from her mother’s past. When she finds a book about Voluspa is when the tr...more What if you find out that you are more tan just a mere human? What if someone told you that there is another realm out there and you belong to it?

Amy has always been an outcast. A motherless fifteen-year-old struggling to survive in the teenager world sees her life fall apart when her stepfather suffers an accident.

After discovering that she has a grandmother and being dragged to her house, she started to discover thing from her mother’s past. When she finds a book about Voluspa is when the true story begins.

Voluspa is a magical kingdom, where four clans coexist. Each clan has different powers and abilities and the all world is full of magical creatures and magical places.
Amy has to learn about the history of Voluspa, about the different clans and about her own powers. In this new world a new Amy is born, a more confident, strong and powerful Amy. With the help of her friends she makes the transition from an awkward girl to a happy girl. I loved to see her transformation.

On top of that she has to learn one of the most important rules: INTERCLAN RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT ALLOW. And guess what??? She is in love with someone for another clan. The chemistry between Amy and Drake is explosive. I love to read about them because their dialogues are funny and seem real.
And as for the rest of the characters, each one is unique and lovely on they own way. Every bond in the book as well as the characters are described with a deepness that really touches you and make feel relate with them.

The descriptions are very beautiful, every creature and place is easy to imagine and is beautiful to read about them. The authors made a great work creating a new world, and it may seem overwhelming but it’s not. It flows naturally and you enjoy along with Amy the adventure of discover and explore this new land. The logic of the clans is wonderful, is original and their abilities are believable.

It definitely is one of those books that you want to read more than once.
OH! And what about the ending? My first thought was: “OMG! WHY? Now I have to wait for the sequel?” It has a good ending, with every ingredient for a great finale (fights, bad guys, sacrifice, friendship, secrets solved and more) but it leaves the door open for a next book and now I have to wait for the sequel.

(I received a copy from the authors in exchange for an honest review)

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Aug 02, 2012 Kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-requested-review, debut-2012-authors

**3 Stars**

MY OVERVIEW: I started this book excited to be reading a stand alone book for a change… but about two chapters before the end I realized that this is going to be the first book in a series.

PROS: Amy! I love Amy. She is full of energy and spunk. I also actually liked Jacek better than I liked Drake. I thought his character was a little more developed than Drake. (view spoiler)...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Bj Gaskill rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book to be very intriguing and imaginative. The action and underlying romance is just so hard to ignore.
The story grabs you from the first few pages as it describes the beginning of the war and then ventures into our world....only to go back into theirs.
For a book meant for the younger (middle school) readers, I personally had no problem enjoying this book.
The characters were well written.
Amy, the 15 year heroine, is my favorite. I think she would be the one most could relate to, a...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

As an adult without children old enough to read, my reviews of children's/YA books are limited but I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to read the first of the Voluspa Seriesbecause I absolutely loved it.
Full of genuinely enjoyable and well crafted characters , novel is a great fun read for adults as well as children. I can't see how anyone could dislike Amy as she learns about her family's secret past and is accompanied by her friends in the journey to save Drake. My favourite charact...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Hipsta Please rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, favorites

This book was given to me by Ray East in exchange for an honest review.

Characters: I didn't really enjoy the characters. They didn't really have personalities. I especially didn't like Amy. She seemed so naive to me and she wasn't very smart in some cases. She would give up something very important just for a guy, and while I understand that she was in love with him I don't think any rational person would give up the key to possibly the distruction of a realm just to save someone she liked. Dra...more This book was given to me by Ray East in exchange for an honest review.

Characters: I didn't really enjoy the characters. They didn't really have personalities. I especially didn't like Amy. She seemed so naive to me and she wasn't very smart in some cases. She would give up something very important just for a guy, and while I understand that she was in love with him I don't think any rational person would give up the key to possibly the distruction of a realm just to save someone she liked. Drake is actually a character I somewhat liked, he was very loyal and brave and I think he was the only character that they explained his personality. I could really relate to him because he was always pressured to be perfect and had to live up to great expectations. What I found strange was that some of the characters just vanished in some parts of the books and then came back but some characters like Renata who I would've thought was somewhat important pretty much disappeared for the rest of the book.

Plot: The plot was very unique and I liked exploring Voluspa and I loved learning about the different clans and the history of Voluspa. It was very a very fun world and I just couldn't get enough of it. I had a lot of problems with the authors' writing style, it was in second person but I wished that they could've gone into more detail, I admit if the writing style was written a little more differently I would've enjoyed this book a lot more but I got used to the writing eventually. Some of the book was predictable but only if you really thought about it like me. I liked that the book was really action packed and sometimes I even had to put down the book to let everything that happen sink in, the pace changed from slow to fast. I also really liked all the creatures that Sam D. and Ray East created such as the Tyrannos and the Gangrels. I also liked the different clans and how you got to learn about their powers' and the different kind of jobs that they can do.

Overall: Overall even though there are a lot of things I didn't particularly like it was still a very unique book and I really liked the plot ideas and how creative the whole book was in general. I can't wait for the second book and this is definately going on my Favorites list. I would highly recommend this to both boys and girls. Great book and I understand it took me some time to finish but that was because I was in a bit of a reading slump, not because it wasn't good because as soon as I had the book in my hand again I was hooked!(less)

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Jul 16, 2012 Christine Chenderlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

By page 30 I was hooked. The author does a very good job of developing the main character, Amy, and I feel that one of the main reasons I liked the book was that I was able to relate to her so well. (at least in the human realm) The fantasy world the author has built is very intricate and hard to grasp at first, but is wonderful once you get the hang of it. There was a good ratio of love, life, violence, and magic in the book which I thoroughly enjoyed. I would describe the book as a well-writte...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Annah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fantasy-or-sci-fi, young-adult, physical-copy

I was desperately hoping this book would not actually be like Twilight, and I was mostly rewarded. There are enough books like Twilight that another isn't needed. I really enjoyed the background history involved in Voluspa. There was a lot of originality between the different races of people as well as a plethora of interesting creatures. It was a bit hard for me to really enjoy any of the characters because of the way they talked. It didn't sound real enough or similar to the way people their a...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Kellee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

I want to start by giving a HUGE thank you to Ray East for her generosity in giving me a copy of Voluspa as well as a few others to pass out to kids and teens that come into my business!! I have already given most of them out, and have already heard positive responses from a few kids!! I will happily promote this book, because I just loved it!!

When I started reading Voluspa, the first chapter had me concerned that I wouldn't like the book. It's about the history of Voluspa and the wars that occ...more I want to start by giving a HUGE thank you to Ray East for her generosity in giving me a copy of Voluspa as well as a few others to pass out to kids and teens that come into my business!! I have already given most of them out, and have already heard positive responses from a few kids!! I will happily promote this book, because I just loved it!!

When I started reading Voluspa, the first chapter had me concerned that I wouldn't like the book. It's about the history of Voluspa and the wars that occurred many years ago, and it had me thinking it wouldn't end up being the kind of book I like. But I kept reading, and boy am I so glad that I did!! Please, if you are having trouble through the first chapter, keep reading because when the second chapter hits the book becomes amazing!!

I don't ever sum up books in my reviews because that's already been done by the blurb and majority of other reviewers, but I do tell how I felt about the book. I just loved the world of Voluspa. It was so unique and kept me interested through the whole book. It was magical and adventurous and I loved meeting all the characters. The love story between Amy and Drake was really sweet and felt real and I found that the parts with their interactions were always my favorite. I read a reviewer say that this book was a mixture between Harry Potter and Narnia with a little bit of Twilight, and I couldn't agree more!! It had magic, action, mystery, and love. While my favorite part of the book was the love story between Amy and Drake, there was definitely not a lack of action!! I also really liked the issues that this book brought to light such as the discrimination towards members of different clans having relationships. Problems like that are still alive today, and I have a feeling that the next book will center around getting rid of those old ways of thinking, which is a positive message for all the readers. I know that this book will appeal to all different age ranges as well as male and female readers. It has a little bit of everything to make all readers enjoy it!!

Now I just have to say, I HAVE to have a happy ending or at least the sequel immediately on hand in order to feel awesome when finishing a book. I didn't get either at the end of Voluspa!! I am so sad about this!! I absolutely hate cliffhangers, and boy oh boy do we get a huge cliffhanger at the end of this book!! So now, I am dying to read the next one and I have to wait however long in agony for its release. Ray East, please don't make me wait too long!!

I guess all I really need to say is read Voluspa. It's different and adorable and magical and you won't want to put it down!!(less)

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Jun 16, 2012 jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this book...Though I don't read too many YA fantasies, this one caught my attention...I could relate to the charecter of Amy - her insecurities and angst but what I really enjoyed was how the charecter of Amy evolves. Inspite of all the obstacles and setbacks life throws at her, she never gives up. And then there is the romance between Drake and her - they are not supposed to be together but the chemistry between them is so hot and their connection so strong that they cant stay aw...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Pincus rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was looking for something similar after having finished the Potter Series. I have just graduated middle school and was looking for something more than just a pure fantasy novel. I think this book combines the love and romance of the Twilight with the alternate realm of a magical world.
I found myself sometimes weeping with Amy as she finds her father and looses Drake. The plot turns more complicated than what I had thought and I was sucked into the book page after page.

There was a lot of detail...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Kayla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I read the book on my six hour drive home-- obviously I wasn't driving. :-) Magically intriguing! To be perfectly honest the only issue I have with this book is the font size. My eye sight truly struggled to finish the book. I love the fantasy world (Voluspa) that Sam & Ray have created. Anything can happen right?!! This book isn't what I'd expected but certainly was a nice change in pace. I'm giving the book 4 stars because I feel that the font was a rather large pain in the butt to deal wi...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am not a heavy reader. Not because I dont like to read, but because most books are uninteresting and seem the same.
But as I got going I really found myself enjoying it. So many fantasy type stories are formulaic and tedious, this story, though, had some new ideas and twists that made me finish it a lot faster than i was planning on. There are moments that drag a bit, but nothing too bad. Some people might complain because there are errors and such, but, as i read books for the story, i really...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Ashlyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I picked up the book as I was searching something for my 12 and 16 year olds. The book starts with a war scene and then pulls you in by the third chapter. My 12 year old started liking it right away because of the puppy love"..first love et al.The fantasy world is built nicely throughout the book. There is action throughout the book but it slows down a tad in the middle. The last few chapters are very fast paced. The book has attempted to bring The Golden Compass together with Twilight. For 99 c...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of YA supernatural love stories

Shelves: young-adult

This book was pretty good. I thought the realm of Voluspa was well thought out and believable. I liked the idea of everyone having some sort of ability, and that ability is fostered through the Voluspa educational system. It seemed almost a cliche that Amy is so much an outsider on earth, but in Voluspa, all the boys want to be with her. She finds the love of her life in Drake, a shapeshifter. I think the book does a good job of portraying the feelings a teen might have, without resorting to any...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Lufkin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can honestly say I have never been as captivated by a story as I have by this one. I think about this story often through the day and dream of it at night (a little obsessed, no?). It does what every good book of this nature should do...and that is to take me away from my everyday life and transport me into a world that is both a very rich and real "normal" and also into a very believable fantasy.
If you want a great story and fun thrill ride, with some history and romance along the way...then...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-4-review

I apologize for such a late submission but I had to put my leisurely reading on hold when my Fall semester started :( I'd like to thank the authors for contacting me after I did not win a copy of the book in the giveaway. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to read such a great book!

When signing up for different giveaways I was first drawn to the title of the book...Voluspa: A Magical World. The name of the magical world is certainly out of the ordinary and it grabbed my interest. But I was a...more I apologize for such a late submission but I had to put my leisurely reading on hold when my Fall semester started :( I'd like to thank the authors for contacting me after I did not win a copy of the book in the giveaway. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to read such a great book!

When signing up for different giveaways I was first drawn to the title of the book...Voluspa: A Magical World. The name of the magical world is certainly out of the ordinary and it grabbed my interest. But I was a bit weary of the cover because it made it seem like the book was intended for a younger crowd. Normally I probably would have overlooked the book at the store as it didn't seem to age appropriate with the cover, which I don't like to admit. :( But I'm really glad that I was given the chance to read it and overlooked the cover.

Voluspa was indeed a magical world that grasped my interest quickly once I got passed the first chapter. The first chapter is full of the history of Voluspa and while I can understand its importance and placement it made it difficult for me to approach the book at first. Once I made it passed the first chapter I was immediately drawn in. I definitely connected with the main character, Amy. I loved the detail that went into describing the surroundings and getting to know each of the characters. However, at times I felt like the storyline was plowing ahead when I still wanted to linger behind and gather more details in the moment or heard more of a conversation to gain more insight and absorb more details.

As others have pointed out there are certainly some spelling and grammar mistakes but it doesn’t distract the reader from the plot too much. I was more put off by the lack of a space or separation in paragraphs, which made it confusing a few times, and the rather small font. With some changes in appearance and editing, the book would surely rise up to meet its incredible plot.

Overall, I absolutely loved the storyline and am eagerly awaiting the next book after the incredible ending cliffhanger. I would certainly encourage others to read the book so that they can experience the magical world that I was given the great opportunity to get sucked into and enjoy.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Ashley E rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This book had great potential, but I find myself sadly disappointed. The basis of the plot was strong, but underdeveloped. The world-building could have been fantastic, but ended up being confusing and slightly immature. The characters were interesting and Amy in particular was well-developed and evolving, but other characters, such as Drake, felt static at times. A good editing or proofreading could have cleared up numerous typos I kept stumbling over and some basic formatting would have made f...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Jerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

this is definitely a must read for any fan of the fantasy genre. It carries just the right amount of action adventure and romance and unlike a lot of "fantasy" books out there it actually has magic! any fan of the fantasy genre will love these books.

as an aside the books contain the usually typos, and formatting issues that you get with a lot of e-books, but it doesn't take away from the awesome story.

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Jun 30, 2012 Damien Dsouza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Entertaining romance with a dystopian twist. I got one of the ARCs but did not have the time to read earlier.
It is an easy read, but also has some subtle messages.
I liked both Amy's and Drake's character . Both these characters seem very real. I could very easily relate to Amy and the character jumps at you but I wish the author took more time to build the characters of Amy's friend.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Creative Reviews: Win One of 2 Copies	2	6	Aug 05, 2012 07:55am
Bloggers Unite™ : Win One of Two Copies	1	3	Aug 01, 2012 05:10am
The Indie Exchang...: Giving Away 2 Copies	1	10	Aug 01, 2012 05:00am
The Indie Bookshelf: Free fantasy/romance book!	1	25	Jul 31, 2012 04:02pm

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