Fade (The Ragnarök Prophesies, #1)

Dec 26, 2012 Oceana Fern {Assorted Insanity} rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, paranormal-romance-fiction, e-books, fantasy-romance, young-adult, one-star, gurl-get-yo-rape-whistle

ARC supplied by NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Publishing in exchange for a ~~snarky~~ honest review. Read along with the lovely Lisbeth. Read her review here.

Find my VLOG review of this book here. ~~I know, I know, it's my first one so it's shit, but whatever. I needed to rant.~~

*cue piano music*

"There was once a girl named Arionna... she was left alone after a death... then possessive ~~Mace~~Dace came into her life... and she turned into a crazy, annoying bitch."

Yeah... no. Did you actually think I'd wr...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Zuleeza rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommended to Zuleeza by: Lisbeth Avery {Assorted Insanity}

Shelves: arc, debut-author-read-in-2012, paranormal, ongoing-series, series-i-given-up

This review is also available on my blog, Qwerty

Actual rating: 0.5 star (Well, it's slightly better than Ever)

Disclaimer: Lisbeth didn't exactly recommend this book. I did this to myself after seeing her giving Fade 0 goddamn star. Haha.

The Lord has given me strength to stomach this book, so here is what I came up with:

When I first saw the book blurb '....She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father (heard that before)...unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged in...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Nessa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, review, not-my-cup-of-earl-grey-tea

Imagine you are an aspiring author with a book deal under your belt. In lieu of actually writing something interesting and mould-breaking, you go for the same old bog of ideas that the YA genre seems to have gotten itself stuck into. Paranormal setting/characters? Check. Instant love (just add water)? Check. Love triangle? Check.

So, please excuse me for this tired old pun: Fade, the first volume in the Ragnarök Prophesies series is so bad that I'm quite surprised Heimdall hasn't tooted the Gjall...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Lisbeth Avery {Assorted Insanity} rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-love-book-hate, horrible-heroine, hormone-crazy-teens, insta-love-strikes-again, its-angst-time, jerk-love-interest, mary-sues-everywhere, never-again, stalker-alert, why-did-i-read-this, one-star, reviewed

Actual Rating: 0 stars!

I read this with the amazingly awesome reviewer named Oceana. Her review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... Please read hers before mine. :)

This book is not suitable for those younger than 13. YA Fifty Shades of Grey here (minus 50 something sex scenes).

Last note, to the family member who I know is reading, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS ADULT. D:

~~~

I've begun to say this a lot: this book is horrible. It's the worst book I've read this year. The sad thing is, I've said that...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Farrah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

Wow, that blew my mind! It was't what I expected and I couldn't be more pleased with this loveliness. Fade was unique and utterly fantastic.

Fade is based on Norse mythology, so it already has an element that hasn't been used in too many YA books. It took the myths and reshaped them into something that will be sure to hook quite a few fans.

Arionna was a fun lead. She was very real, she felt like an actual person. She'd...more This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

Wow, that blew my mind! It was't what I expected and I couldn't be more pleased with this loveliness. Fade was unique and utterly fantastic.

Fade is based on Norse mythology, so it already has an element that hasn't been used in too many YA books. It took the myths and reshaped them into something that will be sure to hook quite a few fans.

Arionna was a fun lead. She was very real, she felt like an actual person. She'd just lost her mom, so she spends much of the book dealing with that loss in addition to all the crazy stuff happening around her. She deals well with Dace and his wolf. Let me explain that before I confuse anyone. Dace is a shapeshifter-he turns into a wolf. But, he hasn't been able to communicate with the wolf side of him and so he has to constantly struggle to keep the beast locked inside. But sometimes the wolf still gets a bit of a hold and he acts...primal, for lack of better term. But Arionna always knew how to deal with all that. She would be understanding when that was needed and she would put him in his place when that was needed. It was fun to see, especially the times when she made Dace grovel for forgiveness. Arionna was strong, clever, and a great heroine.

Dace is complicated, as you could probably tell from my brief explanation of his wolf issue. The wolf in him isn't bad, it's just primal. The wolf loves Arionna just as much as Dace's human side loves her. But, once again, he's more primal. That leads him to make Dace's human side do some stupid things. I think some people might be annoyed, because when the wolf does gain some hold, it makes Dace do something that might be qualified as sexist. I understood it as the wolf hierarchy that Dace's wolf is tapped into. But others might not be as understanding. Just a warning to those who are sensitive.

But, moving on. Dace was very sweet. He was protective of Arionna and would literally lay down his life for her. Was there insta-love? Yes, but this was very justified once you find out how deep the connection goes. I don't think anyone will be bothered by it. I loved their relationship. It was deep and profound and it find made me smile wistfully. I thought Dace was simply adorable.

The story is never what you expect. You think you've figured out what's going on when, suddenly, a plot twist comes out of nowhere and shakes everything up. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The use of mythology was brilliant. I adored it; it was original and thrilling. The plot moved quickly, and the ending was sweet with a nice lead into the next book. Which I'm very excited for. I can't wait to find out how this plays out for the characters. Does anyone know when the second book will be released, or how long the series will be?

Anyhow, Fade was magnificent. Anyone who likes myth based books, or just paranormal romance will love it.

5/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Curiosity Quills Press for a copy!(less)

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Sep 05, 2012 Sobia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-person, netgalley

Let me first say This is a DNF review. I read about 1/3 of the book, and couldn't go any further. I may try again later (when i forget why I had to put it down), in which case I may add more to this review.

Okay, So the first chapter (or 2) of Fade was pretty well written...More like heartwrenching really, the heroine loses her mother, and reading through her grief was painful...but at the same time, pushed me to keep reading to see how she deals....

Unfortunately the story denegrates from there....more Let me first say This is a DNF review. I read about 1/3 of the book, and couldn't go any further. I may try again later (when i forget why I had to put it down), in which case I may add more to this review.

Okay, So the first chapter (or 2) of Fade was pretty well written...More like heartwrenching really, the heroine loses her mother, and reading through her grief was painful...but at the same time, pushed me to keep reading to see how she deals....

Unfortunately the story denegrates from there...(this is like 2 or 3 chapters in) And I took copious notes with all the things i had issues with, but it really all boils down to one thing: A.K.M (the netgalley i have says the author's name is Ayden Morgen) uses the modus operandi of telling without showing. The heroine feels pain (and she uses this word a lot), or and, I'm paraphrasing here, "it was the most pain she'd ever felt' but, IMO at least, that's a very vague sentiment. there are all sorts of pain, and it's such a general term...does she mean hurt? isolated? inconsaeable? wth does she mean by 'i'm in pain'?...And she'll talk about characters jumping into her mind, but we never really understand what that means. From what I read, at least 2 different characters make it into her mind, but I don't quite know what that means.

Add to that, many, many times the heroine will know what another character is feeling/thinking without them every having to say a word...and quite a bit of the dialogue sounds more like an interview then real converstations...(and this irritated me to all hell and back, but seriously? would anyone, let alone the freaking Hero, ever answer a question, any question, with "probably so"? --that doesn't make you sound mysterious, it a makes you sound like a douche!grrr)

Oh, and the hero sounds kinda whiney. the heroine is sorta a pushover/doormat. and there's insta-love...sorta (they fight it)

and after getting to a third of the book, I still felt like I only had a sorta-kinda idea of what was going on. I', not sure if this makes sensse, but at times this felt like a real time diary entry.... the whole thing (but remember, I never finished) is pretty much the h's reaction to everything, rather then a whole cohesive story being told.

Now, to be fair, I have to mention, I've got a love/hate thing going on with first person novels, but I've read some truly well written ones...ones that make me question why i avoided them so long, ones that live on my keeper shelf, and make me glad that I gave them a chance...

Fade is pretty much the opposite. It's the bad kind of 1st pov writing, the kind that makes me think stories told this way are too confining, too narrow in scope, and make me never want to read another one again. Honestly, i think this would have been so much better in 3rd person, maybe not great, but better. As it it, it feels like we're on the periphery of a good story, but with the way it's written, we don't even get to the decent stage. 2 stars, -would've been one, but like i mentioned before, the begining was well done. (less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Emily (Book Jems) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, cover-love, paranormal, romance, first-person-pov, kindle, netalley-e-galley, insta-love, new-adult, released, review-on-blog, ongoing-series

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

Fade deserves a solid three stars. I really wanted to love this because because I absolutely adore the author, but it ended up just being a enjoyable read for me. It's a great debut, really, it is! There were just some things within the novel that I'm not a fan of, including "insta-love." The story itself is brilliant, though. I've never read anything like it. The ideas are original, the plot line was captivating and the characters were, overall, very likable.

Just...more As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

Fade deserves a solid three stars. I really wanted to love this because because I absolutely adore the author, but it ended up just being a enjoyable read for me. It's a great debut, really, it is! There were just some things within the novel that I'm not a fan of, including "insta-love." The story itself is brilliant, though. I've never read anything like it. The ideas are original, the plot line was captivating and the characters were, overall, very likable.

Just before Arionna Jacobs starts college, her mother dies in a car accident. When the audience really gets to know her, we see a sad, lonely girl who misses her mother, the woman that was also her best friend. Ari, as she called by those she is close with, decides to move in with her father and go to school at the university where he works. There she meets Mandy, along with a set of triplets: Beth, Dani, and Chelle. They become fast friends, though the real connection is between Chelle and Ari. She also meets Dace, the man who gets her heart racing, her body jittery and takes over her mind with dominant thoughts that terrify and confuse her. As they grow closer, she learns things about Dace, about herself that shock her to her very core and things that will change her life in every way imaginable.

I liked the triplets and Gage, even though we didn't see much of him. Chelle was my favorite character. She was sweet and really cared for Dace, Ari and their other friends. She thought of everyone before she thought of herself. Such a sweetheart. Ari's dad was also an awesome character. Stories where the parents really love and cherish their children make me super happy. This was one of those stories! I liked Dace and Ari, but they both had quirks that annoyed me. I really liked their backstories and those backstories explained a lot about who they were and why the couple acted the way they did.

The insta-love was what really bothered me. That along with the info dumping are why I had trouble reading at some points. Another issue I had with the novel was the language, which was a bit mature for the age group it was written about. Like I said before, the idea of this novel was awesome. It's obvious that it takes a lot of work to have that fit the plot, and I admire the author for being able to pull it off as well as she did. I've seen other people say that this novel reminded them of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and I can see where they are coming from. There does appear to have been some influence by the popular series, but elements they share are not overwhelming. They really can't be compared because Ms. Morgen truly makes Fade her own.

I loved the writing style in Fade. It was very dark and picturesque. The setting was so written so vividly that I could easily see it in my mind. Not many authors can do that. Ms. Morgan has a lot of talent! She has also really piqued my interest in Norse mythology. I've never read or heard any Norse tales. I will definitely be changing that now that I've got a taste of their legends!

Ms. Morgen gives us a great story in Fade and I really am looking forward to reading the next installment. There is a lot than can be done with this series and I think the author will handle it excellently.

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley.(less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Merve Özcan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, paranormal, immortal, romance, from-a-ancient-culture, godish, mythology, were, send-for-review

http://kitabisevda.blogspot.com/2012/...

Link eklentileri ve video için bloguma gitmeniz gerekiyor :(

Kitabın tanıtımına buradan ulaşabilirsiniz: Fade - Kitap Tanıtımı

En sonunda Fade bitti. İlk okuduğumda çok basit kurgusu olan bir kitap diye düşünmüştüm, nitekim ilk yarısı öyleydi de. İnandırıcılık yoktu, her şey bir anda oluyordu. Tema yoktu, anlatım zayıftı... Ama yarısından sonra kitaba ve hikayeye ısındım, her şey yerine oturdu Ari ve Dace'in ilişkisi o kadarda saçma gelmemeye başladı. Aral...more http://kitabisevda.blogspot.com/2012/...

Link eklentileri ve video için bloguma gitmeniz gerekiyor :(

Kitabın tanıtımına buradan ulaşabilirsiniz: Fade - Kitap Tanıtımı

En sonunda Fade bitti. İlk okuduğumda çok basit kurgusu olan bir kitap diye düşünmüştüm, nitekim ilk yarısı öyleydi de. İnandırıcılık yoktu, her şey bir anda oluyordu. Tema yoktu, anlatım zayıftı... Ama yarısından sonra kitaba ve hikayeye ısındım, her şey yerine oturdu Ari ve Dace'in ilişkisi o kadarda saçma gelmemeye başladı. Aralarında ki ilişkiye özenir oldum, aralarındaki tutku iç çekmeme, gülmeme ve sırıtmama neden oldu.

Ari annesinin ölümünü atlatamayan bir kızdır. Annesinin ölümünden sonra üniversitede profösör olan (mitoloji) babasının yanına taşınır ve aynı üniversitede okumaya başlar. Ama her uyanık dakikasını annesinin yasını tutarak geçirir. Bir gün okula, dersine giderken bir çocuk görür ,yeşil gözlü...İçindeki kurt ile onunla orada birleşir,i muhteşem bir acı yaşar ama aynı zamanda annesinin ölümünü unutmuşturda. Bu andan itibaren Ari'nin hayatı değişir. Dace ile kendisinin gerçek kimliğini ve dünyanın sonunu getirecek olan, Ragnarök'ü engellemek için iki kurdu Skoll ve Hati'yi durdurmak zorunda olduklarını öğrenir. Hem birbirlerini tekrar tanıyıp hemde Dace'in kurduyla olan bağlarını güçlendirmelilerdir. Peşlerindeki güçlü kurtlar ise bunu hiç kolay yapmamaktadır.

Kitabın sonu beni büyüledi ama başı o kadar zayıftı ki! Dace ile Ari'nin ilişkilerine bayıldım. Yazarın değişen uslübüda renk kattı. İkinci kitabı kesinlikle okuyacağım. özellikle Ari kendi kurdunu geri kazanmış gibi duruyor, çok merak ediyorum.

Kitapta beni rahatsız eden şey ise Ari'yi çok kendine odaklı gösteren yas kısmı. Annen öldüğünde yas tutarsın ama bu kitapta bu o kadar çoktu ki adeta beni yordu. Bence yazarın bu yasa bu kadar odaklanmaması gerekiyordu. Ari pek güçlü bir karakter değildi, acıyla başa çıkmak için Dace'e yaslanmayı tercih ediyordu.

Geçen sene iskandinav mitolojisini görmüştüm ve bu kitap birçok şeyi bana tekrar hatırlattı. okumaktan gerçekten zevk aldım. Arada sırada Dace ve Ari arasında geçen sıcak anları saymazsak kitap iki öğrenci arasında geçiyor ama kesinlikle Genç Edebiyatı denemez. O yöndende sevdiğim bir kitap oldu. Paranormal, biraz yetişkin, biraz zayıf ama sonu etkileyici bir kitap okumak isteyenlere öneririm.

Buda kitapta geçen harika bir şarkı :)

Kitap Netgalley aracılığıyla elime geçti. Kitabı okuyup dürüst bir şekilde yorumlamam için gönderdiler. (less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Vanya D. added it

Shelves: dnf, netgalley, paranormal-urban-fantasy, read-in-2013

Umm... I'm not going to waste my time on this book anymore. 20% into were pretty much enough for me to say that it's not worth my time. Not a single second. And to be honest, I was glad I saw so many 1 star reviews of it. Because this book is a total waste of paper and ink, and ultimately - trees.

I hate possessive relationships - and the one between Arriona (the main heroine) and Dace was exactly this way. I mean, come on! Saying "you belong to me" to someone you've just met (or actually just S...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Fel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Arionna is reeling after her mother’s recent death. She moves in with her father, a professor of mythology at ASU-Beebe. A new town, new college, and a strange teaching assistant named Dace Matthews will unravel everything she thought she knew. As soon as Arionna meets Dace, she knows there’s something strange about him, like a caged animal within him that wants little more than to claim her. They both feel drawn to one another, in ways they can’t explain, and they also feel something bigger is...more Arionna is reeling after her mother’s recent death. She moves in with her father, a professor of mythology at ASU-Beebe. A new town, new college, and a strange teaching assistant named Dace Matthews will unravel everything she thought she knew. As soon as Arionna meets Dace, she knows there’s something strange about him, like a caged animal within him that wants little more than to claim her. They both feel drawn to one another, in ways they can’t explain, and they also feel something bigger is about to happen.
For the first couple chapters, I couldn’t escape the familiarity to Shiver. It was a little distracting, but luckily this book had a compelling voice that pulled me in and kept me reading (I didn’t hate Shiver, but in the beginning, the voices made me feel uncomfortable).
Readers begin to connect with Arionna just after her mother’s death. As a young woman who doesn’t know how to handle the death of the most important person in her life, Arionna spends a good deal of the first chapters grieving, and figuring out how she’s supposed to move on. Just before the inner turmoil becomes too much for the beginning of a novel, in comes the boy who changes everything–Dace Matthews, a gorgeous and mysterious teaching assistant.
While I enjoyed the book from the very beginning, it really began pulling me forward with Arionna’s third encounter with Dace in Chapter Four. By this time, enough of his secrets are beginning to leak out to keep me hooked.Dace’s character is a bit of the typical brooding, quiet, supernatural type. He’s a shifter, the alpha shifter in the area, but something is fundamentally wrong because unlike other shifters, he has no connection with the wolf that shares his body (an interesting dilemma). However, both he and the wolf seem to have an innate connection with Arionna–the desire to have her and protect her. I’m not really a fan of “meant to be” lovers knowing from the moment that they meet that they belong to one another, but I went with it to see where the story would lead.
This book has shapeshifters, descendants of fallen angels, reincarnation, and some references to other kinds of mythological and supernatural beings (what, vampires don’t exist??), but I was excited to dive in largely because of the reference to Ragnarök. I haven’t read into the mythology or the Poetic Edda for quite some time, but I’m familiar with the legends, and there were times I felt like I was missing something because the Norse mythology wasn’t really mentioned until very late in the book. I would have preferred the Norse references to be picked up a bit more in the front of the novel, and sprinkled throughout.
My verdict — There are a lot of themes and characterizations that will be familiar especially to young adult readers, but the use of mythology is interesting, especially when all is revealed. I think the next book in the series will have a lot to offer, but I’ll have to give this one 4/5.
(Disclaimer: I received the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)(less)

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Oct 10, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Some books you sit and read and only stop when you finish or when you have them physically dragged from your hands. Some books take an effort of will to put down. Some books you make time for. Some books you read whenever you have a moment.

This was not one of those books, alas. Early on I was struggling to keep reading. By 30% I had to go back and re-read as I realised I’d started skimming the book rather than reading it. At 40% I kept getting up to get a drink of water, to make coffee, to do an...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Emily Alburns rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 Stars 1 Flame

I have loved reading mythology of any kind, okay, almost any kind, since I was a little girl. It has been a while since I read Norse mythology and reading Fade has renewed my interest. Arionna is a young woman trying to cope with her mother's death and starting her new life in her father's town. Signing up for college, registering for classes, all the things a normal young adult would do to prepare for the semester. Then she meets Dace and her world is turned upside down. With on...more 3 Stars 1 Flame

I have loved reading mythology of any kind, okay, almost any kind, since I was a little girl. It has been a while since I read Norse mythology and reading Fade has renewed my interest. Arionna is a young woman trying to cope with her mother's death and starting her new life in her father's town. Signing up for college, registering for classes, all the things a normal young adult would do to prepare for the semester. Then she meets Dace and her world is turned upside down. With one glance into his eyes, she feels emotions and a voice that is not hers in her mind. Almost like love at first sight times 100. Arionna is sure that its Dace's voice and emotions, but how crazy is that? Now she is obsessed with finding the answers, and only one person can provide them.
Dace is not what he seems. Half man/half wolf, Dace was raised by a father obsessed with finding a way to "cure" him. Left to fend for himself at 14, Dace has learned to lock the wolf away, completely severing communication between man and wolf. But there is one who can understand them both, Arianna. For Dace did experience the same thing as Arionna. She calls to both man and beast, weakening the control Dace has over his wolf when she is near, and with her determination to get answers, Arionna is pushing him past those boundaries. Dace is reluctant, to say the least, to share anything with Arionna, even when he himself is able to read her mind. But time is running out, Dace and Arionna share a connection for a reason, and if they are unable to figure out why, the world as they know it will disappear.
I found it hard to finish Fade. I would pick it up, read a chapter or two, stop, read another book, then come back to Fade. I don't know why, the story was intriguing and I wanted to know what happened, but something wasn't clicking. That said, I did finish the book and I am eager to see how A.K. Morgen completes the tale. I recommend checking this book out because the story is unique, and I may have just been experiencing technical difficulties in my brain when I read Fade. I give this 3 stars and 1 flame.

*Requested for review on NetGalley*(less)

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Sep 09, 2012 Andrea Carrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: Curiosity Quills Press provided a free electronic ARC of this book for review purposes.

I was not sure what to expect when I picked up this book - it sounded intriguing, but at the same time I was uncertain about the Norse mythology, and I've never been a big fan of werewolf/shapeshifter stories. I am happy to report that I absolutely loved both aspects of the book. The Norse mythology was fresh and complex, adding a unique feel, and the relationships between the main character and th...more Disclaimer: Curiosity Quills Press provided a free electronic ARC of this book for review purposes.

I was not sure what to expect when I picked up this book - it sounded intriguing, but at the same time I was uncertain about the Norse mythology, and I've never been a big fan of werewolf/shapeshifter stories. I am happy to report that I absolutely loved both aspects of the book. The Norse mythology was fresh and complex, adding a unique feel, and the relationships between the main character and the various wolves were intense and fascinating.

I have to say, I just kept underestimating the author as I was reading. Dace's posessive side started to show up and I groaned and thought, oh, here we go, he's going to turn out to be one of those overbearing leads who's supposed to be hot because he's so uncompromising and always knows what's best. And when the main character seemed like she couldn't tell her emotions apart from his, and he could make her feel things or she couldn't distinguish or didn't care to distinguish between his wants and hers, it set off all kinds of alarm bells. Thankfully, it didn't turn out that way at all! Despite Dace's posessive side, the main character stood up to him when it mattered, and he was convincingly attuned to and respectful of her needs. I think Dace is one of the very first territorial, alpha-male leads I've been totally, unreservedly into.

I really loved the main character, Arionna, too. She was so convincing and genuine with her emotional state and the way she handled difficult situations. She was brave, and smart, and she never gave up. She didn't let her lack of experience with the world she was thrown into hold her back; she acknowledged and sometimes lamented how new and strange the world was and how much trouble she was having understanding and fitting into it, but she just kept at it anyway. She admired and appreciated Dace's strength and protectiveness, but she didn't let him run her over.

It was also great to have supporting family and friends in the story. I thought the relationships of Arionna's father and friends really added a lot to the story, and I so appreciated that the author didn't take the easy way out by trying to make the main character seem neglected or detached. I did think that this was one aspect where the author had some trouble; it is super difficult to have a hot romance with a parental figure in the picture, and managing the grief and fears of other characters on top of Arionna's already full plate is understandably difficult. Some of those details felt a bit awkward to me - but I was happy they were there anyway.

As for the writing, I liked the way the pace moved, and the style was lovely. There were quite a few places where I was arrested by a sentence or a paragraph that just seemed so beautiful and/or perfectly apt that I had to re-read it. The plot itself was fairly complicated and there were a few points that confused me - like the characters deciding to do something important, but then a page later it's been three days, and it seems like that whole big conversation has been forgotten. It seemed like there was a little bit of difficulty balancing all the different things that were building up over the course of the book.

All in all, though, I was very impressed and can't wait to read the next installment. The story was enthralling, beautiful, and a change I didn't even know I needed from a lot of the stories I've read in the past few months. The author made me enjoy things I would have laughed at the idea of enjoying before I read this book, and that is a truly wonderful thing in a story. (less)

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Sep 08, 2012 roxtao rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this book by courtesy of Curiosity Quills Press publisher and the author, A.K. Morgen. Thank you for offering me Fade in order to write a review. Because English is not my native language, please excuse the possible mistakes.

I have to tell you from the beginning that although now, after I finished Fade I can say that it was interesting, the first half of the novel was really annoying. I have to digress a little in order to make you understand what I’m going to say later. I am not pro...more I received this book by courtesy of Curiosity Quills Press publisher and the author, A.K. Morgen. Thank you for offering me Fade in order to write a review. Because English is not my native language, please excuse the possible mistakes.

I have to tell you from the beginning that although now, after I finished Fade I can say that it was interesting, the first half of the novel was really annoying. I have to digress a little in order to make you understand what I’m going to say later. I am not pro and I’m not against the famous Twilight series. I’ve read it before the Twilight mania started and it didn’t offer me a major impression. It was..ok, but nothing more. But I think it’s pretty obvious that Stephanie Meyer opened the gates for the fantasy literature and that her influence effused over other new authors. Anyone that denies this should check the number of young adult, fantasy or paranormal books that was published in these last years, compared with the number in the previous years.

However, I think we got to the point where the post Twilight literature is a little difficult to digest. Of course, I’m not talking about all the new novels, but about the ones that re-create most of the aspects from Meyer’s novel. Probably this is the reason why I hated the first half of Fade. Let’s start with the beginning. The girl that has to move with her dad in a small town? Check. The incredible beautiful and mysterious male character? Check. The first meet when everything near them disappears, they lose each other in the other’s sight and their worlds are completely messed? Check. Obsessive attempts from her to discover the truth about him and so called attempts from him to avoid it? Check. Mind reading? Check. Unnatural things, happening after they met? Check. Hmm..was there something else? Oh, yes, we should't forget that she stumbles a lot. So..this is the action in the first half of the book. And like this wouldn’t be enough, we also discover lots of pages full of thinking, meditations, incursions in the pained soul of the protagonist, thoughts and assumptions. I didn’t abandoned the book only because I was sorry for the time spent until that moment. If I already read half of the book, at least I should be comforted that I was able to read the full novel.

But, from the middle of the book, everything changes. The first surprise was that the male character is not a werewolf, as I suspected, but a shifter. I know it’s not a big difference, but it was the first sign of a sequence of surprises. I was sure that the story will develop in a very predictable way, without bringing anything surprising. But the storyline went in a totally different direction. I was suddenly thrown in the Scandinavian mythology, from where a Norse prophecy influences the lives of our characters. We’re suddenly caught in a game full of legends, reincarnation, unknown creatures we never meet in other fantasy books, enemies that we don’t know yet, secondary characters that change their place with the main characters and negative characters that actually have a very different role. As bored I was when I read the first part of the book, as fascinated I was when I got to the second one. I loved the secondary characters and I thought it was a welcomed change the fact that their roles become really important. I liked the wolf pack that keeps it’s natural way, having common rituals and having no supranatural characteristics. I appreciated the fact that the male character was not built in the usual way: dauntless and invincible. On the contrary, he has deep rooted fears and he is as frightened as the heroine by the unknown. Also, I liked the fact that the author offers a reason why all those supranatural beings are all living in a small place and she doesn’t treats this fact as a normal thing.

Still, there are two things that bothered me in this second part of the novel. First: the same bent for meditation and the amount of thoughts of the protagonist, thoughts that usually do nothing else but fill the pages. The second thing is the way the Norse prophecy was brought in the readers’ attention. Although a part of it is explained, there are a few aspects of it that remain in darkness. Somehow, you get the feeling that you didn’t read the whole text and you’re missing the most important thing. For a while, there is no mention about the prophecy and suddenly, all the characters are talking about it like they would continue an old conversation. I know that sometimes, you forget how it feels not knowing a certain thing and because of this, your explanations may be unclear for a person that hears about that thing for the first time. So I suppose the author probably boned at the subject of Scandinavian mythology and now fails to present the subject as novelty, and more like all the readers would have the same level of information about it like she has.

Pros:

- The storyline is different from other fantasy novels and brings a new vision and also a collection of new and intriguing characters and creatures.

Cons:

- Twilight influences: to many, to obvious and to insistent. (less)

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Sep 05, 2012 Chloe (Girl In The Woods Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the start, it follows up on Arionna's mother who has died where they're at a graveyard going to bury her body. A wolf emerges, complete with a howl with burning yellow eyes. It's already interesting from the very beginning. I was very much fixated on the story and Arionna Jacobs who is yet a girl we're going to find out about.

'A lone wolf hunkered beneath the trees.
A wolf?
I blinked, certain I hadn't seen an animal at all, but I had. A wolf, or the domestic relation anyway, sat in the shado...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Pauline rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Fade" is a fascinating story of legend, shape-shifters and romance.

On one hand, we have Arionna who is an average girl: pretty, nice, smart, a little shy, loves shopping, but not a caricature (too pretty, too smart, too whatever)...and she's devastated by the loss of her mother.
Apart from the fact that her name is atrocious, Arionna is a very lickable character and you feel easily connected to her. Her dad is awesome and she makes new friends who are just as endearing.

On the other hand, we ha...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Shiloh (SnarkyWriter) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mythology, netgalley, young-adult

Disclaimer: Curiosity Quills Press provided a free electronic ARC of this book for review purposes.

Further disclaimer: this is a DNF (did-not-finish) review. I got about a third of the way through the book before I gave up.

I requested this book from Netgalley because of the Norse. A look at my bookshelves will tell you that I love modernizations of mythologies, especially Norse, Celtic, Arthurian, etc.

I didn't love this. And here's why.

Insta-Love
Not just insta-love, but insta-soulmates. The mome...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Bodea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Fade just wasn't my cup of tea. Right off the bat, there was insta love and the entire story pretty much revolves around that. I would have given Fade one star, but the writing is really good. It's almost lyrical in some parts.

The majority of the story revolves around our main characters Arionna and Dace (more so Arionna). Ari started off well enough. I thought the author did a great job with her grief over the loss of her mother. The problem is, the story quickly becomes about the relationship...more Fade just wasn't my cup of tea. Right off the bat, there was insta love and the entire story pretty much revolves around that. I would have given Fade one star, but the writing is really good. It's almost lyrical in some parts.

The majority of the story revolves around our main characters Arionna and Dace (more so Arionna). Ari started off well enough. I thought the author did a great job with her grief over the loss of her mother. The problem is, the story quickly becomes about the relationship between Dace and Ari and character developement starts to take a back seat to that. So, even though I felt that the writing was good, I don't think we really get to know Arionna all that well. As for Dace, his character is was pretty flat for me. There's really not all that much to him. Just Arionna. The secondary characters were rather uninteresting and under developed as well.

The plot moved rather slowly for me and, to be honest, when it picked up I didn't really care. I was just ready to finish the story. I think the plot does a good job of tying romance, mystery, and a bit of suspense together, but I couldn't really get into it because this is my least favorite topic. I dislike it even more than I do Angels as a theme. For those that haven't guessed or haven't been spoiled, the story is about (view spoiler). I think that this was a good spin on the whole insta love thing, but like I said, it's a theme I don't really care for. Plus, I thought Dace and Ari were quite annoying together. Their mind chats and dialogue got on my last nerve.

The writing for this book was good. I can't complain about the quality. There were only a few typos, but there's a good amount of depth and emotion to the writing. For that reason alone, I would probably read another of the author's titles if the blurb caught my interest. I'd recommend this to readers that don't mind insta love and like the theme talked about in the spoiler tags.(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Mad Scientist rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy-fiction, netgalley, mythology, paranormal, paranormal-romance, save-a-tree, series, shapeshifters, ebook, nook

3.5 Stars from the Mad Scientist http://madsteampunkery.com

Fade is based on an ancient Norse mythology concerning shapeshifters offered such a story full of inner turmoil, imprint romance, grief.

The story starts off with immense grief. Arionna's mother had just died in a car accident. Her life was thrown in a topsy-turvy state. With her mother gone she had to move in with her father in another city and change colleges. The Mad Scientist felt for her. *Side Note... her father was an amazing char...more 3.5 Stars from the Mad Scientist http://madsteampunkery.com

Fade is based on an ancient Norse mythology concerning shapeshifters offered such a story full of inner turmoil, imprint romance, grief.

The story starts off with immense grief. Arionna's mother had just died in a car accident. Her life was thrown in a topsy-turvy state. With her mother gone she had to move in with her father in another city and change colleges. The Mad Scientist felt for her. *Side Note... her father was an amazing character!

However, really quick into the story the average girl's eyes connect with Dace, a green eyed golden haired boy. It was instant love, in wolf shapshifter layman terms, imprinting. The pressing love between these two was fast and slow, climatic, & destined. (Sound like Twilight anyone?)

Destined you may ask while quirking your head to the side. They were together for milenna beforehand. Destiny dictates that they find each other once again. Now that they found each other (again) they need to work at keeping the world from coming to its pending doom. (Think Angelfire, which I LOVED!)

The Mad Scientist does admit that AK Morgen did have me swooning over Dace way more then expected. His intense desire and inner turmoil had you feel for him, meanwhile, making my stoic reader stance melt with his obsessive desire for Arionna.

AK Morgen's writing was very lurid & distinct. She took the tale and wove it into a story that was very easy to paint in your mind. I enjoyed the POV being from Arionna. What was intriguing was her ability to get into Dace's mind or not. With a story with such a background there needs to be much information. It was well laid out in such a way where the reader was not in overload mode. Even at a few parts of the book I felt a Mind Blow enter here and there.

In spite of the good writing, the Mad Scientist felt that Arionna's inner monologue dragged at many parts. Feeling that so much of it could be cut out so the story could cut to the chase.

** Thanks to NetGalley & Curiosity Quills Press for the ability to read & review this book which so ever did not influence or bend my thoughts in any manner. All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**(less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Debbie (at) I Heart YA Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-reviews

Fade is has a great twist with shapeshifters in this Norse Ragnarok mythology storyline. A.K. Morgen has created her very own intriguing version of the battle that will end the world. Even though I had a few issues with this novel, it still had me flipping the pages, wanting to know Arionna and Dace's story. I enjoyed Dace's character the most. He was the quiet, strong kind of guy. The romance between Arionna and Dace quickly captured my heart and held me to this story.

Arionna's mother died in...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Bethany rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, mythology, paranormal, shape-shifters, lost-interest, werewolves, unfinished

I was given a copy of this book from netgalley on behalf of Curiosity Quills Press and author A.K. Morgen.

I am terribly sorry to say that I did not enjoy this book. In truth, I didn't finish this book. I don't think I even made it to the half way point. Because I have two kids and reading time is precious, I have become extremely severe and picky when it comes to what I read. And I must say that no matter how wonderful and ending a book might come to have, there is just no possible way I will lo...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Giu Molina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, i-wish, favorites

Fade foi uma bela surpresa em vários aspectos. Eu não tinha grandes expectativas com o livro, mas foi só ler as primeiras páginas que eu percebi que o que eu tinha em mãos era bom, muito bom.
Okay, todos sabem que as histórias de shifters, assim como a de anjos e vampiros, não são nem um pouquinho originais atualmente. Mas incrivelmente a autora conseguiu introduzir um novo conceito, abordar o assunto de uma nova forma, nos contando sobre os personagens da mitologia nórdica.
Eu achei incrível!...more Fade foi uma bela surpresa em vários aspectos. Eu não tinha grandes expectativas com o livro, mas foi só ler as primeiras páginas que eu percebi que o que eu tinha em mãos era bom, muito bom.
Okay, todos sabem que as histórias de shifters, assim como a de anjos e vampiros, não são nem um pouquinho originais atualmente. Mas incrivelmente a autora conseguiu introduzir um novo conceito, abordar o assunto de uma nova forma, nos contando sobre os personagens da mitologia nórdica.
Eu achei incrível! Livros sobre essa mitologia não são tão comuns assim e eu amei conhecer um pouquinho mais sobre ela. A autora ganhou ainda mais pontos comigo quando ela não se focou exatamente nos deuses nórdicos mas sim no Ragnarök e seus participantes.
Ari é uma garota forte, meio perdida porque acabou de perder a mãe, inteligente e que de repente viu seu mundo virado de cabeça para baixo, mas, tendo convivido com mitologia durante toda sua vida, não sofre grandes choques quando descobre o que está acontecendo. Dace é possessivo, protetor, totalmente devotado e apaixonado pela Ari (apesar de as vezes ela duvidar disso), ele tem medo de seu lobo e por causa disso é muito teimoso e nem sempre toma as melhores decisões, mas no fim só quer o melhor para todos (principalmente para a Ari).
O livro é escrito de uma forma que a tristeza da Ari em relação a morte de sua mãe, sua confusão quando, de repente, se vê no meio totalmente diferente, sua frustração e amor pelo Dace e sua luta para ser forte e conseguir realizar seu destino, tudo, passa a fazer parte da nossa realidade.
Outra coisa que eu simplesmente amei do livro foi como as cenas entre o Dace e a Ari são intensas. Eles têm uma química fantástica e, apesar do livro ter aquele infame insta-love, pela primeira vez, isso não me incomodou, principalmente por ter uma explicação. Os dois pertencem um ao outro, simples assim.
Os personagens são imperfeitos, dimensionais, frustantes, fortes e totalmente adoráveis. Amei como a autora lidou com a relação entre a Ari e o pai, com a amizade entre ela e a Chelle (uma fofa *-*), a dinâmica da matilha (eu quero a Buka para mim *—*) e como a Ari não deixa o Dace pisar em cima dela o tempo todo.
No fim, de novo, não vou conseguir dar uma review menor do que 5 estrelas. O livro tem tudo que me fez me apaixonar por leitura (mitologia bem elaborada, romance, personagens realísticos, ação e suspense) e com certeza me deixou ansiosa para descobrir o que vai acontecer no próximo capítulo.
Recomendo!
(P.s.: eu mencionei que estou totalmente apaixonada pelo Dace? *—*)(less)

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Sep 27, 2012 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars

When I first started this book I was sure I wouldn't like it, but as I continued to read the book I actually liked it the idea of the book. The romance in this book was overwhelming, and to dramatized. The Norse mythology in the book was its saving grace for me without it the book would have been the same as many other YA romance book; not saying many parts of it weren't just that this main idea of this book is what set it apart. The characters were well defined but at the same time bland they...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Ifmarybooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

This is going to be a mixed review. I really wanted to love this book. When I read the synopsis it sounded really good and I loved the cover. But unfortunately I didn't love this book.
I enjoyed some parts of it though so I'm going to talk about them first.

I liked the beginning. Well it was pretty sad because the heroine Arionna just lost her mother. But I really liked the writing at the beginning. It was heartbreaking but also quite beautiful.
Another thing that I loved about this book is the...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Candace (Lovey Dovey Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I am so in love with this novel! Fade is deeply entrenched with Norse mythology, romance, and suspense. A.K. Morgen's young adult debut is absolutely a must-read, one that will keep your mind occupied from the first word!

Fade opens as Arionna Jacobs grieves for the lost of her mother, her best friend. The grief does a significant number on her attitude and ability to live fully, but she resolves to be strong. When she encounters Dace Matthews at her new college her perspective changes and the he...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, on-my-kindle

I think I have found a new favourite series, and a new boy book crush. I love Dace. okay so he might a bit possessive and protective but he is struggling with his feelings and struggling with who he is. he as no more answers than Arionna does but together they need to discover the truth about there connections and who they are

Arionna is a strong girl, still reeling with the death of her mother she then as to cope with all the crazy stuff happening to her, She handles Dace well and even handles h...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Annmarie (World of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought when I picked up this book that it would be similar to other werewolf stories I've read before. And while it does have some similarities, Fade is like nothing I've ever read before.

The story starts with Arionna's mothers funeral and then shortly after she moves in with her father. One of the things I loved right off the bat about the story was that her grief didn't take a back seat in the story. A lot of times they mention a death in the family and for like one week the character is d...more I thought when I picked up this book that it would be similar to other werewolf stories I've read before. And while it does have some similarities, Fade is like nothing I've ever read before.

The story starts with Arionna's mothers funeral and then shortly after she moves in with her father. One of the things I loved right off the bat about the story was that her grief didn't take a back seat in the story. A lot of times they mention a death in the family and for like one week the character is depressed and then suddenly she's over it. Arionna didn't do that at all. Throughout the book, her grief and sadness stays with her and even though she does have moments of happiness, she still thinks of her mother. When Arionna meets Dace, its a instant connection and even though it sounds ridiculous, she feels like she's known him her whole life. Yes, there is that insta attraction and for a while he's all she thinks about. And honestly at first it annoyed me because I felt like all she cared about, thought about, was him. But as I kept reading it didn't bother me as much especially once I learned more. It's hard to say what exact kind of paranormal stuff is going on in the story without giving away the story but there's Norse mythology and Dace is a shapeshifter who turns into a werewolf. At times I felt as frustrated as she felt because she was thrown into this whole new world and no one wanted to tell her anything.

Dace is...complicated. I loved Dace but at times I really wanted to kick him. From the beginning, he's brooding and never really tells Arionna anything which is frustrating as hell. He wants to keep her in the dark about everything and while that sounds perfect in his head, it's just not working out in the real world. But at the same time I understand why he feels like he's doing the right thing. From a young age, Dace was told that the wolf inside of him was bad and that he should fear it instead of embrace that part of him. And whenever Dace is around Arionna his wolf gets restless and wants out but Dace won't let it because he thinks it'll hurt her. He's has a lot of stuff he's going through that makes it hard for him to trust and let anyone in, including his soul mate.

As part of the soul mate thing, both Dace and Arionna can read each others thoughts and communicate through thought. Of course Dace closes himself off and blocks it so only he can read her thoughts and not the other way around. That irritated Arionna and myself a lot but the crazy thing is Dace doesn't think he's doing anything wrong. I hope I'm not making Dace sound bad because I really do like him and even though he makes mistakes they're honest mistakes. Both Dace and his wolf are very possessive and protective of Arionna and when he feels like someone is touching or harming what's his, well lets just say things get complicated. I know a lot of people probably found this to be a problem but I loved Dace's possessive/alpha side. It undeniably sexy and it's probably the thing I love most about him. Both of them are new to this and aren't even sure what to do or how to be together but slowly they both get to know each other and their boundaries and it works out.

A.K. Morgen has definitely caught my attention with Fade and I can't wait to read what happens next. The ending really shocked me and I can't wait to see what Arionna and Dace will face in the next book. For a first time being published A.K. Morgen did a fantastic job. I recommend this to paranormal lovers and readers looking for something a little different then the usual werewolf stories.

*Received from NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review

**This review also appears on my blog World of Books(less)

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Sep 06, 2012 Rebecca Lea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-new-releases, ya-fantasy, shifters, comfort-heartbreak, kindle

Love love loved this story. Such a heartbreaker! All of the characters involved were so amazing and real. Made me believe in them!

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Oct 04, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r-complete, read-2012

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Curiosity Quills Press and Netgalley.)
19-year-old Arionna is still reeling from her mother’s death when she moves to live with her father and attend the college where he teaches mythology. The last thing she expects is to find her soul-mate the first day on campus.
Dace is gorgeous, with flashing green eyes, but there’s something strange about the way he can hear what’s going on in her head. The first ti...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Hope rated it 1 of 5 stars

My Thoughts:

I requested this book from NetGalley because it sounded very interesting and I liked the premises for this story. But unfortunately this is yet another book that does not deliver.

Once I started reading the book and approximately fifty pages in I realised that I was not going to like this book. There was barely any storyline other than romance between Dace and Arionna. It is hard to get into a story that has does not have a storyline that was mentioned in the description. It's not en...more My Thoughts:

I requested this book from NetGalley because it sounded very interesting and I liked the premises for this story. But unfortunately this is yet another book that does not deliver.

Once I started reading the book and approximately fifty pages in I realised that I was not going to like this book. There was barely any storyline other than romance between Dace and Arionna. It is hard to get into a story that has does not have a storyline that was mentioned in the description. It's not enough to tell the audience that Dace is a shifter and expect that that is enough till the end. There was not a lot of character development or world buildup either.

For example book starts of by Arionna grieving for her mother who just passed away. For about maybe thirty pages we are constantly hearing about her grief, her inner thoughts. Personally I thought Arionna was going in circles about death of her mother. Her feeling never felt genuine or real. Than she meets a boy and it seems that she completely stops grieving for her mother. It seems bit sudden for me, bit unrealistic.

Another scene between Dace and Ronan at the rave party was weird and confusing. All they did was stare at each other and that was it pretty much it. Meanwhile Arionna is having these premonitions that something dangerous is coming, or that something will happen - this is a hint for the readers that something will happen. Sorry but its not enough, it's too long for me to wait till the end of the book for the storyline to start. Then we have some mind type control from Ronan on Arionna, basically there is no dialog in the whole scene. Needless to say book is full of scenes that are somewhat confusing and not well though out.

Overall this was not a great read for me, it was boring to tell you the truth. It lacked a storyline, but it was filled with a lot of making out between Dace and Arionna. Characters were not that great they were very one dimensional and predictable. There were not very interesting or exciting, but rather bland and boring. Also Arionna's grief was fake and not very realistic, which makes me think whether author even researched what grief feels like for majority of people. I find that a lot of YA authors out there do not know how to put grief into words so that it sounds real and genuine. At the end of it all, book descriptions implies that there is a good and entertaining story within these pages, but unfortunately there is not. It is just a nice and pretty cover and good story description, but no storyline at all. So if someone were to ask me if I would recommend this book to anyone, my answer would be NO.

I give this book 1/5 STARS - Happy Reading!!!(less)

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title link	preview: Fade
avg rating	preview: Fade Goodreads rating: 3.80 (119 ratings)
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Fade (The Ragnarök Prophesies #1)

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