Rising Shadow (The Soterians, #1)

Mar 05, 2010 Nicole added it

Ashlyn has it tough her junior year of college. And I thought my junior year was bad with slaving over atmospheric physics...pssh, she made my year look easy. Discovering new powers, fighting evil, falling in love with a boy living thousands of miles away, trying not to get killed and still go to college, well, if there's a girl that can handle all that then it's Ashlyn. I love how kick-butt this book is. I also find it highly imaginative. A whole world is built surroundings the Soterians and th...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

You can read my full review here - Rising Shadow Review

Bottom line – if you have yet to be introduced to Ashlyn and Kai I recommend you pick up the book, you will not be disappointed...with it's fast pace, butt kicking action, down to earth characters and meaningful messages – Rising Shadow's has risen up to to become one of my favorite reads so far this year, I cant WAIT for Merger!

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Oct 09, 2010 Jacquelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, young-adult-fiction, fantasy

This is the second edition of Rising Shadow, released Oct. 2, 2010. New cover, tighter story, and a modified beginning. Hope you enjoy it!

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Jul 02, 2011 Sami rated it 2 of 5 stars

To be honest when I started reading this book I rolled my eyes a little. Superheros that loose their powers, but gain them back? Eh. A girl that falls in love with a gorgeous guitar player? Done. The writing was good, and the characters were intriguing enough to get interested in and pull me through the book. Sadly, I was disappointed by this novel in that the good writing was all I could say about it. Yes, the main character, Ashlyn, was fun to read, and kept me interested. Her snarky humor was...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Literary Cravings rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an interestingly unique story. We follow Ashlyn Woods, our main character, on her way o her new school at the University of California at Santa Barbra from her home town of Berkley. This is a fresh start for her leaving behind the mess that was her life, with all the partying, drinking and destructive boyfriend Toby. Ashlyn was shocked that she was able to get into the school in the first place but quickly jumped at the opportunity. A new scenery and a new school Ashlyn is determined to...more This was an interestingly unique story. We follow Ashlyn Woods, our main character, on her way o her new school at the University of California at Santa Barbra from her home town of Berkley. This is a fresh start for her leaving behind the mess that was her life, with all the partying, drinking and destructive boyfriend Toby. Ashlyn was shocked that she was able to get into the school in the first place but quickly jumped at the opportunity. A new scenery and a new school Ashlyn is determined to get her life together. Things are going great until strange things begin happening to Ashlyn and she soon figures out that she is not and ordinary human but a Soterian. Her and four other kids are gifted with powers when the balance of good and evil is tipped more towards evil. Suddenly Ashlyn is thrown in this battle to fight the evil that is creating chaos in California, deal with finding her soul mate all the while making sure she doesn’t flunk out of college.

There was a nice pace to the story that made it an easy enjoyable read. The story was unique with the plot line and the history of the Soterians, making the story filled with suspense and danger. I enjoyed Ashlyn character and could understand her past and her motivations to want to change. It takes a strong person to really look at their lives, see what the needed to change, and actually do it. The romance between Ashlyn and Kai felt intense and real. It was great that Kai had some involvement with the Soterians but was more in the side lines and comfortable with it. He was Ashlyn’s solid supportive rock always there when she needed him and didn’t try to out shine or overpower her. What added to the story was that Ashlyn wasn’t alone, there were others going through what she was going through. Other students who were called to power, some she knew and other total strangers forced to come together as a team to stop this unknown evil. Though they didn’t fight the evil head on, there was some action with the evil influences within weak minded people set to carry out its plans. What would have made the story better for me would have been more danger and action. The story was more focused on discovery and understanding what was happening with Ashlyn and the others powers then on the actual confrontation of the evil. Though there was a moment or two that had me surprised but I wanted more. There was a lot of building up with the suspense, intensity and actions that I hope will come out in the future stories since Rising Shadow is the first book in the series. All in all I feel that this was a good story which will hopefully branch off into and even better series. (less)

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May 14, 2010 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, for-review-read

This was a fantastic start to a new series by Jacquelyn Wheeler. Ashlyn is a normal teenager, she has obviously had difficult relationships in her past but is determined to put that behind her & make a new start at college. She has the same insecurities that I'm sure most of us have experienced at some time in our lives and that makes her very easy to relate to. Life at college starts off as you'd expect and Ashlyn soon starts to make friends and settle in. I particularly like her roommate R...more This was a fantastic start to a new series by Jacquelyn Wheeler. Ashlyn is a normal teenager, she has obviously had difficult relationships in her past but is determined to put that behind her & make a new start at college. She has the same insecurities that I'm sure most of us have experienced at some time in our lives and that makes her very easy to relate to. Life at college starts off as you'd expect and Ashlyn soon starts to make friends and settle in. I particularly like her roommate Rebecca who quickly became one of my favorite characters.

It isn't long before Ashlyn & Rebecca both notice that strange things are happening to them but this is soon explained when they find out they are Soterians. Having been called as Soterians they are developing strange powers that they are going to need in order to restore the balance between good and evil. I was expecting this to be a typical good versus evil story - one where the good guys always win - but I really loved the twist that Jacquelyn has put on the series. Evil can never be completely overcome, it can only be balanced out by good. Jacquelyn describes this using the yin and yang symbol - good can be on top but there will always be evil in the world. The Soterians are called on when the balance has been tipped the wrong way and evil is on top. Their task is to restore the balance but as soon as they have done this they will lose their powers.

I found this a really interesting concept - what must it be like to suddenly develop these amazing super powers and then lose them when the threat of evil is under control? It must also be difficult to be called upon to battle evil when you know that you'll never be able to win.

When Ashlyn meets Kai they have an instant connection and fall in love almost immediately. This is something I would usually question but I thought it was very well written & believable. Their connection is obviously about more than lust and the two of them spend hours talking and getting to know each other. Although they have strong feelings they don't rush into things which makes a refreshing change. The book has a great cast of characters & although you get to know most of the Soterians quite well I'm looking forward to finding out more in future books.

Overall I thought this was an excellent first book - there was plenty of action and a few great twists that I didn't see coming. I'm really looking forward to reading future books in the series.(less)

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Mar 27, 2010 Lynsey added it

Recently, I was lucky enough to be part of a book tour for Rising Shadow, by Jacquelyn Wheeler (courtesy of International Book Tours). The blurb on the jacket of the book peaked my curiosity and I was interested in the philosophy behind “Soterians” described as people who develop powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil’s favour. I liked the idea that neither side could triumph, just like yin and yang there must always be a balance.

The main protagonist is Ashlyn Woods, a y...more Recently, I was lucky enough to be part of a book tour for Rising Shadow, by Jacquelyn Wheeler (courtesy of International Book Tours). The blurb on the jacket of the book peaked my curiosity and I was interested in the philosophy behind “Soterians” described as people who develop powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil’s favour. I liked the idea that neither side could triumph, just like yin and yang there must always be a balance.

The main protagonist is Ashlyn Woods, a young college student who just transferred to a campus on the west coast. I have to say, it was nice to read about an older person (a lot of YA books are featuring 13-16 year olds so it made a change to read about a 20 year old going to college. Ashlyn quickly realises that she is different and after a strange incident, she discovers that she has special powers. She then hooks up with three other students who develop different abilities and together they form a unit. Later on in the book, we are introduced to another unit and this definitely made it more interesting as the two units worked together to maintain the balance between good and evil. I liked the suggestion that these units exist everywhere and so it might have made it even more interesting if we could have seen units in other countries or included some kind of power shift that was international instead of just happening in California.

This book was definitely a plot driven novel rather than a character driven novel. It centred around politicians who wanted to see their evil plans put in motion once elected. I did like the twist at the end though when the main culprit was revealed. One thing that did frustrate me however, was the introduction of the mythical creature “Deimos” towards the end of the book. I’m guessing this was a reference to the devil and how he should be feared but although his name was mentioned and alluded to several times towards the end of the book, nothing ever came of it. At first I was thinking “what was the point of adding him in the first place?!” On reflection, perhaps it was a ploy by the author to introduce him now, as he would feature heavily in the sequel.

Although this book was somewhat refreshing (no vampires/zombies/ wolves/ ghosts/angels in sight) it did feel a little lengthy to me. I’m not sure if this was because I was having a rough time at work and had to meet a deadline to send it on to the next reader or not, but it was a thick book. And sadly not what I call a “Just another chapter” kind of book. You know the kind, when you race home from work to read it, when you can’t stop reading and suddenly it’s the early hours of the morning. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining but I’m not sure if I really want to read the sequel when there are so many great books on my TBR pile at the moment. Personally, I think this story would work better visually as its very action based and I’d love to see it as a TV series. Just like the Vampire Diaries books didn’t work for me, I love the TV series with a passion.

This is a very mixed review and so I would always encourage people to read the book for themselves and make up their own minds.If you visit the Soterians website, you can actually download a PDF version of the book for free. The sequel “merger” is out now and I believe there is a goodreads contest to win a copy. (less)

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Mar 11, 2010 A&E rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lots of action makes Rising Shadow a fun read. Ashlyn is just trying to get her bearings at her new college in Santa Barbara, CA. when she develops the ability to fly. Crazy but true since she is a Soterian, a person who’s abilities develop when the balance of good and evil goes in evil’s favor.

The story centers around a California political race and when the winner is announced under suspicious voting conditions, Ashlyn’s powers come to life. She isn’t alone. Several other college kids have sup...more

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Nov 24, 2009 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

This year I was so turned off by the "Vampire" era with new series popping up all over that had vampires acting like normal people.

Rising Shadow is a breath of fresh air and contains good and evil in a format that is easy to read, easy to follow and takes the reader through desires that they remember from childhood, dreaming one could fly, for instance.

The flow of the book is amazing and realistic if you grew up in California or even if you didn't, it captures the energy of the state through t...more

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Nov 22, 2010 Trisha Wolfe rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love doing movie comparisons with books, and Rising Shadow is a wonderful mix between Buffy (the show) and Star Wars. The Soterians are endowed with supernatural powers and answer to a mentor. Ashlyn’s powers are amazing; I love her role among the Soterians. She is strong, smart, and very relatable. Though she’s made some mistakes in her past, she’s willing to move on and learn from them, empowering herself with knowledge and determination to hold fast to her convictions. The fight for good an...more

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May 27, 2010 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Rising Shadow was written in a very easy to read style. There are some books I've read where I find my mind wandering, or I have to read the same paragraph a couple times, but with this one I was hooked right from the beginning. The author definitely knows how to write in such a way that keeps the reader engaged.

I really liked the story in this one, as it was interesting and different, and I'm always a sucker for characters with superpowers. I felt like at times the author was a bit too blatant...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Victoria Burke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Since this book is a first one in the series it was explaining everything you pretty much need to know about all the characters and the role as Soterians. I loved the characters and the relationships they each formed. I really enjoyed the plot of the story. It was easy to read and follow. I was shocked at some part and not surprised by some of the things that happen. I can tell the other books in the series are going to get better if they are just as good as the first one.

I felt like the author...more

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Jun 05, 2010 MissHavoc {Cry Havoc! Reviews} rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to MissHavoc {Cry Havoc! Reviews} by: Around the World Tours

Copy from Around the World Tours

REVIEW:
I'm not sure where to begin with this review. It wasn't what I was expecting, so I think I'm a little let down.

The character's themselves were great, and very believable. I loved that they were older, collage aged kids and not some crazy magical crime fighting high schoolers.

The romance between Kai and Ashlyn was a little intense/very possessive and they didn't really have time to build the relationship up to where it was more believable. It was just a love...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had previously heard about this book and when an ARC tour of it was announced I didn't hesitate to join. The idea of the Soterians is very unique and was a joy to learn about. It started out decent but felt like the author was trying too hard to push into our heads the idea that something was up with Ashlyn, the main character. But at about 60 pages in, that feeling fades away and it really starts picking up. New characters are introduced throughout the book and just when I thought I had every...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Adriana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jacquelyn Wheeler has managed to write a unique and action filled story surrounding a group of people who come together to keep good and evil in balance. Rising Shadow was a nice break from all the vampire and werewolf stuff that's taking over young adult literature right now.

Ashlyn Woods is an average, like extremely average, girl, she could easily be anyone I know.Who moves away from home to start college in a new place to study and meet new friends. All is perfectly fine and normal, that is u...more Jacquelyn Wheeler has managed to write a unique and action filled story surrounding a group of people who come together to keep good and evil in balance. Rising Shadow was a nice break from all the vampire and werewolf stuff that's taking over young adult literature right now.

Ashlyn Woods is an average, like extremely average, girl, she could easily be anyone I know.Who moves away from home to start college in a new place to study and meet new friends. All is perfectly fine and normal, that is until she starts experiencing odd things one of which seem to be "dreams" of flying. She soon discovers that her new abilities are given to her along with a few others when the balance between good and evil starts to shift. Ashlyn along with the other Soterians must fight to prevent evil from taking over.

The characters of Ashlyn and Kai were really sweet. Their relationship was a bit cheesy at times and it moved really fast, but it made sense because of who they were. For once the female character really did mean it when she said, she can't live without the guy. Ashlyn was pretty self-aware of herself, she knew that she was being silly, and didn't want to be one of those girls who was obsessive and paranoid, but with her new powers it was understandable as to why she felt that way. I really liked Ashlyn, she had the same insecurities as many girls do, but she could totally kick ass and doesn't really need the boy to take care of her. The other Soterians were just as great and they all had their own unique personality and special abilities.

The evil was about corrupt politicians who the Soterians must put a stop to. I was definitely intrigued as to how they would manage to fight politicians. There were a few surprises I didn't see coming at all and the last couple hundred pages were really action packed and intense. I don't say this much, or ever, but Rising Shadow is one of those books that I would absolutely love to see made into a movie. Some of the scenes in the book would look so amazing on the big screen, if done right. The only negative I have to say about Rising Shadow is that a few things weren't fully brought up, but it is going to be a series of 5, so I'll be anticipating getting to the ultimate source of evil, Deimos.(less)

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Jan 14, 2010 Eleni ( La Femme Readers ) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rising Shadow was an action packed, fun and creative novel. I would consider it to be in the Young Adult genre, but the writing also has a mature adult like feel to it. From the beginning, Jacquelyn does a great job introducing her characters. I quickly got to know each one of them and actually started caring about them. The first individual I got to know is Ashlyn, she came across as an athletic and strong willed person. I admired her determination and envied her fearless personality. I also en...more

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Jan 14, 2010 Lea (YA Book Queen) rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first started Rising Shadow, I was extremely hesitant because I was unable to find really any reviews on the novel. So, I just jumped right on in with nothing to go off of.

The novel starts out with a bit of college life, and I found myself connecting with the characters. Rebecca proceeded to become my favorite of the group. I disliked how some characters were introduced, just to be barely mentioned later on (the non-Soterians), but perhaps they will play more roles in the future.

Everythin...more When I first started Rising Shadow, I was extremely hesitant because I was unable to find really any reviews on the novel. So, I just jumped right on in with nothing to go off of.

The novel starts out with a bit of college life, and I found myself connecting with the characters. Rebecca proceeded to become my favorite of the group. I disliked how some characters were introduced, just to be barely mentioned later on (the non-Soterians), but perhaps they will play more roles in the future.

Everything became more interesting when Ashlyn and the other Soterians discover their abilities, and begin to train.

The villains of this story don't have any special powers or anything. A lot of the evil things that are happening all revolve around politics, robberies, and crime sprees. It's all interconnected, and the Soterians struggle to learn more about their powers, and who is behind all of this chaos. All of the things that were happening kept me intrigued, especially since I had no clue who was behind it all until the end (which was quite an interesting twist).

The action and the mystery of this story really made it an easy to continue page after page. The missions were intriguing, realistic, and I found myself invested in the story.

Highlights: I loved all of the Soterian's powers. Wheeler's descriptions of everything kept me engaged. I also loved the little twists in the plot, because they kept my interest going.

Lowlights: In the beginning of the story, Ashlyn meets your stereotypical mean girl, and proceeds to do a pretty childish action. I found myself put off by this action, because really, this isn't middle school, and I would expect our heroine to at least act her age.

I really disliked how quickly "Love" came into action with Kai and Ashlyn. They really are complete strangers, and then they're in love? Sorry, but that doesn't work for me. They both even admit how weird it is, but I still think the whole love thing should have waited until the next book.

As a whole, I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the intrigue of the Soterians and their abilities. Definitely a fun book to read that has a different take on superpowers. Check out Jacquelyn's website to see if you'd be interested!(less)

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Dec 15, 2009 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, signed-books

Prior to receiving this book, I hadn’t read any reviews, opinions or buzz on it, which is extremely unusual considering it’s usually what strikes my interest for books in the first place. Since the buzz was low and I had no preconceived notions to go by, I was a bit worried that I might end up hating it, but fortunately, my worries were for nothing.

Rising Shadow, though not one of the most spectacular books I’ve ever read, pleasantly surprised me by how much it pulled me in. I was expecting the...more

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Jun 16, 2010 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

RISING SHADOW, by Jacquelyn Wheeler, was an action-packed story about a team of supernaturals and their quest of balancing good and evil. Wheeler will stretch your imagination as you take the journey in discovering hidden talents and powers within her characters.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the idea of the Soterians. I thought Wheeler's idea of balancing good and evil, and not destroying evil (because that is impossible) was a unique perspective on crime-fighting. I li...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Lauren (365 Days of Reading) rated it 4 of 5 stars

If I had to describe Rising Shadow in one word, I’d pick “fun”. I know, that’s a terribly vague adjective, but listen: everything in the book, from Ashlyn’s college experience to discovering new powers and fighting evil, was fun! Jacquelyn Wheeler managed to turn a somewhat corny-sounding concept—superheroes—(don’t look at me like that, you know you find Superman a bit corny) into something totally awesome! The different types of Soterians, while a tad reminiscent of video game character classes...more

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May 15, 2010 Falling Off The Shelf rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

This review was originally posted on my review blog : http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com

Ashlyn Woods really does seem just as average as the synopsis to this book implies. In fact, she felt far too average for me to even begin to like her. I found myself putting this book down more often than I actually was reading it. I actually had to stop reading this one completely when I realized that after I reached my 50 page rule I was still not thrilled with it.

While there was an undertone of someth...more

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May 14, 2011 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-novel

Rising Shadow is the 1st Fantasy novel, Book 1 of The Soterians Series for author Jacquelyn Wheeler.Ashlyn and Rebecca meet at University and start going through weird changes with nobody around to explain them to.Ashlyn started to levitate, and Rebecca was reading other people's feelings.These are wonderful gifts but they come with a burden.Those that are given those abilities are Soterians.There are 6 types of Soterians, and each have their own gift.The Soterians were called to do battle and r...more

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Apr 14, 2010 Jacque rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this work of young adult fiction, set at my alma mater of dreamy UC Santa Barbara and authored by my dear old college pal and fellow Jacquelyn, Jacquelyn Wheeler. The main character is a successful coed who becomes an everyday hero fighting evil on Del Playa! So much fun!

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Nov 25, 2009 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was certainly quite excited to get stuck into this book when I received in it in the mail all the way from the U.S. after winning it from Goodreads giveways. After recently finishing a couple of really slow epic fantasy novels, I found Rising Shadow quite fast-paced and refreshing to read. The little snippet of action in the first few pages got me hooked instantly.

The idea of Soterians – a group of chosen people called forth to restore the balance of good and evil whenever evil tips the scale...more

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Aug 21, 2010 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an exciting story with an easy to relate to heroine. Ashlyn has mistakes in her past with no so great boyfriends and moves to a new college, she finds a great guy and a best friend and realizes she has powers to help the balance of good and evil. She still struggles with self esteem a lot and they are doubts that I know I could relate to.

The story itself is well written and well paced. She builds up the supporting characters well, and they all serve a purpose.

I couldn't give full star...more

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Dec 21, 2009 Lindsay Frost rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, ya, my-signed-books, reviews

Rising Shadow
By Jacquelyn Wheeler
Publisher:September 10th 2009 by Jacquelyn Wheeler
# of Pages:378 pages
Age Rating: +13
My Rating:5 Stars

Synopsis:
Ashlyn Woods just transferred to one of the most beautiful campuses on the west coast, where she can't wait to start her life over as a normal college student. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers that she is a Soterian: a person who develops amazing powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil's favor. Soon she and...more

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Jul 21, 2010 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rising Shadow is an easy read, and Ashlyn is a likable narrator. She's a girl who has worked her way through junior college so she can finally attend the college of her dreams. She quickly settles into life at her new school, making fast friends with her roommates, and even acquiring an enemy in the prickly Kelly.

She also meets Kai, who at the time is Kelly's boyfriend, but it's clear that the relationship is rocky at best. She feels a connection with Kai, but they don't get together right away....more Rising Shadow is an easy read, and Ashlyn is a likable narrator. She's a girl who has worked her way through junior college so she can finally attend the college of her dreams. She quickly settles into life at her new school, making fast friends with her roommates, and even acquiring an enemy in the prickly Kelly.

She also meets Kai, who at the time is Kelly's boyfriend, but it's clear that the relationship is rocky at best. She feels a connection with Kai, but they don't get together right away. When they have a first date any girl would dream about, he tells her that he's moving halfway across the country, which of course is heartbreaking to Ashlyn. I do feel that Kai and Ashlyn fall in love quickly, but it's not two pages after they first met. They are connected in a way that most couples are not, so it read true for me.

As she's falling in love with Kai, Ashlyn is also discovering her Soterian powers. She can fly and become invisible. She meets the other Soterians in her group who all have various powers. I liked the idea that the Soterians have powers only when needed to take down evil, it gives the story a different tone than I've seen before. How could you get used to normal life once you no longer have those powers? Together with the rest of the Soterians, Ashlyn looks into a recent scandal in the gubernatorial race in California, the new governor seems to be more than just a little bit evil.

Rising Shadow mixes romance, martial arts, the supernatural and politics into one powerhouse package. I read the book quickly and overall did enjoy it, there were only a few sticking points for me. First, I felt that some situations were resolved too easily. Ashlyn would get herself into a tight situation, and I would feel my heart beat pound, wondering how she'd get out of it, only to find a neat solution a page or paragraph later. It was a bit disappointing as a reader. Secondly, there were some bits of dialog in the book that seemed to drag on for awhile-I felt that things could have been summed up quicker.

Overall I give Rising Shadow 3.5/5 stars. If you're sick of reading about vampires, angels or werewolves, I suggest you give the Soterians a try. (less)

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Sep 09, 2010 Ren (All By Myshelf) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, young-adult

I got Rising Shadow as part of a tour, and was really excited to read it. It had an interesting premise—people gaining powers when the balance of good and evil shifted too much in evil's favor, and losing them when things were balanced out again—but the plot wasn't quite up to par with it, and the characters seemed a bit unrealistic at times. There was also a heavy-handed lesson—don't drink (which, seriously, is a sad lesson to have to teach when the demographic you're aiming at is under 21)—tha...more I got Rising Shadow as part of a tour, and was really excited to read it. It had an interesting premise—people gaining powers when the balance of good and evil shifted too much in evil's favor, and losing them when things were balanced out again—but the plot wasn't quite up to par with it, and the characters seemed a bit unrealistic at times. There was also a heavy-handed lesson—don't drink (which, seriously, is a sad lesson to have to teach when the demographic you're aiming at is under 21)—that I think could have been left out/more subtle.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. The pace was, for me, incredibly slow. It started out with the end of the book, then skipped to four months earlier. So, in a way, it started out at a run, tripped, took its time getting up, moseyed along until nearly the end, at which point it started jogging, then slowed down to a walk.

I had a hard time liking Ashlyn. She had serious self esteem issues that got old and annoying early on in the book. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's someone that says they're not good enough for their boyfriend/girlfriend. Not only that, but when Ashlyn and Kai were together, they were nauseating, and they were just as bad apart, but in a different way. I can't recall ever rolling my eyes at a book before, but many an eye was rolled while I read this, for a number of reasons.

Other than making me slightly ill (I'm talking multiple occasions of them saying "I love you more than life itself" or something to that effect), I felt like their relationship was a little rushed.

SPOILER ALERT

I was kind of annoyed when another group of Soterians was brought in out of nowhere, about halfway through the book. Even more so when, in the beginning of the last quarter of the book, Ashlyn got the powers of all the Soterians. There was only a teensy bit of lead up and hinting about this. I think the Alchemist thing could have been mentioned earlier on, it came across as an afterthought.

SPOILER OVER

The twist at the end might have come a little late to be resolved like it was. I feel like, even though the book seemed too long to me, it could have used another chapter between discovering the big twist and the big twist being wrapped up.

The writing was good, very descriptive. I'm a big fan of descriptive writing, and this book had plenty of it. Wheeler did an excellent job of painting a vivid picture, making each scene clearly visible to the reader.

So, all in all, it just wasn't my kind of book. Had I read it at another time, without the pressure of a deadline, I might have enjoyed it more. The premise was interesting, the writing excellent, but the plot and characters fell a little flat. As for whether you should read it, I'll leave that up to you.(less)

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Aug 25, 2010 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I went into Rising Shadow completely blind, all I knew about the story was that there was a race called Soterians that are created when evil begins to outweigh good in the world. Interesting premise! After reading so many books in a row about paranormals, and people with special powers, I was looking for a different take on the subject. My hope was that the Soterians would sate my need for some superhero goodness with a bit of a twist.

The story starts with a flash forward look at the ending, and...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Katelyn (Tales of Books and Bands) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, read-in-2011, 5-stars

I have had this book finished for a while now but I needed to take some time before I wrote the review on it. It is just so good, every single aspect of it, that I didn’t even know where to start! The writing was great; action flowed with ease right into romance. Characters were written with strong personalities and lovable little quirks! Not to mention, the overall uniqueness of the story had me constantly guessing on what was coming next!

This book follows a young woman, Ashlyn, as she transfer...more I have had this book finished for a while now but I needed to take some time before I wrote the review on it. It is just so good, every single aspect of it, that I didn’t even know where to start! The writing was great; action flowed with ease right into romance. Characters were written with strong personalities and lovable little quirks! Not to mention, the overall uniqueness of the story had me constantly guessing on what was coming next!

This book follows a young woman, Ashlyn, as she transfers to a new college. First off can I just say that I love her age? I love books about teens coming to age but every now and then it is refreshing to find a YA book dealing with characters a bit on the older side. Secondly, Ashlyn is a character anyone could easily fall in love with. She is a great person with a kind heart but she is also not afraid to let her flaws show. Ashlyn’s plans are to start over and leave her rebellious past behind her. I love that she is well aware of the mistakes she made but is trying really hard to change the future. Ashlyn wants to lead a good life so she works extremely hard to try and achieve it. Her inner strength was strong to begin with but once she starts getting her powers, she really starts to blossom!

Speaking of powers, I suppose I should explain what I even mean by that! Ashlyn and her roommate, Rebecca, start experiencing really strange things. Rebecca seems to be in tune with everyone’s feelings past the point of creepy. For Ashlyn it is more physical. Training for her triathlons has suddenly become extremely easy for her. Not to mention the little part about being able to fly! A series of events leads Ashlyn and Rebecca along with a group of fellow college students to realize that they are Soterians, people who gain special powers when the balance between good and evil shifts too far in evil’s favor. This idea alone was what made me instantly love the book. Jacquelyn essentially came up with her own forms of superheroes in a totally non-dorky way! I enjoyed learning of everyone’s powers so very much. All of the other “heroes” that were introduced to us were extremely well-developed for side characters. I felt like I could easily get along with all of them!

If battling evil wasn’t hard enough for Ashlyn to cope with there is also a new, budding romance that she must learn to balance with school and her Soterian duties. I will be honest; my own personal love life is non-existent so when I get to read about other college students who can pull off relationships, I feel a little better, almost hopeful. The romance between Kai and Ashlyn is ahhh-mazing! You get to see the very start of their relationship. There is an instant chemistry between them but the “new Ashlyn” is trying very hard to make the right choice when it comes to boys so she keeps Kai in the friend zone for a while. The pace that their relationship progressed was perfect for this length of a book. Not only did we get to see all of the things that these two have in common but we get to see them go from understanding friends to stable partners in a relationship.

The conflicts that these characters faced seemed a little far-fetched for me at first. I found myself thinking “this is really the problem they have to deal with? It is kind of lame.” BUT as the story moved on and we were able to see exactly what the characters were up against, I was a lot more understanding. The “evil” that the Soterians must combat came as a total surprise for me! I loved how much unexpected action took place in the story especially during the ending. If the Soterians weren’t practicing their combating skills, they were off fighting some evil source somewhere!

It is safe to say that this was an extremely pleasant surprise of a read! This action-packed, story will please fans of paranormal, sci-fi, and romance books! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

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title link	preview: Rising Shadow
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6891728-rising-shadow?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1286672556l/6891728.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6891728-rising-shadow?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Rising Shadow by Jacquelyn Wheeler[/url]

Rising Shadow (The Soterians #1)

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