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Dominion (Guardian Angels #1)

by Melody Manful (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 415 ratings · 64 reviews

I Dare You.
Look Over Your Shoulders.
Do You See Them?
They are behind you...
They are always behind you.

Abigail Cells had a nightmare the day before she met Gideon, the new guy in school who has every girl drooling just to be near him. In her nightmare, she was murdered by a magical creature. As she gets to know Gideon, she begins to remember pieces of her nightmare, and was...more

Paperback, 254 pages

Published February 16th 2013 by Melody Manful

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Dominion (Guardian Angels, #1)
by Melody Manful (Goodreads Author)

Release date: Feb 16, 2013

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I Dare You.
Look Over Your Shoulders.
Do You See Them?
They are behind you...
They are always behind you.

Abigail Cells had a nightmare the day…more

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Jan 25, 2013 Letsreadmore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Where do I even start?
First of all, I wanted to give this book 5 stars, but then the ending happened and I decided on 4, and then five again.
Talk about a book hitting you in the head, literally.

So, there I was reading and turning pages and telling myself 'Damn, Abigail you're in trouble' and then Bang! I'm reading the ending of the book with tissues.

I looked really sad at the end.

The concept of the story was good, I enjoyed reading it. The whole meaning of guardian angels from Melody's point of...more

14 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2013 Marked By Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

For the original review and more, please visit Marked By Books.

At first look for this book you're probably thinking something along the lines of "great, another damsel in distress." I can see where you'd get that. She is, after all, wearing a pink dress on the cover while being flanked by two guys with wings floating nonchalantly in the middle of a burning city. And the blurb might just sound like another stupid girl falling for some stupid guy just because he's stupidly hot when he actually jus...more For the original review and more, please visit Marked By Books.

At first look for this book you're probably thinking something along the lines of "great, another damsel in distress." I can see where you'd get that. She is, after all, wearing a pink dress on the cover while being flanked by two guys with wings floating nonchalantly in the middle of a burning city. And the blurb might just sound like another stupid girl falling for some stupid guy just because he's stupidly hot when he actually just wants to kill her. Stupid, right? Yeah, no.

You see the thing with these "damsels" is that they usually don't run around with a bow strapped to their back and something that looks like the handle of a gun peeking out behind it. And they certainly don't knock the "drool-worthy" guy back up against a wall and put him in a choke hold in the middle of an empty classroom. Because Abby did that. And it was fabulous.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Unlike the more weak female protagonists, Abigail actually has a spine and, heaven forbid, a brain, and she's not afraid to use either of them. She is one mean, sharpshooting, ice cream loving, fire extinguisher wielding machine. That sentence will make more sense once you read the book. And you should, because it's good!

Abby doesn't just fall in love with Gideon from the moment she sees him, and he definitely doesn't just pledge himself to her either. There is actually a believable progression here, which is really nice to see. There are some very sweet moments, but you have to believe me when I say that this isn't just a romance novel. It's so much more.

The Cells family has a pretty big secret hidden behind their seemingly perfect life, and Abigail has been training for years to make sure that it doesn't become the death of them. But wait, that's not all! You think life threatening human issues are bad enough? Oh no, it gets much worse. Because what does Abby say when she's thrust into the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell? "Honey, hold my earrings. I'm going in."

Taylor

For the original review and more, please visit Marked By Books.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Cogito_ergo_sum rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*no spoilers*
The plot was great!
I liked the set up, and it had just the right amount of characters.
However, there was lots of room for improvement.
I think the book could have used more details (descriptions) to make us feel like we're really there. Smells, textures, and sounds would have enhanced the realism. Similes to things that the author thought up would have helped as well. One other thing I would have added is more transition scenes. It feels like we're jumping from scene to scene as thou...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 21, 2012 LuvtoRead rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: really-loved-this-one

Relax. Focus. Aim and Conqueror:

This is what Abigail knows.

When I started reading this book, I thought I was going to read about another girl getting herself in danger by falling in love with someone she shouldn’t, but that didn’t happen.

I wasn’t exactly a fan of the whole angel entourage until this book. The story kept me guessing and with every page that I turned, I wished I wasn’t getting that far ahead. You’ve got hot guardian angels who…
Don’t let me get started on Gideon; he’s someone you d...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 04, 2012 Georgia Conroy rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a book! I was absolutely enthralled by the cover and description so I just had to see where the story would lead. It most definitely did lead me and who knows it may have not been my choice! This wonderful author has expertly create new dimensions and races that will leave you reeling in their wake. Taking the old tales of angels and demons to an entirely new level. Melody, if you pardon the pun, writes a new tune for these creatures and gives them relatable characters that will draw you in...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

I’m kind of on the fence about this book – there were a lot of things I didn’t like, and which were a bit stock standard, but there were also a lot of parts which were unique and made me want to keep reading. So. Things I didn’t like:

First, the characters. Apart from Gideon, whose internal struggles and thought processes were more 3D and realistic, I found Abby and Tristan to be cardboard cutouts rather than people I could relate to. Though I did enjoy Abby’s fits of bipolarity, where she ditche...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Mary Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally posted at The Solitary Bookworm

A story that revolves about guardian angels is such a foreign concept to me. Not foreign that I haven't read any, but foreign that I haven't read that much. Dominion has a straight forward story from what I read - good vs. bad, guy falls in love with the female lead, and a tragedy and mystery at the end. A story where an angel falls in love with a human and will do anything to fight for their relationship even if it means war.

Right from the very start, w...more Originally posted at The Solitary Bookworm

A story that revolves about guardian angels is such a foreign concept to me. Not foreign that I haven't read any, but foreign that I haven't read that much. Dominion has a straight forward story from what I read - good vs. bad, guy falls in love with the female lead, and a tragedy and mystery at the end. A story where an angel falls in love with a human and will do anything to fight for their relationship even if it means war.

Right from the very start, well be acquainted with Gideon. According to Dominion he's a Grandinian Angel. Grandinian angels are the angels who test fellow angels by harming their humans. Basically the black angel, or the dark one or whatever you want to call them. Gideon loves to hurt humans and fellow angels. It's his second nature. It is a well known fact that every angel fears him. In any situation that involves Gideon, other angels immediately fear for their life because Gideon love destruction. It means that they are about to die. That's everyday life for Gideon until he met Abigail.

Abigail is our female lead. A human girl who has a very complicated story. Abigail is the human that Tristan is guarding. Tristan is the other angel in this story. He's the good angel. Tristan is the complete opposite of Gideon in every way. Appearance, personality, virtues, upbringing, the works. If Gideon is feared among angels, Tristan is the one who is respected. So back to Abigail. Abigail is a teenager with a glamorous life in addition to it being dangerous because of her fathers work. Abigail

Halfway through the story, its pretty mellow. You'll read more about character background, a few history touches to the story and a number of supplementary character introduction. Narration is divided between characters but transition is smooth so you won't have to worry about being left out or confused. As I said, everything will run smoothly until you reach the middle part of the book. This is the part where Gideon and Abigail falls in love. And oh my God I hated that part!

I don't hate romance in my books but OMG Abigail was a walking cliche whereas Gideon was irritating. I just couldn't appreciate their relationship. It was gushing with mushiness and exaggeration. I don't see the appeal of Abigail trying to change Gideon just because she can't accept what he trully is. Abigail apparently falls in love with Gideon in spite the fact that he's bad and dangerous. Maybe I am too old for this kind of love but for the love of reading I just couldn't stand them two. I had too many eye rolls on the love department.

Asides my obvious unease and dislike for the romance in this story, Dominion is quite intriguing. The twist in the end is definitely a treat and will warrant a "What The Heck" moment. The development bomb at the latter part of the story will most likely be where the story would take a different turn BUT that will also warrant a big cliffhanger. Ahhh, the dreaded cliffhanger.

Overall, the story was OK. I definitely had issues with the story and there were wholes to it but I couldn't shake the fact that I did enjoy reading most parts it. Beginning and ending was great, the middle part and the romance was the biggest clincher for me. It just didn't work and it was over exaggerated for my taste. Still undecided if I'll be picking up the next book.(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story really does have a fully formed love triangle. I was constantly going back and forth on which boy was the right one for Abigail, but the author really did have a way to get the reader to lean towards the bad boy in this one. Gideon really is the boy that may not be the perfect fit for the heroine, but there is just something about him that will draw the reader in and love him as much as you should be hating him. But your still not sure you don't want her to be with the good guy either...more This story really does have a fully formed love triangle. I was constantly going back and forth on which boy was the right one for Abigail, but the author really did have a way to get the reader to lean towards the bad boy in this one. Gideon really is the boy that may not be the perfect fit for the heroine, but there is just something about him that will draw the reader in and love him as much as you should be hating him. But your still not sure you don't want her to be with the good guy either.

There are a lot of parts where Abigail is constantly weighing pros and cons inside her head when she is trying to figure out what it is that she really wants. She likes to look at the bigger picture instead of just what it is that is in front of her face at the moment, but still has trouble getting beyond her own feelings when making those decisions. With the constant trouble of trying to decide if she really wants to be with somebody who does bad. "Gideon loved being Gideon, having people fear him" or the good guy that doesn't have to try hard to be good at all. Why is it that us girls always seem to fall for the bad guy? Well it's because we want some excitement in our lives, and believe me Gideon brings the excitement.

The unique twist to other romantic, teen triangles out there today is the authors approach to angels. In this story there are 2 angels that look over her but they are called Grandinians and Grantinians. But Abigail is no regular human being either. There is a huge inner struggle that she goes through trying to make the best decisions in this story and the reader will never quite know what direction she is going to go. There were a handful of parts where I thought that Abigail was over thinking things and I just wanted her to act on her emotions, but it was also interesting to see her thought process and how much unselfish thoughts she was considering before making rash decisions.

I think that people who enjoyed reading L.A. Weatherly's Angel Burn
may enjoy this book as well. It's a very thought provoking book and you will be challenge against the common idea that angels represent good, and therefore are only good. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 29, 2012 Cass rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review posted at: http://librarymosaic.blogspot.pt/2012...

Review:
I have received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review. I like a good story with angels and demons
Before Gideon shows up at her school, Abigail dreams she is murdered by a magical creature. As she gets to know Gideon she remembers more and more about her nightmare until she realizes the creature that killed her in her dream is Gideon. Who is Gideon really? And what does he want from her?
I really liked the charact...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Rose. rated it 3 of 5 stars

No fue un mal libro. Me gustó la trama, el argumento, y creo que la autora debería haber profundizado más en los personajes, aunque no tanto en Abigail por que no me agradó ella, en lo absoluto. A veces sentía simpatía por ella y a veces pena, pero nada más que eso. Pero sí, un poco más de Tristan, algo más de seriedad en Gideon, por que Gideon me pareció un niño, a veces un adulto, me cautivó pero a ratos, no lo sé, más seriedad, menos confusión, más decisión, más seguridad. Más.
Tristan llamó...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Tishia (Paranormal Opinion) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dominion is the first book in the Guardian Angels series by Melody Manful. Abigail is a teenager who has a vivid dream that she is murdered by someone named Gideon. Afterward, she can't place a face to the murderer in her dream. The next day at school, there are a couple of handsome new boys in her class, one of which is named Gideon.

Abigail fears Gideon when she first meets him, but can't help feeling attracted to him. There is actually a couple of heart throbs in this book – Gideon and Tristan...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Anindita Ghosh rated it 5 of 5 stars

SORRY FOR THE LATE REVIEW...
I think Abby is quiet a tough girl... offcourse she had to b one coz her father is a CIA Agent....
And Gideon is.... well ..... Gideon... one of his kind. dark, sexy , hot as hell(literally)..
Tristan well he's ...as expected the pure loving soul ... i really liked Tristan .I mean who won't like Tristan(other than Gideon , Off course), he's smart, beautiful, sexy, n hot(not as hell but still hot),n sacrifising, understanding... a perfect example of an angel....
he's the...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Paperback Princess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Paperback Princess by: Tour

Shelves: tour, reviewed, ibook-nook-etc

This review was originally posted at Paperback Princess. To view directly pls click on the following link Dominion by Melody Manful Review.

Dominion is written in alternating point of views between two main characters, Gideon and Abigail. Abigail is the damsel in distress, but one that knows how to fight and shoot like an assassin. Then there's Gideon, an angel from Grands who's only purpose in life is to harm the humans that other guardian angels are trying to protect. Then there's Tristan, the...more This review was originally posted at Paperback Princess. To view directly pls click on the following link Dominion by Melody Manful Review.

Dominion is written in alternating point of views between two main characters, Gideon and Abigail. Abigail is the damsel in distress, but one that knows how to fight and shoot like an assassin. Then there's Gideon, an angel from Grands who's only purpose in life is to harm the humans that other guardian angels are trying to protect. Then there's Tristan, the guardian angel as we know them, the protector. These are the characters that make up Dominion's love triangle.

Abigail has recurring nightmares of a boy named Gideon who tries to kill her. As she tries to convince herself that it is nothing more than a dream, she is introduced to a "Gideon" in the flesh, the new student in her class. Abigail panics and fears him as she realises that he is the boy in her dreams. However, as time goes by Abigail is soon attracted and curious by Gideon, she doesn't realise that by entertaining this idea she has put herself in front line danger as Gideon's only purpose in coming to Earth is to kill Abigail!

Dominion was a good and enjoyable read. I enjoyed the interaction between the characters and even Gideon, the villain, was hard to hate. I really believed in the love triangle and it was hard to pick one side as you see the positive points of both boys. Tristan was easier to love, granted he is perfect, however, Gideon is that tortured soul that you know has potential and goodness inside it's just a matter of getting it out to the surface, I don't know why us women always like a challenge with men LOL.

My one dislike of Dominion was that I did not really feel like the first half of the story flowed well with the second half. When I was reading getting towards the middle of the book I thought that it was coming to an end, but then a new story kind of begun and I was much happier with the ending on the second half. However, the amazing yet unpredictable story line, the great characters and the twists and turns in the book more than made up for this shortcoming.

I am eagerly anticipating book 2 in the Guardian Angel series as Dominion finished off on a cliffhanger. Melody Manful did well in her debut novel and I am impressed with the unique premise of her angels. With so many paranormal angel books published, she has done well in writing a story different from the rest. (less)

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Jun 23, 2012 Prangon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, arc, review-copy, read-in-2012

Before I go ahead and start ranting about what I thought about the book lemme just say, I haven't read anything quite like this before.

I am fascinated by the idea of angels and demons and after looking at that beautiful cover, I just had to read the book. The illustration itself represents a lot about the story. Even though Dominion is my first book with angels, (well not quite angels but Grandinians and Grantinians) I really enjoyed reading about the characters.

Abigail isn't quite what I expec...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Xxxchrystellexxx rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: nobody, not even my enemies.

why. just why. It started off fine but then it became almost painful to keep on reading. I could not finish this and that rarely happens to me. I was bored out of my mind and utterly disgusted at the dumb dialogues. The heroine and the hero somewhere in the middle of the book went full retard: too many "i love you more than life even though you did something really bad" and "i love you more than life even though you disgusted me before and i really don't know why i changed my mind".
Just stay aw...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-book-read, kindle-books

While I don't always love books about guardian angels I do love fresh new concepts about them and am always intrigued enough to give them a try.

Melody definitely came up with something new in the genre. Not only are humans guarded by an angel that helps them stay out of harms way, but they also have another darker angel that wants them to get in trouble too. And these two angels, must work together to find a balance to keep their charge safe or die trying.

Tristan one of the most gentle and lovi...more While I don't always love books about guardian angels I do love fresh new concepts about them and am always intrigued enough to give them a try.

Melody definitely came up with something new in the genre. Not only are humans guarded by an angel that helps them stay out of harms way, but they also have another darker angel that wants them to get in trouble too. And these two angels, must work together to find a balance to keep their charge safe or die trying.

Tristan one of the most gentle and loving guardian angels (a Grandinian) around is assigned to help protect Abigail which wouldn't be a problem except that his partner, the one that is suppose to put her in harms way, is none other than Gideon (a Grantinian), one of the most dark and feared angels around and he is hell bent on destroying Abigail's life and not letting Tristan win in the century long battle of good versus evil, right versus wrong.

And unfortunately for Tristan and Gideon both, Abigail isn't an ordinary teenage girl either. Nope things couldn't be that simple. Abigail is famous. Growing up with a designer mom and a Hollywood dad hasn't always been easy for her and she is constantly surrounded by bodyguards and having people around her all the time, watching and judging her every move. And of yeah, she seems to be able to do things that aren't quite normal either.

I had a hard time getting into this book in the beginning. It was a little confusing at times and jumped back and forth between Abigail's world and the angels world and left me feeling a little lost but I know that once this book has been edited some more and all is said and done it will be better and not so confusing.

Once I figured out what exactly was happening it was much easier to get into but I still never quite felt that connection to the characters or places that I really like to have.

The storyline was interesting and like I mentioned above, the premises was something fun and different. I really liked how the author did Gidgeon’s character. He was very flawed and dangerous and evil and then...well I won't give anything away but I do like it when the unexpected happens to the bad guys.

Overall I think the series and author does have potential and I think it will be really interesting to see where it goes from here.

Overall I give this one a very solid 3.5 Stars! (less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Nymeria rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: authors-i-need-to-stay-away-from, awkward-writing, bought-bec-of-pretty-cover, give-me-my-money-back, i-have-no-words, never-again, pretty-cover-rotten-story, psycho-of-the-day, romance-fail, teenaged-wtfuckery, why-was-this-published, wtf

photo tumblr_m980g1t2bl1rqqpd8_zps5373b202.gif

WTF?!?

Up until the 50% mark I would have given it 4 stars.

The premise was outlandish: a bona fide psycho killer for a hero without anyone batting an eyelash at all the blood and gore, least of all the heroine whom he tried to off several times?

photo tumblr_lt48bpdNvu1qb70fz_zps0e1f79b7.gif

Bring it on. The craziness level was so high that it could only make the whole thing enjoyable. The characters were psychotic (or dumb) but they were consistently psychotic (or dumb) and had some depth. It was some pretty addictive crack. I was enjoying...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Monica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let me start this review with this: I like this book! Caught your attention? Now, let me explain why I feel that way.

First, the cover is cute. It is YA fiction and I think that the cover appeals to its target readers. Just from it, one can already have an idea of what the story will be. I especially like the inclusion of the two angels on both sides of the female princess, which is basically what the novel will be about.

The premise of the novel is also good. The author has another take on guardi...more Let me start this review with this: I like this book! Caught your attention? Now, let me explain why I feel that way.

First, the cover is cute. It is YA fiction and I think that the cover appeals to its target readers. Just from it, one can already have an idea of what the story will be. I especially like the inclusion of the two angels on both sides of the female princess, which is basically what the novel will be about.

The premise of the novel is also good. The author has another take on guardian angels. They do work in pairs – one light, one dark. One is to save and protect the guarded human, while the other threatens and harms. Two worlds were also created where the two different kinds of angels exist to balance and harmonize the set-up.

As for the characters, they look normal as far as paranormal stories will go. Do I make sense here? Anyway, the heroine, a mortal named Abigail, is a popular princess who doesn’t want to be one. Daughter of a rich fashion icon and a secret agent, she wants to live a normal life. Well, you know the story. She is guarded by handsome Tristan, the light angel prince who is known to be the do-gooder, hope and sunshine of the world. Then there’s Gideon, a sexy yet dangerous dark angel who is feared by the entire race he is living with. Yes, even angels fear him. Now, the two are in Abigail’s life, and what do you think will happen?

The plot is well written though a bit expected. The relationship between the characters are truly formed that I found myself confused about who to root for. Will I be Team Gideon or Team Tristan? It is really a difficult thing to decide.

Aside from the good storyline, the novel is also full of jokes and humor most especially from Gideon and I couldn’t help but like him (aha!) for that. But there are rooms for tears too and it’s been few weeks since I cried over a story.

Though I do not like the ending, I can say that the author made a wonderful job for her first novel. I am looking forward to read the second installment in the series and hopefully, the story will catch-up! Now, will I recommend it? Definitely. For those who are fans of YA and paranormal fiction, this book is for you. For others who don’t like angel stories, why not try this one?(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 WiLoveBooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy, read-2012, ya

I like the new cover. This is an interesting take on angels. They work in pairs; a good angel and a bad angel known as Grantinians and Grandinians. Abby gets her very own pair to watch over her and her live changes. The story was interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading and find out all of the secrets. However, there were some things that I found confusing and many answers that were left unresolved. I am hoping that these questions are answered in the next book. I liked the book, I just...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, bad-boys, betrayal, genre-sci-fi-fantasy, genre-young-adult, series

Two races of angels and demons are expected to work with one another as guardian angels. Abigail Cells finds herself torn between two Gideon and Tristan, both have different qualities that Abigail finds enticing. Which path will Abigail follow?

What you think will happen in Dominion is far different with what does. This story has as many twists and turns as a roller coaster. You vacillate between who you want Abigail with the choice is not rigidly clear, as each turn of the page has you more pul...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Athena rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

I might give away a couple of minor spoilers, because the blurb says so little about the actual story.

We have three main characters, Abigail, Gideon and Tristan. Abigail is a not so normal human. Her mother is a famous fashion designer and her father works for the CIA. And the winner for most unusual couple goes to... That's not all, because of her father's job they are in the witness protection program. Now to me famous fashion designer and witness protection program don't work together, becaus...more I might give away a couple of minor spoilers, because the blurb says so little about the actual story.

We have three main characters, Abigail, Gideon and Tristan. Abigail is a not so normal human. Her mother is a famous fashion designer and her father works for the CIA. And the winner for most unusual couple goes to... That's not all, because of her father's job they are in the witness protection program. Now to me famous fashion designer and witness protection program don't work together, because it's all about keeping a low profil and they are doing the exact opposite. So realism is somewhat missing in this book.

Continuing on, Abigail is also a walking contraction, grade A student, reading for the children in the hospital, but she also trains a couple of times a week with an ex-Navy Seal officer. So on one side she's this sweet and innocent girl, on the other side she knows how to kill people.

Gideon is a dark angel, he literally feeds on the misery of others. He doesn't make the best first impression, I mean he kills people and their guardian angels for fun without any remorse. The guy has no emotions, except hate, anger and contempt. He's an A grade asshole, which makes it very hard to like him in the beginning. Certainly when he has this whole 'ooh look at me I'm a badass' thing going on.

Tristan is the opposite of Gideon, quite literally. He's the good guy, the best guardian angel there is. The guy carries the world on his shoulder, but like the other characters he's too much. Gideon is too bad, Abigail is too contradicting and Tristan is too good. This makes it hard to relate to them.

The story then. Gideon is challenged by their king to go after Abigail, because Tristan is her guardian angel, but they are also 'nemesis'. So he infiltrates her life and slowly Abigail gets to him. He starts to feel things he's never felt before. Abigail is quite wary of him in the beginning because of the nightmare she had of him killing her, but before she knows it he's past her defenses. Now a romance between them isn't that easy with him being an angel and killing people.

Also there is this weird connection between Tristan and Gideon when they are close together. All in all it's very confusing and sometimes hard to follow what is going on. Some thing are not properly explained and it all mixes together. So not really a book I would recommend.

My favorite part about this book was actually the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They always relate to said chapter and are beautifully constructed. They're probably going to end up on Pinterest or something like that.

I gave the book 2 stars. It was well written and it flowed right, but Melody Manful needs to work some more on character and plot development.

For more reviews and other book news you can always visit my blog :)(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Krista rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels-demons, arc, book-tour, good-vs-evil, indie-author, review-copy, review-on-blog, speculative-romance-challenge, young-adult

4.5 Stars!
I know, you are reading the synopsis and looking at the cover you are thinking "Not another angel book!" But let me tell you this isn't like everything that is out there, and I have read a lot of the speculative romance genre. There are two races of angels/demons called Grandinians and Grantinians. What is different is that they are not just angels, but guardian angels. Melody has created creatures that are invariably different, but have to work together - one trying to keep their char...more 4.5 Stars!
I know, you are reading the synopsis and looking at the cover you are thinking "Not another angel book!" But let me tell you this isn't like everything that is out there, and I have read a lot of the speculative romance genre. There are two races of angels/demons called Grandinians and Grantinians. What is different is that they are not just angels, but guardian angels. Melody has created creatures that are invariably different, but have to work together - one trying to keep their charge alive, and the other hell bent on putting their charge in harm's way.

Abigail is a girl who lives inside her head. She is constantly trying to guess at what steps she should take and what exactly she desires. She does do a slight 'damsel in distress' act by putting herself into danger, but she is still a strong character. I understand her inner struggle and that she is a teenager and sees only what is in front of her, but she could have looked a little more at the bigger picture. Abigail isn't just a normal teenager either. She has abilities that are inexplicable, ones she shouldn't have. She hasn't really lived a normal life either with a mom who is a designer and a famous father, she is always being watched by somebody - she even has her own bodyguards.

Enter Abigail's guardians, Gideon and Tristan. Gideon is the bad boy; the guy you want to hate because he is the bad, exciting guy that makes life and love adventurous. Tristan is the good guy; the angel who does right always, and makes it look easy, as if no other choice exists. Tristan is the golden boy, the one who should be the love interest, and should be the easy choice. However, I tend to root for the bad guys, the demons, the fallen ones, even though I know I shouldn't, and Abigail does too. And Gideon makes it hard to guess if he is really who you think he is, or if there is more to the story.

The story has many twists and surprises that will keep you turning pages into the night trying to find out what is happening. The world that the author created was interesting and imaginative. The story was well-written and there weren't any dull points - a big plus! The ending was frustrating!! I would love a book to have an ending that is wrapped in a pretty bow, but this isn't the case. Questions are left unanswered and links between people are never quite connected, but I am hopeful that Melody will give her readers the answers in the sequel. Right, Melody, right?!
I recommend this book to any lover of YA, paranormal and speculative romance. (less)

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Jan 28, 2013 Naoms rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-demons, arc, ebooks, nook, paranormal-urban-fantasy, read-in-2013, review-copy, ya-fiction

Review to come, but I am not too sure how to feel about this book.

Originally Posted on Confessions of an Opinionated Book Geek

There is always a moment or a line where I know picking up a book wasn’t a mistake. Sometimes I am disappointed and other times I get a really entertaining read. For “Dominion” the moment I knew I made the right choice is when Gideon says, “that’s one stupid spider” in reaction to the Itsy bitsy spider song. It’s a simple and yet a great moment that reveals the jaded natu...more Review to come, but I am not too sure how to feel about this book.

Originally Posted on Confessions of an Opinionated Book Geek

There is always a moment or a line where I know picking up a book wasn’t a mistake. Sometimes I am disappointed and other times I get a really entertaining read. For “Dominion” the moment I knew I made the right choice is when Gideon says, “that’s one stupid spider” in reaction to the Itsy bitsy spider song. It’s a simple and yet a great moment that reveals the jaded nature of the character.

The story follows Gideon, an evil Guardian Angel. In this world, humans have two sets of guardians. The guardian sent to protect us and the guardian sent to hurt us. Basically human life is a game and the outcome of our lives rests on which of our guardian’s is the strongest. Gideon, the most evil of Angels, is placed on a human subject with Tristan, the best of all the angels. That human’s name is Abigail and she is about to throw these two angels for a loop.

This book did not wow me. There was never a moment where I considered putting the book down and I wanted to know how it ended, but I was not in love. Lots of things made me roll my eyes and I had a hard time believing many of the facts of Abigail’s life. It wasn’t until a character recited the old line “if you love something let it go” that I realized my issue with this book. It is cheesy. It is entertaining and funny, but cheesy. Especially in the last section where the action kind of slows and there’s a lot of dialogue. Reading these characters talking for pages, was just really difficult. I was glad when the action returned at the very end leading up to the obvious and yet completely shocking cliffhanger.

Another issue I have with the story is that I do not buy the CIA storyline. Not at all. Abby has a state of the art weapons training facility underneath her house. This training room or whatever has trick doors, elevators, lasers, an arsenal full of guns and agents who are there to be Abby’s adversaries in training simulations. I have watched enough Alias, Nikita and Homeland to know that this kind of facility is expensive. Manful tries to explain it away by making Abby’s mom a fashion designer. Listen, yes fashion designer's are rich, but 'I can build a 100 million dollar facility in my basement and not blink rich?’ No. Ok, maybe 100 mill is a bit of a stretch, but lasers are expensive!!!

I found the training center to be so unbelievable it made every reference to Abby’s training ridiculous. For example, there is a moment where she is pushed off of a balcony and lands on her feet. If the fall was high enough to kill her is it possible for her land on her feet without breaking her legs? I’m not a scientist or a doctor, but I don’t think so.

I didn’t love this book and there were moments that I absolutely did not like, but I will recommend it. Why? The world is extremely unique. The idea that the fight for our lives is not angel vs. demon, but angel vs. angel is fascinating to me. I thought Gideon and Tristan’s world was one of the most interesting take on Angels I’ve read. The ending reveals secrets and has actions that make me absolutely want to pick up the next book. I’d like to know the fate of the characters and how the revelations at the end, will effect the characters.

At the end of the day this book is not amazing and it is not one of a kind, but it is unique enough that you will enjoy it despite it’s many issues. Melody Manful is a brand new author. “Dominion” is her debut novel and you can feel that in the writing. Anyone who reads a lot, knows that an author’s craft grows with experience. I think we should support this writer and give her the chance to let her craft grow. Her ideas are just that good.

Recommended for readers of YA fiction, anyone who likes books like “Angelfall” and “A Shimmer of Angels.”(less)

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May 23, 2013 Amie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I judged the book by its beautiful cover and that was a big mistake, the blurb did make it sound like a pretty decent read too- VERY misleading, I was thoroughly disappointed. I have a lot to say about this book so this review will be a rambled mess. I was so close to abandoning this book but I would have felt like I failed myself - plus I paid for it and I'm a tight ass.

The writing was very amateur (mistakes, awkward sentences etc.) I hated the way the whole thing was worded it irritated me so...more I judged the book by its beautiful cover and that was a big mistake, the blurb did make it sound like a pretty decent read too- VERY misleading, I was thoroughly disappointed. I have a lot to say about this book so this review will be a rambled mess. I was so close to abandoning this book but I would have felt like I failed myself - plus I paid for it and I'm a tight ass.

The writing was very amateur (mistakes, awkward sentences etc.) I hated the way the whole thing was worded it irritated me so much. I felt as though the author thought I was a moron so everything had to be explained in the most simplest of ways. Also the quotes at the start of every chapter started to get annoying after chapter three. Thank you for pointing out which quotes you created and which ones Shakespeare did, I would have never been able to tell the difference in your writing.

Okay so Gideon is suppose to be some badass, evil angel, so can he please CUT THE SOPPY CRAP! If he is super hot you'd think he would have higher standards than some annoying, spoilt, rich girl human. Anyway I thought their angel identity was some huge secret? He exposed it to Abigail pretty quickly and what were the consequences of that? Nothing! (Well actually there might have been I was skimming the chapters at this point.) Him and Abigail were dropping the 'I love you' bomb like its going out of fashion (get it, cause her mums a fashion designer)

I actually thought the book started of well, it had the potential to be good (hence the two and not one stars) it just took the wrong direction. After a few chapters the book just went downhill and got worse as it progressed. Usually when I don't like a book I can see why people did but it isn't the case here. I really can not see how people enjoyed reading this.

Putting it bluntly I would never read this again not even if I was paid to do so. I do NOT recommend this book and I will NOT be reading any sequels, I was thankful when this book was over and I will not submit myself to that torture again!(less)

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Jun 13, 2013 Shelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I tried to not include spoilers, it can't be avoided. To get my opinion across, I need to spoil some parts of the book.
Although the summary does not really state this, the book basically focuses on two main characters. One of them is Gideon. To sum it all up, Gideon is the most evil angel ever (strangely) and he wants nothing more than to kill Abigail but something it stopping him, could it be love? Well, I won't ruin it but that it what the majority of the book focuses on. I have several things...more I tried to not include spoilers, it can't be avoided. To get my opinion across, I need to spoil some parts of the book.
Although the summary does not really state this, the book basically focuses on two main characters. One of them is Gideon. To sum it all up, Gideon is the most evil angel ever (strangely) and he wants nothing more than to kill Abigail but something it stopping him, could it be love? Well, I won't ruin it but that it what the majority of the book focuses on. I have several things to say about this books so I'll just list things I liked. I liked the main character (Gideon). Although he is such a evil and despicable guy, who doesn't love a badass who starts to become less evil? I also really liked Tristan (the most angelic guy of all time), he was the complete opposite of Gideon which made this book really interesting. I also liked the sub plot. Now your probably asking, then why the low rating? Let me just make it clear that although some parts of the books are enjoyable, I did not like the majority of the book. First off, the writing. This book is self-published and it lacked a good editor. I feel that if this book got published by a great company, the book itself would make more sense. For example, when Gideon and Abigail started having feelings for each other, instead of being normal people and saying "I'm starting to like ___" they went all out and admitted that they were in love with each other. To me, that was really weird. They only knew each other for about 3 weeks and that does not happen in real life. Furthermore, Abigail was such a weak heroine. She honestly tried to be brave but sadly she's weak. She spent a week moping about her father (not even crying) but as soon as she learns that Gideon was somehow involved in her father's death (he's evil) she cries an entire river. She didn't even shed tears for her dad but she shed tears for some guy she's met 3 weeks ago even though she's unsure if he's human or not. Totally not ok. Also, the ending was also total crap. Abigail and Gideon are happily dating when she suddenly decides that she could also have feelings for Tristan. She and Gideon have an intense make out session then she tells him that she and Tristan almost kissed. She does this knowing that Gideon kills for fun! What kind of an idiot does that. She should be well aware that Gideon would become murderous and that she shouldn't say anything because they ALMOST kissed. NOTHING EVEN HAPPENED! She was being completely stupid. When Gideon got jealous and didn't want to help save Tristan (don't ask), she was shocked and angry. Obviously, your boyfriend isn't going to help save his arch nemesis that you almost cheated on him with. Be realistic! What also annoyed me is in the beginning of every chapter, the author put her own quotes that included "Today I blinked and accidentally fell in love". I'm sorry but those quotes make no sense to the plot line and have no relevancy in your book. Overall, with a great publisher and a good editor this book would have been more promising. (less)

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Mar 01, 2013 Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-tour, march-tour, owned-e-books, new-2-me-authors, new-to-me-series, paranormal-romance-challange, favorites

Check out the giveaway for the book tour, at my blog, also there is a excerpt to read too. Just click the button to go to that post.

I loved this book. I love books with angels and the humans involved. I especially loved Abigial in this book, she is a kick butt female, with a CIA dad who made sure she was trained in all types of self-defense and guns, archery, you name it, she can do it. I love when a female can take care of herself. Yeah, she has a kick-butt guardian angel too, but she sure can...more

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May 25, 2013 Jackie(No Bent Spines) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-published, gifted-arc, best-series-ever, covers-worth-remembering, discovering-yourself, favorites, don-t-like-the-ending

*Publisher/Author gifted in exchange for honest review*

Find more on: http://nobentspines.blogspot.com/

Oh my captain underpants. Yes you read that right. This is how I looked by the end of the book 0.0
Christ this was an action packed book. And it had spikes of (oh so lovely) romance. Yes, I did finish this is one day. How I love the weekend ☺
I know what I'm about to say is strange but I actually like Tristan better than Gideon in this. Me falling for the angel instead of the demon? When does this...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Chantel Law rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When i first started Dominion, i was actually kind of worried that the actual book itself won't live up to the cover. The cover of this book is officially my favourite book cover of the year, I felt that not only was the cover very captivating, but it also reflects the actual story itself really well. Most "nice" covers nowadays normally don't really have much to do about the novel, however i felt that this cover really fits in with the story. Surprisingly, the characters on the covers were exa...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Sudha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf

1.5 Stars- I really hate reading books that I end up hating, wasting my time reading that were never worth it. I tried to read this, but...it was just really boring. The plot seemed to be interesting, something new for me. I didn't even know what to expect though I had some idea. But when I started reading this, it was lower than my expectations. The summary doesn't reveal much so ill tell you a little more here. A normal girl with a love for an unusual boy and a friend of another unusual boy (t...more 1.5 Stars- I really hate reading books that I end up hating, wasting my time reading that were never worth it. I tried to read this, but...it was just really boring. The plot seemed to be interesting, something new for me. I didn't even know what to expect though I had some idea. But when I started reading this, it was lower than my expectations. The summary doesn't reveal much so ill tell you a little more here. A normal girl with a love for an unusual boy and a friend of another unusual boy (the boys are guardian angels). This is a world in our normal one and where the angels live. I got a little more than halfway before I quit. I read slow and kept reading just to make sure it was as I thought. Abigail lives in SF (a place I'm very familiar with), but I really can't recognize much or reate to any part if this story AT ALL. It's not explored much and seems like any other place I don't know. We see different POVS- Gideon and Abigail. Instead of switching by each chapter, it goes information a few chapters until the author decides to switch over to the other character. It's a but obvious where the love is in here and I immediately hate Gideon. He's a very unlivable character. Snarky, mean, idiot, and a real girl hater. It's amazing he found love, seems like no one would ever beep able to set him right. He became predicaptable, so much worse than his opposite; Tristan. Many things in this book get a bit predictable and to me, not fun to read. The writing style wasn't for me, boring and like a run-on sentence with too much thinking. The romance and writing style are the big things that made me quit this. The story line was a bit interesting so I had to skim to see the end cuz reading it would just be toooo boring. Much of this was unrealistic. Running from stalkers and they're famous!? Yah right they have to be found! To make thus more interesting, the author could use more detail, action and back stories so we can get the characters and connect deeper. I wouldn't recommend to read this unless the writing gets better and Gideon fixes himself or else...not my type if book at all.(less)

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Feb 02, 2013 Kari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-debut-authors, blog-tour

**4 Stars**
I received a copy of this book for an honest review as part of a blog tour.

MY OVERVIEW: Anti-guardian angels? Cool! Ok, why do girls always go for the bad guy? Even after everything Gideon does, she still loves him. Ugh. Tristan is so much better.

PROS: I think all the characters were written very well. I’m not normally a fan of the changing perspective, but it worked. I am just glad that the author only went with two perspectives (Abby & Gideon). I think if she had added Tristan...more

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About Melody Manful

Melody Manful was born on June 8, 1994, in a town in Ghana called Tema. She started writing at a very early age and has been doing it ever since. Melody has two siblings and lives in Denmark with her family. She loves music, reading, and writing, and she puts a great deal into making her friends happy.

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Quotes from Dominion

“No one can force you to become a monster – you hurt someone and you create your own demons.” — 31 people liked it

“The greatest dangers you can get into are the ones you see coming. The ones that just happen are just roads waiting to be crossed.” — 15 people liked it

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