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Soul Control

by C. Elizabeth (Goodreads Author)

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 21 ratings · 8 reviews

Young Adult Paranormal Romance of love, loss and reconnection.

“Lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.”

Words of truth for seventeen-year-old Saydi Gardiner upon discovering her ancestry. But if she has doubts, further confirmation is forthcoming and it comes in the form of a wickedly gorgeous Nathanael Braxton, when he steals her heart and cuddles into her soul...more

Published December 1st 2012 by Wings ePress Inc.

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Mar 23, 2013 Esty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

I received this book for review and overall quite liked it. You can read the original review on My Blog
Basically, it's a war between gods and demons. I actually really liked the spin the author gave this tale, because I haven't really encountered a lovable demon character before, one who is almost human (well, half half) except maybe in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and that was very different from this. However, I warn ista-love haters to beware, this might not be the book for you. (Personally,...more I received this book for review and overall quite liked it. You can read the original review on My Blog
Basically, it's a war between gods and demons. I actually really liked the spin the author gave this tale, because I haven't really encountered a lovable demon character before, one who is almost human (well, half half) except maybe in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and that was very different from this. However, I warn ista-love haters to beware, this might not be the book for you. (Personally, I was able to get over it for this one. Saydi and Nathanael's relationship grew on me)

I wasn't a big fan of Saydi's, she accepted and forgave some things too easily in my opinion. Also, while I live off fantasy, I need it to be realistic- as in, her dad can't pop up after 17 years and Saydi and her mom are thrilled and after 1 day she's calling him Dad/Daddy.

Another thing that bothered me is that I didn't really understand the cause of the war. It was talked about a lot, but it just seemed to go over my head. Rondure? Catacomb? Spirit Light? Why? Granted, that may not have anything to do with the author's writing and more with my comprehension. Still, I wish it had been a little more clarified.

But I must say I did like the cast. A lot of YA books tend to put the heroine's girlfriends aside because there so much going on around the boy/family/cause and I was glad to see Soul Control had Becky, Angie and Norma right along for the ride even if they didn't really understand what they were seeing. Also, their dynamic was realistic. Their fights, greetings, and conversations were like mine with my friends- typical teenage girls (`the family that just moved in has a boy? How old??? What did you say? He's hot?!').

Back to the cast though, I wish we could have gotten more of Job and Joshua (Nathanael's triplet brothers) and the Magisters (I know, I know, and just when I'm reading Clockwork Princess too.... Don't worry, they aren't evil masterminds. Just Saydi's teachers:)) I felt like they have big personalities and great backstories we never got to feel.

Another thing I liked was the fighting between Saydi and Nathanael. I always sided with Nathanael because he was really doing all he could and Saydi was being an ungrateful brat sometimes but I was like YES. YOU ARE A COUPLE. FIGHT. Sometimes I lose patience with all the lovey-dovey books that forget to show you that in the real world, people fight, but they learn to get over it. And I know it's fiction and fantasy and whatever, but a really good book is one that has you convinced that the supernatural world exists and incredible creature live among us. And how can you do that if the humans aren't acting human?? So kudos to Soul Control for that.

And two more little things that made me happy- the Braxton's gentlemanly behavior and the Canadian setting. THANK YOU C. ELIZABETH!! Go Canada:))(less)

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Feb 19, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, book-tour, indies-and-self-pubs, i-own-it

I was excited to be be part of the tour for Soul Control because the story line sounded like something fresh and different. It is paranormal but not the usual vampire, werewolf, or even fallen angel variety. The main characters are on opposing sides of good and evil. Saydi our herione is inherently good, while Nathaniel and his whole family are on the dark side. Nathaniel and Saydi fall in love and we realize that not everything is black and white. Saydi learns that she is the key in an upcoming...more I was excited to be be part of the tour for Soul Control because the story line sounded like something fresh and different. It is paranormal but not the usual vampire, werewolf, or even fallen angel variety. The main characters are on opposing sides of good and evil. Saydi our herione is inherently good, while Nathaniel and his whole family are on the dark side. Nathaniel and Saydi fall in love and we realize that not everything is black and white. Saydi learns that she is the key in an upcoming battle between the light and dark. She learns that she will have to face down Nathaniel's family in this battle, but what side does Nathaniel's loyalties lie - to his family or to the girl he loves?

The two main characters are Saydi and Nathaniel, and they receive a lot of developement. Saydi's friends play a large part in the story too, but there are things that happen that leave me not liking them so much. Their actions are supposably not their fault, but still...they're so easily swayed. Nathaniel's brothers Job and Josh play a big part in the book as well, and despite the fact that they're bad, and they're kind of dirtballs sometimes, I liked them...probably more than other characters. I found them to be funny. The book is almost 450 pages long, and most of it is either Saydi's training, or the back and forth drama in Saydi and Nathaniel's relationship. I really wish that there was more character development on Saydi's friends, and especially Nathaniel's brothers.

As I mentioned, the book is long, but it is an interesting read. I enjoyed learning about Saydi's powers. I think the pue is interesting. Saydi has a lot of self discovery on her powers which I think is cool. I wish that we had scene a little more of the Tov donums in action during training. I am also curious about a few of their backgrounds. I like how Saydi and Nathaniel work the water together. There are a lot of twists in the book. I won't say what they are because I don't want to give them away. I enjoyed the battle scene, but wish that it had been longer. It was interesting to see the powers that both sides use. I especially enjoyed Joshua and Job's powers and would have liked to find out more of their donums.

Overall, the book is an interesting read. I think it would be appropriate for tweens and younger teens to read as the story is pretty PG rated. The plot line is something different than everything else I've read so far, so check it out if you're looking for something different.
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Feb 03, 2013 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was engrossing from the very beginning, with a great plot and great characters. It was a fantastic take on the "good vs. evil" battle, with neither side being entirely good nor entirely evil. That made all of the characters that much more believable, despite their obvious paranormal backgrounds. I also liked that the story didn't just center on Nathanael and Saydi the entire book, but included the other characters with true stories of their own. The story line between Nathanael and his...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Saydi Gardner is a 17-year-old girl living in a small town in Canada. Her mom's a bit weird (always talking about following your intuition) and her dad died when she was little, but overall - things are fairly normal. She goes to church on Sundays, hangs out at the local spot, Sloppy's, and toys with the idea of dating Todd, a guy who likes her, but that's she's known forever. Both Saydi, and the town, get a shot of life when a new family with 19-year-old triplets moves in. The boys, Nathaneal,...more Saydi Gardner is a 17-year-old girl living in a small town in Canada. Her mom's a bit weird (always talking about following your intuition) and her dad died when she was little, but overall - things are fairly normal. She goes to church on Sundays, hangs out at the local spot, Sloppy's, and toys with the idea of dating Todd, a guy who likes her, but that's she's known forever. Both Saydi, and the town, get a shot of life when a new family with 19-year-old triplets moves in. The boys, Nathaneal, Job, and Josh are all h.o.t.-HOT and seem very outgoing. Nathaneal, especially, catches Saydi's eye.

So what's the problem? Wellll...with the boys' arrival, things start to change. Saydi finds out some crazy things about her personal life and has to come to terms with the fact that things - even her - are not quite what they seem. Nathaneal, it turns out, is half-demon and Saydi, herself, is half-god. Oh yeah, and her dad's not really dead. He's a God and he's very much alive.

While Nathaneal and Saydi don't seem to have any trouble embracing their feelings for each other, those feelings may cause problems when the battle for Good vs. Evil starts. Yes, I did say Good vs. Evil. The Pyres (demons) and Tovs (gods) from all over the world are traveling to Saydi's small town...to Saydi specifically. When she turns 18, she will be officially an adult in the spirit world, and her soul is the soul that could tip the scales one way or the other.

With all this going on, can Saydi and Nathaneal's relationship stay strong? Will Nathaneal be able to resist the pull of demonhood and his family to side with Good? Will Saydi be able to embrace who she really is and make the ultimate sacrifice when the time comes?

Best Thing: What I really enjoyed about this book was the premise. They pulled from a history before the Bible even began and talked about a war that lasted 2,000 years. The author definitely did their work in terms of plot-line and development! I really appreciated the detailed info that was given in terms of world-building. I also found the story refreshing in its view of teenagers. These teens weren't just running amok with no parental involvement and they weren't your typical, angst-ridden kids who won't talk to their parents. Instead, it showed a loving family with good values (not even including the church-going). I just thought it was nice that they could have two main characters (Saydi and Nathaneal) who had really strong morals without making them seem unrealistic.

Worst Thing: Although I loved the premise, the premise can't be relied upon to tell the story. The actual writing I thought was a bit unschooled and lacking. Especially when it came to dialogue, it was clear some help was needed, but in terms of being serviceable enough to tell the story - it did. Because the plot was so detailed and there was a lot to cover, some of the emotions weren't properly attended to in an authentic way.

Overall: Not my favorite writing, but definitely worth a read from a plot perspective. Some very cool ideas and cool characters that I think would be perfect for a discerning younger YA reader. 3.5 out of 5.

To see the full review with gifs, visit: http://www.thebookwranglers.com/(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Unique and absorbing, Soul Control is a Young Adult Paranormal that will grab the reader within its grasp and hold tight until the very end.

With well-developed characters and a story line that has not been re-hashed a million different ways, Soul Control will appeal to a wide audience range - both in age and genre. Saydi is a young adult nearing her eighteenth birthday. She is like many girls her age - giggly, loves being around her friends, having fun and enjoying life. However, what Saydi is s...more Unique and absorbing, Soul Control is a Young Adult Paranormal that will grab the reader within its grasp and hold tight until the very end.

With well-developed characters and a story line that has not been re-hashed a million different ways, Soul Control will appeal to a wide audience range - both in age and genre. Saydi is a young adult nearing her eighteenth birthday. She is like many girls her age - giggly, loves being around her friends, having fun and enjoying life. However, what Saydi is soon to find out is that she is unlike any other girl her age. She has a destiny to fulfill - one that will change the outcome of the entire world and each and every person who is in it.

Nathanael and his brothers - hunky and desirable triplets, are new to town. With their good looks and charisma, the brothers are instant attractions for everyone. What everyone does not know, however, is that with these brothers, what you see is not exactly what you get and there is an evil that lurks beneath the surface, waiting to break free and change everything.

Good vs. evil is one of the main characteristics and ideas of Soul Control, however there is so much more going on within the story. There are several back stories of the characters that seamlessly intertwine together and further gives the main story line an excellent depth. The ability to trust and follow your heart is a difficult thing under normal circumstances, throw in the fact that there is a plot to steal your soul and the one that holds your heart in his hand is suppose to play a major roll in this theft and you may feel as though you are caught in a whirlwind.

Honestly, there are so many aspects and parts of Soul Control that I loved. The characters are written incredibly well, the twists and turns are plentiful, the main story idea is unique and there is an excellent blend of humor, romance, paranormal and courage. The emotions within Soul Control are raw and often times gut-wrenching and I could not help but be swept up within the story. Watching as Saydi develops her talents is incredible and being part of her growth in such a harrowing journey, mixed with the chemistry and relationship between her and Nathanael is something that will not soon be forgotten.

I absolutely loved how this story revolves around the soul - what it means in the bigger scheme of things. The beauty and frailty of humankind is not often thought of, but is done so in Soul Control - at least for me, while giving life to an incredible story. The romance is done in a way that is ideal for younger teen readers - very clean, while adding a bit of that yearning. I cannot wait for the next story in this series. C. Elizabeth is such an incredible talent and has transitioned from Adult Contemporary with her novels Absolute Obsession and Absolute Obstruction to the young adult perfectly. Soul Control is a book that I highly recommend to anyone looking for an engrossing and hard-to-put-down young adult paranormal story!

Favorite Quote: "...You never know what has happened in someone's life to make them who they are, and only until you know them completely will you understand."(less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

"Soul Control" is written with a unique and original plot where the characters were believable and very interesting. The story actually revolves around the soul, which I loved and really haven't seen much of before. Filled with romance, this paranormal tale will hook you in and keep you until the end. Highly recommended for all YA and not so YA readers.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.

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Sep 28, 2012 Laura Burks rated it 5 of 5 stars

SOUL CONTROL pulled me in from the first sentence and had me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end. Everything you could want is there...wit, banter, romance (appropriate for the young adult reader) danger, suspense, mystery...and the list goes on. C. Elizabeth's writing is flawless and relatable. With another novel under her belt and more on the way, she's sure to be a name you'll hear often. Oh...love the cover. Everything is 5 stars all the way!

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Sep 29, 2012 C. Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

This is my book so obviously I can't write a review, but you won't be disappointed!!!!

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Jan 04, 2013 Ponch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

I really enjoyed this book. It had the right amount of suspense, wit, and romance. I also really liked the characters other than the main two, Nathanael and Saydi, were well developed as well.

I received a free copy of this book on GoodReads.

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About C. Elizabeth

I live in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada with my family and work full-time as a paralegal. During my short writing career I've learned a lot about myself, sometimes to the point that I wonder how the heck I got this far in life and know so little about myself.

Have you ever had something happen to you that makes you shake your head in awe, wondering where it came from? Well that's what happened to me...more

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Books by C. Elizabeth

Absolute Obsession (The Absolute Series, #1)

Absolute Obstruction (The Absolute Series, #2)

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