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Bandia #1
Silver
As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away.
Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.
Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.
But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both. Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.
Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.
Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.
But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both. Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.
374 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
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October 11, 2019
Wow. What a mess. What an utter. mess.
To begin with, I'll have to hand it to ya, if you want something steamy; a young-adult novel with a lot of vague sexual content, make-out sessions, and some yummy oral sex references, then this is your go-to book. If you happen to enjoy a bit of the paranormal-slash-mythology strewn into the books you read, then there's a bonus, too.
And you know what, steamy scenes are lovely and all that. I can enjoy me a good romp session between the pages. But there's gotta be a decent story behind it, too. A sensible plot. Characters we can sympathize with. Motives we can get behind. And in these aspects - and so many more - this novel just falls short.
In this review, I'm just going to point out the so many issues I took up with. But before that, here's the gist of Silver by Talia Vance.
Brianna is one of those girls. You know, the not-so-special girls who are actually special. Thanks to a magical charm bracelet her dead grandmother gave her, which she for some reason always wears, she's as good as invisible. All the boys ignore her, see; and even if they look at her, they never really look at her. And because boys don't look at her, her life sucks. Right? I mean, my life would suck without all the boyz staring at me.
Of course one day, the bracelet breaks conveniently at a party, and she goes from barely flickering lightbulb to oh-glorious-sunbeams-it's-so-bright in one second. So of course she manages to catch the eye of the guy she's been stalking for practically all her life. And he imprints on her. Not like Jacob-the-pedophile imprinting, but like, he does some unexplainable (and conveniently unexplained) bit of hoodoo, and they're like, bonded foreverz. Or until death do us part, whichever comes first.
Anyway. Turns out the bracelet also protects her from being all-out-Boy-magnet, because she happens to be a Goddess. That's right, she's a god-friggin-diddly-darned-oddess. Kinda makes being invisible irrelevant, hey? Well, not if you're a horny sixteen-year-old, my friends.
And now the whole point of the story is that there are these Sons of Killian (forgive me if I got the name wrong), who are bred - like freaking stallions - specifically for the purpose of hunting her down and killing her. And of course our forbidden love part of the story is when -- you guessed it! Her love interest happens to be one of these Sons, and had "claimed" her for his kill. Somehow. That part I never really understood.
So now that I've got the plot out of the way, here's where it ALL went wrong.
1. Portrayal of Girls
There were no - I repeat not a single one - female character in this book who were characterized in a positive light. No one save the main character. Even the characters who were portrayed as "beautiful" and perfect, weren't actually beautiful and perfect:
Of course, Brianna. No one's as beautiful and perfect as you. We reserve that title for you, Oh our Shining Goddess.
And of course, girl-on-girl hating is a prominent feature in this novel. Every other girl who is seen even talking to Our Love Interest, Blake, must be described by the way they dress. And the size of their womanly parts.
I'm glad you two are so intimate that you know the genuinity of her breasts, Brianna.
I also love it how we're being preached that having breast implants is such a tasteless thing to do. I mean, I'm all for loving-your-body-as-it-is, and I for one wouldn't tamper my body with plastics or silicon or whatnot. But you know, other people don't share the same view as me, and if they want to perk up their breasts, why the hell shouldn't they?!
But they're like, sixteen! So friggin what? If their parents gave them consent - and the money - to do it, who the hell are you to get in the way? If it makes them feel more confident and comfortable of their own bodies, who the hell are you to condescend them?!
Our lovely main character doesn't even hide her misogyny:
And what irritates me even more, is that her judgementalness (yeah I know that's not an actual word) isn't rebuked or even acknowledged by any of the other - female or male - characters. Far from it! The male characters also add their own poorly-informed categorization of women:
Yeah? Well fuck you, douchebag. Good luck finding a wife.
2. Portrayal of Boys
Or, at least, the portrayal of the kind of boys girls want. There's this deep-rooted belief in, I daresay, all societies, that girls love them a bad boy. This is something personal for me, because my current boyfriend believes in that, which is why he is - admittedly, - a bit of a jerk sometimes. Just sometimes, I swear. And he's always just fooling around. Anyway. We can debate all night long, over the fact (or so he claims), that whether or not we are aware of it, us girls are always attracted to jerks and assholes, and the more cold-hearted boys.
Which is bullshit. Unfortunately, he always wins the debate by saying "Well, you're dating me, aren't you?" and for almost three years, too. And this is why I despise books like this. Books that reinforce that idea.
And guess what? It worked. Immediately. I don't know if this scene was supposed to be there for humorous content, but not. Effing no, dude.
That poor guy isn't the only example, though. All our love interests are jerks and coldhearted dildos to some extent. Don't get me started on Blake. I mean, if our Goddess wasn't so damn hot, I don't think he - or anyone else, for that matter - would have thought twice about killing her.
Oh, which brings me to--
3. What a shallow piece of crap
I'm sorry, but there you go. It must be said. Everything in this book is shallow. The "friendship" between Brianna, Haley and Christy was so bizarre I was wondering throughout the entire book why they were even friends in the first place. It's like this friendship I had back in primary school, with a girl who I was only friends with because she was my biggest rival.
Oh yeah, I was also a shallow little--
Anyway. You know those friendships. You're always competing with each other. In my case, we never competed when it came to boys. We were still in the stage of cooties at that time. And in high school, at Brianna's age, I like to think we both matured by then. We broke out of our friendship and found people we, you know, actually liked to hang out with.
But Brianna? She's secretly jealous every time a guy flirts his balls off with Haley. Haley on the other hand, can never be happy for Brianna when a guy finally does show her some interest. Christy is possibly the most self-absorbed out of the lot, only really interested in getting someone to satisfy her sexual urges.
And not only shallow friendships, but the entire premise of this book was so shallow, I couldn't begin to fathom where the urgency is. Brianna is supposed to be in some sort of mortal danger from the Sons - who, by the way, knows exactly who and what she is.
By all accounts, she should be dead. But they're just, I don't know, lounging around waiting for God knows what. There was only one scene when someone finally did attack her, but it was so piss poor and no follow-up came after it whatsoever.
Also, the scene - the random scene - when the other demigods or Goddesses or whatever those two were shows up at the poker game? What, can anyone tell me, was the entire bloody purpose of that?! For a bunch of Goddesses, can I just say how stupid and not thought out that was?
All in all, Silver was just too much a nonsensical read for me. It was too drawn out, too many unimportant fillers, too damn melodramatic for my taste. The only reason I'm not giving it a one-star is because I .... don't really know. Because I reserve that place for the more atrocious pieces of writing? And at least Silver was readable. It was finishable - albeit with a lot of self-motivation - and it certainly had an interesting premise. A charm that makes a girl unnoticed and ignored. I thought I'd be reading about a cursed girl, but when I realized how secretly special she was, it all went downhill from there.
To begin with, I'll have to hand it to ya, if you want something steamy; a young-adult novel with a lot of vague sexual content, make-out sessions, and some yummy oral sex references, then this is your go-to book. If you happen to enjoy a bit of the paranormal-slash-mythology strewn into the books you read, then there's a bonus, too.
And you know what, steamy scenes are lovely and all that. I can enjoy me a good romp session between the pages. But there's gotta be a decent story behind it, too. A sensible plot. Characters we can sympathize with. Motives we can get behind. And in these aspects - and so many more - this novel just falls short.
In this review, I'm just going to point out the so many issues I took up with. But before that, here's the gist of Silver by Talia Vance.
Brianna is one of those girls. You know, the not-so-special girls who are actually special. Thanks to a magical charm bracelet her dead grandmother gave her, which she for some reason always wears, she's as good as invisible. All the boys ignore her, see; and even if they look at her, they never really look at her. And because boys don't look at her, her life sucks. Right? I mean, my life would suck without all the boyz staring at me.
Of course one day, the bracelet breaks conveniently at a party, and she goes from barely flickering lightbulb to oh-glorious-sunbeams-it's-so-bright in one second. So of course she manages to catch the eye of the guy she's been stalking for practically all her life. And he imprints on her. Not like Jacob-the-pedophile imprinting, but like, he does some unexplainable (and conveniently unexplained) bit of hoodoo, and they're like, bonded foreverz. Or until death do us part, whichever comes first.
Anyway. Turns out the bracelet also protects her from being all-out-Boy-magnet, because she happens to be a Goddess. That's right, she's a god-friggin-diddly-darned-oddess. Kinda makes being invisible irrelevant, hey? Well, not if you're a horny sixteen-year-old, my friends.
And now the whole point of the story is that there are these Sons of Killian (forgive me if I got the name wrong), who are bred - like freaking stallions - specifically for the purpose of hunting her down and killing her. And of course our forbidden love part of the story is when -- you guessed it! Her love interest happens to be one of these Sons, and had "claimed" her for his kill. Somehow. That part I never really understood.
So now that I've got the plot out of the way, here's where it ALL went wrong.
1. Portrayal of Girls
There were no - I repeat not a single one - female character in this book who were characterized in a positive light. No one save the main character. Even the characters who were portrayed as "beautiful" and perfect, weren't actually beautiful and perfect:
She doesn't look quite so perfect up close. Her face is a bit too narrow and her chin sharpens to a point.
~*~
She's pretty like a pond full of brown water, beautiful until you look too close.
Of course, Brianna. No one's as beautiful and perfect as you. We reserve that title for you, Oh our Shining Goddess.
And of course, girl-on-girl hating is a prominent feature in this novel. Every other girl who is seen even talking to Our Love Interest, Blake, must be described by the way they dress. And the size of their womanly parts.
Fishnet leans against Blake's SUV in a too-short skirt and too-low top. A second girl with round, fake boobs whispers in her ear as they watch Blake approach.
I'm glad you two are so intimate that you know the genuinity of her breasts, Brianna.
I also love it how we're being preached that having breast implants is such a tasteless thing to do. I mean, I'm all for loving-your-body-as-it-is, and I for one wouldn't tamper my body with plastics or silicon or whatnot. But you know, other people don't share the same view as me, and if they want to perk up their breasts, why the hell shouldn't they?!
But they're like, sixteen! So friggin what? If their parents gave them consent - and the money - to do it, who the hell are you to get in the way? If it makes them feel more confident and comfortable of their own bodies, who the hell are you to condescend them?!
Our lovely main character doesn't even hide her misogyny:
"Right. That's why you ignored me completely and hung out with the stripper sisters."
~*~
"Did your date with the Boobsie Twins fall through?"
And what irritates me even more, is that her judgementalness (yeah I know that's not an actual word) isn't rebuked or even acknowledged by any of the other - female or male - characters. Far from it! The male characters also add their own poorly-informed categorization of women:
"Pardon me for saying so, but you don't seem like his type."
What is that supposed to mean? So I'm not dumb, snobby, or slutty ... Oh.
Joe fills the silence. "See, guys like Blake will always have their minions, stray puppies that follow them around begging for the smallest scrap. (...) See, where I'm from, there's two kinds of girls, the kind you screw and the kind you marry."
Yeah? Well fuck you, douchebag. Good luck finding a wife.
2. Portrayal of Boys
Or, at least, the portrayal of the kind of boys girls want. There's this deep-rooted belief in, I daresay, all societies, that girls love them a bad boy. This is something personal for me, because my current boyfriend believes in that, which is why he is - admittedly, - a bit of a jerk sometimes. Just sometimes, I swear. And he's always just fooling around. Anyway. We can debate all night long, over the fact (or so he claims), that whether or not we are aware of it, us girls are always attracted to jerks and assholes, and the more cold-hearted boys.
Which is bullshit. Unfortunately, he always wins the debate by saying "Well, you're dating me, aren't you?" and for almost three years, too. And this is why I despise books like this. Books that reinforce that idea.
He's about to look away, but I grab his arm. "You know Christy, right?"
(...)"Why? Did she say something?"
(...)"Not exactly. Have you ever broken a girl's heart before?" (...)
He's still watching Christy. "What kind of question is that?"
"I don't know. Could you try being more of an asshole?" (...)
"Wait. Are you saying that Christy would like me better if I wasn't so--"
"Nice."
And guess what? It worked. Immediately. I don't know if this scene was supposed to be there for humorous content, but not. Effing no, dude.
That poor guy isn't the only example, though. All our love interests are jerks and coldhearted dildos to some extent. Don't get me started on Blake. I mean, if our Goddess wasn't so damn hot, I don't think he - or anyone else, for that matter - would have thought twice about killing her.
Oh, which brings me to--
3. What a shallow piece of crap
I'm sorry, but there you go. It must be said. Everything in this book is shallow. The "friendship" between Brianna, Haley and Christy was so bizarre I was wondering throughout the entire book why they were even friends in the first place. It's like this friendship I had back in primary school, with a girl who I was only friends with because she was my biggest rival.
Oh yeah, I was also a shallow little--
Anyway. You know those friendships. You're always competing with each other. In my case, we never competed when it came to boys. We were still in the stage of cooties at that time. And in high school, at Brianna's age, I like to think we both matured by then. We broke out of our friendship and found people we, you know, actually liked to hang out with.
But Brianna? She's secretly jealous every time a guy flirts his balls off with Haley. Haley on the other hand, can never be happy for Brianna when a guy finally does show her some interest. Christy is possibly the most self-absorbed out of the lot, only really interested in getting someone to satisfy her sexual urges.
And not only shallow friendships, but the entire premise of this book was so shallow, I couldn't begin to fathom where the urgency is. Brianna is supposed to be in some sort of mortal danger from the Sons - who, by the way, knows exactly who and what she is.
By all accounts, she should be dead. But they're just, I don't know, lounging around waiting for God knows what. There was only one scene when someone finally did attack her, but it was so piss poor and no follow-up came after it whatsoever.
Also, the scene - the random scene - when the other demigods or Goddesses or whatever those two were shows up at the poker game? What, can anyone tell me, was the entire bloody purpose of that?! For a bunch of Goddesses, can I just say how stupid and not thought out that was?
All in all, Silver was just too much a nonsensical read for me. It was too drawn out, too many unimportant fillers, too damn melodramatic for my taste. The only reason I'm not giving it a one-star is because I .... don't really know. Because I reserve that place for the more atrocious pieces of writing? And at least Silver was readable. It was finishable - albeit with a lot of self-motivation - and it certainly had an interesting premise. A charm that makes a girl unnoticed and ignored. I thought I'd be reading about a cursed girl, but when I realized how secretly special she was, it all went downhill from there.
January 8, 2018
I read this when I was twelve.... my mom had told me that I could move on to YA since I had read every juvenile book that was any good in our library. I remember working hard to make sure my reads were clean, because I had heard from a few older kids that YA had some smut.
I ended up actually hurling this book across my room in disgust, which I NEVER do. Books are my lovelies.
So when I came across this book the other day, I was curious. I remember that this book was bad, but I didn't remember to what extent, so I picked it up again....
Excuse me while I throw up.
Grown ups: Oh, those books that have sex, oral sex, teenage drinking, and it glorifies those things to death? Put it in the YA section, teens aren't strangers to that.
Also grownups: Why are so many teenage girls pregnant? Why do our kids sneak out? Why is Jonny smoking that good stuff? HOW DID MY SON GET AN STD?!?!?!
Oh, I don't know, maybe if you ignorant wet wipes didn't, oh, I dunno, glorify that stuff in books and claim it's "normal" and "all teens" do it, your children wouldn't be drunken fools. But hey, I'm just a fifteen year old kid, what do I know? *shrugs*
And these books look innocent, but LIES.
Also, I want to slap Brianna. Seriously. I'm not joking. She literally slut-shamed every girl in these books... She also compared herself to every single girl and decided that she was wayyyy prettier, but oh, no, she's totally not snobbish in the least!
It cracks me up that she actually thinks this: I'm not dumb, snobby, or slutty. (an actual sentence from this book, I wish I was joking, but I'm not).
No, Brianna, you're not dumb, you're downright stupid. Like it honestly blows my mind that you're even alive, I didn't know people could live without a brain, yet here you are...
You're not just snobbish, you're the QUEEN of snobbery, America Singer just called, she wants you to get over yourself.
And as for being a slut, don't get me started, just don't.
All I have left to say is, why?
I ended up actually hurling this book across my room in disgust, which I NEVER do. Books are my lovelies.
So when I came across this book the other day, I was curious. I remember that this book was bad, but I didn't remember to what extent, so I picked it up again....
Excuse me while I throw up.
Grown ups: Oh, those books that have sex, oral sex, teenage drinking, and it glorifies those things to death? Put it in the YA section, teens aren't strangers to that.
Also grownups: Why are so many teenage girls pregnant? Why do our kids sneak out? Why is Jonny smoking that good stuff? HOW DID MY SON GET AN STD?!?!?!
Oh, I don't know, maybe if you ignorant wet wipes didn't, oh, I dunno, glorify that stuff in books and claim it's "normal" and "all teens" do it, your children wouldn't be drunken fools. But hey, I'm just a fifteen year old kid, what do I know? *shrugs*
And these books look innocent, but LIES.
Also, I want to slap Brianna. Seriously. I'm not joking. She literally slut-shamed every girl in these books... She also compared herself to every single girl and decided that she was wayyyy prettier, but oh, no, she's totally not snobbish in the least!
It cracks me up that she actually thinks this: I'm not dumb, snobby, or slutty. (an actual sentence from this book, I wish I was joking, but I'm not).
No, Brianna, you're not dumb, you're downright stupid. Like it honestly blows my mind that you're even alive, I didn't know people could live without a brain, yet here you are...
You're not just snobbish, you're the QUEEN of snobbery, America Singer just called, she wants you to get over yourself.
And as for being a slut, don't get me started, just don't.
All I have left to say is, why?
August 21, 2012
4.5 stars
The first time this book landed on my sight I know it's gonna be a good book. So when I saw this in Netgalley, I requested it right away. But I got declined. So I requested it again. And still I got declined. By this time I was almost so willing to just wait for this book to be released. But then I said just one more time. (I could be really persistent or hardheaded. Ha!) I did a little editing on my bio then requested it for the third time. And fina-freaking-lly, they approved me!
I'm so happy that all my effort didn't come to waste because this book did not disappoint! This is a very stunning and gorgeous book. It's very rare for me to encounter paranormal books that are influenced by Celtic Myths and Irish folklore so when I read this everything were almost pretty new to me. I really loved the uniqueness and originality of it.
It wasn't the kind of the book that would instantly blew you away, in fact, for the most parts I was a bit confused and puzzled with all the mythological stuffs but through that just brought more curiosity in me. It just made me more intrigued and interested in knowing and figuring out what was going on. It never wavered to hold my interest. And when the revelations and twists came I was absolutely satisfied with the outcome and how everything turned out.
Brianna Paxton is an easy character to like and connect. She's genuine, smart, strong and humble. She's beautiful but no one notice her despite that I didn't see her being so bitter about it. Of course, she always wonders why and there were moments that she feels bad about herself but she wasn't the kind of person who whines and feels angry about it all the time. But Brianna is still a girl and like any other girl she wishes to be notice by the guy she likes, Blake.
It took me some time to trust Blake. I like him but I wasn't entirely sure if he was being real or honest to Brianna at first. As the story progressed, as more information were thrown I realized that Blake is just torn from doing what his family expects him to do and what he really feels. But I was really glad that when he already has to choose, he chooses Brianna and took the risk of it. And I saw that he was sincere and honest about it.
The romance between Brianna and Blake is absolutely a winner for me. I love how they got connected, fought it but in the end gave in with it and soon find out that there's more than just the curse that connected them but something from their heart that is much more real, genuine and bigger - love. I can't remember how many times I died from swooning with these two and with all those sweet and steamy moments.
The paranormal and mythology aspect of this book is very intriguing and engaging. I love the story about Danu and Killian and how the curse started. I love exploring the abilities the characters have and how they used it. It was fascinating and very engrossing.
Overall, this is a very captivating and stunning debut novel. I applaud Talia Vance for writing such a very unique novel with original plot, awesome twists, brilliant characters and gorgeous romance. I highly recommend this. I need Gold now!And more swoon-worthy moments between Brianna and Blake!
*Thank you Flux and Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.
P.S. Did you know that I read this twice!?. I'm not much a fan of re-reading, there are only two novels I've re-read, The Hunger Games and Obsidian. Both I'm really addicted about. So what does that mean? That I'm addicted to Silver? Oh hell yeah! This book has definitely the potential to be one of my most favorite YA series! I just wanted to say that this book is really really good and I want you guys to pick this one up, and so just to encourage you more, I'll share you a quote from one of my favorite scenes (yeah, this is a steamy one):
If I could quote the whole scene I really would. LOL! So there, I hope that one helped me convince you to read this.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
The first time this book landed on my sight I know it's gonna be a good book. So when I saw this in Netgalley, I requested it right away. But I got declined. So I requested it again. And still I got declined. By this time I was almost so willing to just wait for this book to be released. But then I said just one more time. (I could be really persistent or hardheaded. Ha!) I did a little editing on my bio then requested it for the third time. And fina-freaking-lly, they approved me!
I'm so happy that all my effort didn't come to waste because this book did not disappoint! This is a very stunning and gorgeous book. It's very rare for me to encounter paranormal books that are influenced by Celtic Myths and Irish folklore so when I read this everything were almost pretty new to me. I really loved the uniqueness and originality of it.
It wasn't the kind of the book that would instantly blew you away, in fact, for the most parts I was a bit confused and puzzled with all the mythological stuffs but through that just brought more curiosity in me. It just made me more intrigued and interested in knowing and figuring out what was going on. It never wavered to hold my interest. And when the revelations and twists came I was absolutely satisfied with the outcome and how everything turned out.
Brianna Paxton is an easy character to like and connect. She's genuine, smart, strong and humble. She's beautiful but no one notice her despite that I didn't see her being so bitter about it. Of course, she always wonders why and there were moments that she feels bad about herself but she wasn't the kind of person who whines and feels angry about it all the time. But Brianna is still a girl and like any other girl she wishes to be notice by the guy she likes, Blake.
It took me some time to trust Blake. I like him but I wasn't entirely sure if he was being real or honest to Brianna at first. As the story progressed, as more information were thrown I realized that Blake is just torn from doing what his family expects him to do and what he really feels. But I was really glad that when he already has to choose, he chooses Brianna and took the risk of it. And I saw that he was sincere and honest about it.
The romance between Brianna and Blake is absolutely a winner for me. I love how they got connected, fought it but in the end gave in with it and soon find out that there's more than just the curse that connected them but something from their heart that is much more real, genuine and bigger - love. I can't remember how many times I died from swooning with these two and with all those sweet and steamy moments.
The paranormal and mythology aspect of this book is very intriguing and engaging. I love the story about Danu and Killian and how the curse started. I love exploring the abilities the characters have and how they used it. It was fascinating and very engrossing.
Overall, this is a very captivating and stunning debut novel. I applaud Talia Vance for writing such a very unique novel with original plot, awesome twists, brilliant characters and gorgeous romance. I highly recommend this. I need Gold now!
*Thank you Flux and Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.
P.S. Did you know that I read this twice!?. I'm not much a fan of re-reading, there are only two novels I've re-read, The Hunger Games and Obsidian. Both I'm really addicted about. So what does that mean? That I'm addicted to Silver? Oh hell yeah! This book has definitely the potential to be one of my most favorite YA series! I just wanted to say that this book is really really good and I want you guys to pick this one up, and so just to encourage you more, I'll share you a quote from one of my favorite scenes (yeah, this is a steamy one):
"The heat of his skin comes through his shirt, and the fabric becomes an intolerable intrusion. He helps me pull the shirt over his head, and it’s my turn to gasp. My fingers slide from his neck to his belly button, forging a tentative path along his stomach. “You know you’re kind of beautiful yourself.”"-(ARC, p236)
If I could quote the whole scene I really would. LOL! So there, I hope that one helped me convince you to read this.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
April 22, 2012
This one is kind of hard to review because after a quarter of the way through, I knew this was going to be one of those books where I had to read the whole way through to determine how much I liked it, and I knew I was going to absolutely love it or absolutely hate it. Turns out, this book blew me away.
I liked that this was not your typical paranormal romance. It had to do with mythology, magic and a love story that was 1000 years old. I had no idea what to expect because it was story kept me on my toes the whole way through.
Yes, there were times that I wanted to shake a character or even smack them around a little bit, but I think they fit their roles well. And my favorite character was Austin because you never knew what to expect from him.
I will be honest that I was a little disoriented at first because I couldn't tell who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. And I didn't know what to make of Blake? Was he the jackass that he was portrayed to be? Did he really care about Brianna or was it the bond? How was he wrapped up in this whole plan, and was he really sincere about everything or was he going to betray her? And even Brianna herself. Was she one of the good guys or was she really evil?
But unlike a lot of books that are written to keep readers in the dark, I wasn't frustrated by the story development at all. In fact, it just made me more intrigued. True, I wasn't particularly ecstatic that I didn't know what was going on, but I wasn't pulling my hair out in anger and annoyance either. Everything just fell into place where it needed to fall into place, and the everything seemed to unfold where we should.
I don't know how others are going to like this book, but it was a breath of fresh air because it really did blow me away.
I liked that this was not your typical paranormal romance. It had to do with mythology, magic and a love story that was 1000 years old. I had no idea what to expect because it was story kept me on my toes the whole way through.
Yes, there were times that I wanted to shake a character or even smack them around a little bit, but I think they fit their roles well. And my favorite character was Austin because you never knew what to expect from him.
I will be honest that I was a little disoriented at first because I couldn't tell who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. And I didn't know what to make of Blake? Was he the jackass that he was portrayed to be? Did he really care about Brianna or was it the bond? How was he wrapped up in this whole plan, and was he really sincere about everything or was he going to betray her? And even Brianna herself. Was she one of the good guys or was she really evil?
But unlike a lot of books that are written to keep readers in the dark, I wasn't frustrated by the story development at all. In fact, it just made me more intrigued. True, I wasn't particularly ecstatic that I didn't know what was going on, but I wasn't pulling my hair out in anger and annoyance either. Everything just fell into place where it needed to fall into place, and the everything seemed to unfold where we should.
I don't know how others are going to like this book, but it was a breath of fresh air because it really did blow me away.
April 16, 2013
This review is also at my blog
_______________________________________
Actual rating: 1.5 stars
*sigh*
Oh, Silver, what to do with you?
First, let's get this out of the way: if you want a good book, this is not it.
The Characters
Ugh. All the women in this book are portrayed as slutty sex toys, except of course for our lovely, stunning, beautiful, great-looking, did I mention beautiful? protagonist Brianna. I was really disturbed by this. This book was written by a woman. And yet every single girl is displayed as a slut? No. Not just no, but hell no.
Brianna's "friends" are only there to make Brianna look good. She has two friends, who are both quite slutty and all over the boyzzz. Why are these three friends? Don't ask me.
The boys in this book are all total pervs. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is making remarks about how good-lookin' Brianna is and vaguely implying sexual things. The love interest is supposed to stand out by not being pervy (or so I think), but is miserably failing. At one point he says he's happy he's learned to control himself, because otherwise he didn't know what he would have done to Brianna the first time he saw her. That's just creepy. Again I say, hell no.
The slut-shaming
Yes, it deserves its own department. Because God, there is a lot of slut shaming going on. A few quotes to illustrate my point:
"Did your date with the Boobsie Twins fall through?"
"Fishnet leans against Blake's SUV in a too-short skirt and too-low top. A second girl with round, fake boobs whispers in her ear as they watch Blake approach."
Who are you to judge them, Brianna, just because they hang out with your one true love? Who the hell are you?
Ugh.
It's just.. ugh. This whole book is ugh. I mean, we've got a stalker. We've got slut-shaming. We've got the-whole-world-is-slutty-except-for-me. We've got instalove. We've got quotes like this:
""Pardon me for saying so, but you don't seem like his type." what is that supposed to mean? So I'm not dumb, snobby or slutty... Oh."
Excuse me? Excuse me? Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh.
Also, apparently girls only like bad boys. Loving and caring boyfriends are absolutely out of the question. This is a scene of Brianna talking to a boy who likes one of her slutty friends:
" "I don't know. Could you try being more of an asshole?" "Why would I do that?" "I'm trying to help you out here." I don't know how to explain it. (...) "Wait. Are you saying that Christy would like me better if I wasn't so-" "Nice." "
And this works.
This is just wrong on so many levels, I can't even.
And the worst thing about this?
I want to read the sequel.
_______________________________________
Actual rating: 1.5 stars
*sigh*
Oh, Silver, what to do with you?
First, let's get this out of the way: if you want a good book, this is not it.
The Characters
Ugh. All the women in this book are portrayed as slutty sex toys, except of course for our lovely, stunning, beautiful, great-looking, did I mention beautiful? protagonist Brianna. I was really disturbed by this. This book was written by a woman. And yet every single girl is displayed as a slut? No. Not just no, but hell no.
Brianna's "friends" are only there to make Brianna look good. She has two friends, who are both quite slutty and all over the boyzzz. Why are these three friends? Don't ask me.
The boys in this book are all total pervs. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is making remarks about how good-lookin' Brianna is and vaguely implying sexual things. The love interest is supposed to stand out by not being pervy (or so I think), but is miserably failing. At one point he says he's happy he's learned to control himself, because otherwise he didn't know what he would have done to Brianna the first time he saw her. That's just creepy. Again I say, hell no.
The slut-shaming
Yes, it deserves its own department. Because God, there is a lot of slut shaming going on. A few quotes to illustrate my point:
"Did your date with the Boobsie Twins fall through?"
"Fishnet leans against Blake's SUV in a too-short skirt and too-low top. A second girl with round, fake boobs whispers in her ear as they watch Blake approach."
Who are you to judge them, Brianna, just because they hang out with your one true love? Who the hell are you?
Ugh.
It's just.. ugh. This whole book is ugh. I mean, we've got a stalker. We've got slut-shaming. We've got the-whole-world-is-slutty-except-for-me. We've got instalove. We've got quotes like this:
""Pardon me for saying so, but you don't seem like his type." what is that supposed to mean? So I'm not dumb, snobby or slutty... Oh."
Excuse me? Excuse me? Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh.
Also, apparently girls only like bad boys. Loving and caring boyfriends are absolutely out of the question. This is a scene of Brianna talking to a boy who likes one of her slutty friends:
" "I don't know. Could you try being more of an asshole?" "Why would I do that?" "I'm trying to help you out here." I don't know how to explain it. (...) "Wait. Are you saying that Christy would like me better if I wasn't so-" "Nice." "
And this works.
This is just wrong on so many levels, I can't even.
And the worst thing about this?
I want to read the sequel.
December 24, 2014
I always try to finish a book in the hopes, that the story will get better...
Maybe that will happen with this one....but, honestly i don't place much faith on it,considering it's route.
So far we have spoiled brats, a girl who must be beautiful, although no one notices that _ due to a piece of jewelry that she uses... _ her friends, who are just...too meaningless, for me to use more words regarding them( and leave at that...because honestly those tv series, like 90210, keep popping in my mind) and a love interest ( or two, since she breaks the bracelet, and all of the sudden, she's irresistible) directed at an idiot....so, NO.
I won't be finishing this one.
Oh, and her father, refers to her horse as "piece of meat". Oh, my God.....
Honestly so far, this books only keeps alive teen clichés that should just be kicked to outer space!
A girl who hangs out with friends, who aren't her friends.
In fact there's a word for those girls...it starts with a B...
Because heaven forbids us, if girls are actually friends to each other!
Then obsessing with a boy whom she doesn't know....making out with another one, which she met five minutes ago, in a closet, because "HEY, it's a party, and that's what teens are supposed to do"
O_O Lovely....
Compared to this, Twilight is amazing!
Maybe that will happen with this one....but, honestly i don't place much faith on it,considering it's route.
So far we have spoiled brats, a girl who must be beautiful, although no one notices that _ due to a piece of jewelry that she uses... _ her friends, who are just...too meaningless, for me to use more words regarding them( and leave at that...because honestly those tv series, like 90210, keep popping in my mind) and a love interest ( or two, since she breaks the bracelet, and all of the sudden, she's irresistible) directed at an idiot....so, NO.
I won't be finishing this one.
Oh, and her father, refers to her horse as "piece of meat". Oh, my God.....
Honestly so far, this books only keeps alive teen clichés that should just be kicked to outer space!
A girl who hangs out with friends, who aren't her friends.
In fact there's a word for those girls...it starts with a B...
Because heaven forbids us, if girls are actually friends to each other!
Then obsessing with a boy whom she doesn't know....making out with another one, which she met five minutes ago, in a closet, because "HEY, it's a party, and that's what teens are supposed to do"
O_O Lovely....
Compared to this, Twilight is amazing!
July 26, 2012
Actual, full review: Original is scheduled to post here on my blog) on September 3rd, 2012, when I will be hosting my stop on the Silver blog tour. Stop by! And You Goodreads peeps get an early glimpse! Yay!
When describing Silver, the words clever--or perhaps witty--astounding, and bewilderingly intense come to mind. In this fascinating tale tangling threads of ancient Celtic myth and an authentic yet strong heroine, Silver manages to do three things: 1) make itself feel as valuable as silver (pun intended), 2) sincerely pluck out the nature of desire and growth of teenagers--therefore inducing twisted plots and often frustrating, but understandable, decisions, and 3) transform the mythological genre into a new, excitingly unique, and incredibly detailed creature.
Brianna is a protagonist who may not be the most cunning or responsible person in the world, but she is quick on her tongue and a do-er, not a sitter. In other words: this is a heroine who deserves the "hero" (in both the linguistic and romantic ways). The relationship between her and Blake was accidental but a powerful metamorphosis: from pure lust to pure bond, and then more, and then less, and the realistic portrayal (despite the mythological differences) of relationships enhanced the story rather than drag it down with tons of cliché romance.
I think what makes this book so compellingly rich is the way Talia Vance sneaks in foreshadowing. A fantastic story wouldn't make itself so great without some inventive foreshadowing, and Talia is the sensei: the story is a bundle of messes at one point and you're thinking what is going to happen? How? Is this what it will end up being: a jumbled jargon? and then suddenly the entire twist is thrown in your face. What makes it so special is that the carefully arranged plot pieces are not just one single storyboard, but multiple, subtle ones, so that even if you figure some things out and you believe that the story is but over, the eventual revelation that you never saw coming will only surprise--and enthrall--you all the more.
Silver may seem like simply a pretty cover and a blooming romance, but that judgment would be a mistake: In truth, the nature of Silver is like the furious scrawl of a quill, noting down myths and history. It is a platter of delicacies gifted with silver domes concealing the entrees, so that when you lift the tray and peek inside, it is a surprise, a mystery, and an invitation to a world meticulously crafted and tasteful both and at once.
When describing Silver, the words clever--or perhaps witty--astounding, and bewilderingly intense come to mind. In this fascinating tale tangling threads of ancient Celtic myth and an authentic yet strong heroine, Silver manages to do three things: 1) make itself feel as valuable as silver (pun intended), 2) sincerely pluck out the nature of desire and growth of teenagers--therefore inducing twisted plots and often frustrating, but understandable, decisions, and 3) transform the mythological genre into a new, excitingly unique, and incredibly detailed creature.
Brianna is a protagonist who may not be the most cunning or responsible person in the world, but she is quick on her tongue and a do-er, not a sitter. In other words: this is a heroine who deserves the "hero" (in both the linguistic and romantic ways). The relationship between her and Blake was accidental but a powerful metamorphosis: from pure lust to pure bond, and then more, and then less, and the realistic portrayal (despite the mythological differences) of relationships enhanced the story rather than drag it down with tons of cliché romance.
I think what makes this book so compellingly rich is the way Talia Vance sneaks in foreshadowing. A fantastic story wouldn't make itself so great without some inventive foreshadowing, and Talia is the sensei: the story is a bundle of messes at one point and you're thinking what is going to happen? How? Is this what it will end up being: a jumbled jargon? and then suddenly the entire twist is thrown in your face. What makes it so special is that the carefully arranged plot pieces are not just one single storyboard, but multiple, subtle ones, so that even if you figure some things out and you believe that the story is but over, the eventual revelation that you never saw coming will only surprise--and enthrall--you all the more.
Silver may seem like simply a pretty cover and a blooming romance, but that judgment would be a mistake: In truth, the nature of Silver is like the furious scrawl of a quill, noting down myths and history. It is a platter of delicacies gifted with silver domes concealing the entrees, so that when you lift the tray and peek inside, it is a surprise, a mystery, and an invitation to a world meticulously crafted and tasteful both and at once.
August 26, 2012
I really enjoyed this book and feel sad to be leaving this world behind for a while. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
Brianna doesn't stand out in a crowd. Well, that's an understatement, it's like she's not even there. Especially with guys, they can't even make eye contact with her. She's been introduced to her crush for the last two years, Blake, so many times and he still doesn't know she's alive. She thinks she must have some kind of problem with her pheromones.
Until the night she's at a party and her charm bracelet breaks. Blake looks at her, and sees her, really sees her, and her life will never be the same again.
Brianna thinks she's just an ordinary girl until she accidentally bonds her soul with Blakes, and he tells her about her heritage. His one sided version anyway, she learns more as time goes on. But her heritage means that she and Blake are mortal enemies, and one of them must kill the other to survive.
The characters were good, though I felt that some of them could have been fleshed out a little more. Especially her parents, who seem too naive as to what their daughter is. Brianna is a likable protag and I enjoyed her relationship and interactions with Blake. The friendship that she has with Haley and Christy felt very realistic to me, girls can be bitchy when it comes to guys. Having to keep her magic secret does cause some sticky situations for Brie with her friends. And Austin, an appealing, love to hate bad boy who made this story interesting.
This book is a fast paced, fairly quick read with the mystery of Brianna's heritage and powers being gradually revealed. I think fans of paranormal romance will definitely enjoy this one.
Brianna doesn't stand out in a crowd. Well, that's an understatement, it's like she's not even there. Especially with guys, they can't even make eye contact with her. She's been introduced to her crush for the last two years, Blake, so many times and he still doesn't know she's alive. She thinks she must have some kind of problem with her pheromones.
Until the night she's at a party and her charm bracelet breaks. Blake looks at her, and sees her, really sees her, and her life will never be the same again.
Brianna thinks she's just an ordinary girl until she accidentally bonds her soul with Blakes, and he tells her about her heritage. His one sided version anyway, she learns more as time goes on. But her heritage means that she and Blake are mortal enemies, and one of them must kill the other to survive.
The characters were good, though I felt that some of them could have been fleshed out a little more. Especially her parents, who seem too naive as to what their daughter is. Brianna is a likable protag and I enjoyed her relationship and interactions with Blake. The friendship that she has with Haley and Christy felt very realistic to me, girls can be bitchy when it comes to guys. Having to keep her magic secret does cause some sticky situations for Brie with her friends. And Austin, an appealing, love to hate bad boy who made this story interesting.
This book is a fast paced, fairly quick read with the mystery of Brianna's heritage and powers being gradually revealed. I think fans of paranormal romance will definitely enjoy this one.
March 11, 2013
Don't touch this with a ten-foot pole. Seriously.
The writing is atrocious. The characterization, plot, romance and 'mythology' are absolute rubbish. The protagonists (both male and female) reach a never-before-seen level of revoltingness.
This is one of the worst 'books' I've ever tried to read, and I don't understand how anyone could make a decision to publish this.
The writing is atrocious. The characterization, plot, romance and 'mythology' are absolute rubbish. The protagonists (both male and female) reach a never-before-seen level of revoltingness.
This is one of the worst 'books' I've ever tried to read, and I don't understand how anyone could make a decision to publish this.
September 2, 2020
2.5 Stars.
Although this book was slow to start it did end up grabbing my attention about half way. I ended up speeding through the last half because I got so into it! I’d say my biggest complaint was how often the main character talked down about herself...I understand that the author was trying to make a point but it honestly started to get extremely frustrating every time she put herself down. I literally found myself saying “oh come on, seriously!?” Aside from that, a few editing errors, and the writing style sounding literally like a teenager wrote it...it wasn’t a terrible book. I am definitely considering reading the second one but probably getting it from a library rather than purchasing.
Although this book was slow to start it did end up grabbing my attention about half way. I ended up speeding through the last half because I got so into it! I’d say my biggest complaint was how often the main character talked down about herself...I understand that the author was trying to make a point but it honestly started to get extremely frustrating every time she put herself down. I literally found myself saying “oh come on, seriously!?” Aside from that, a few editing errors, and the writing style sounding literally like a teenager wrote it...it wasn’t a terrible book. I am definitely considering reading the second one but probably getting it from a library rather than purchasing.
January 31, 2022
This was.... a shallow, soppy, angsty, drama-filled, soap-opera worthy, love fest. That's all. Seriously. I mean hasn't the forbidden-love concept been done like a million times already? I was totally pumped I got an ARC, but I swear, I didn't expect it to be so.. I don't know? Predictable? Yeah, I guess you could say predictable. Now let's see what exactly I liked.
1. The Concept- This was different for a change. No sparkly vampires, stereotypical werewolves, witches or whatever. This is a folk lore kind of thing which I totally appreciate. Great. But I'm not that well-versed with Celtic superstitions or folk lore. So I didn't know if there were inaccuracies. But I totally enjoyed the mythology.
2. The Hidden In Plain Sight Thing- This was good. Nice thinking.
That's all. The negatives.
Too much to list out but I'm just telling it as it is. Blake. Oh, Blake. I don't know what was this guy's deal with going after Brianna even though he knew she was his mortal enemy. I mean c'mon! Didn't he realize his group would get to know and they would kill not only her but also him for betraying them? Brilliant move, asshole.
Brianna. Well Brianna is pathetic to be honest. Okay, there's a soul bond thingy going on, but I've never seen such a needy heroine(with the obvious exception of Bella Swan, she takes needy to whole new levels) in YA literature.
However, even though I didn't love Austin, he behaves exactly as Gods I've read about do, poke their noses where they don't belong.(No offence to God/s everywhere)Good thing he was banished.
And the hideous love triangle. I can't even begin to explain how horribly messed up that was.
Haley was too much of a bitch to relate to, I mean, she calls Brianna pretty, and then points out at various occasions that she landed Blake with a stroke of pure luck.
And Christy, well she just... I.. well, totally hated her. Nice guys suck? Sorry Christy, your taste in guys sucks. I don't know what's the deal with bad boys anyways. And after Jonah so obviously mistreated her, she still pursued him. What in the actual hell? Are we supposed to take a leaf out of her book and let guys walk over us? Why are they even letting this get published? Whatever. Okay so I didn't like it. Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't.
1.5 stars.
1. The Concept- This was different for a change. No sparkly vampires, stereotypical werewolves, witches or whatever. This is a folk lore kind of thing which I totally appreciate. Great. But I'm not that well-versed with Celtic superstitions or folk lore. So I didn't know if there were inaccuracies. But I totally enjoyed the mythology.
2. The Hidden In Plain Sight Thing- This was good. Nice thinking.
That's all. The negatives.
Too much to list out but I'm just telling it as it is. Blake. Oh, Blake. I don't know what was this guy's deal with going after Brianna even though he knew she was his mortal enemy. I mean c'mon! Didn't he realize his group would get to know and they would kill not only her but also him for betraying them? Brilliant move, asshole.
Brianna. Well Brianna is pathetic to be honest. Okay, there's a soul bond thingy going on, but I've never seen such a needy heroine(with the obvious exception of Bella Swan, she takes needy to whole new levels) in YA literature.
However, even though I didn't love Austin, he behaves exactly as Gods I've read about do, poke their noses where they don't belong.(No offence to God/s everywhere)Good thing he was banished.
And the hideous love triangle. I can't even begin to explain how horribly messed up that was.
Haley was too much of a bitch to relate to, I mean, she calls Brianna pretty, and then points out at various occasions that she landed Blake with a stroke of pure luck.
And Christy, well she just... I.. well, totally hated her. Nice guys suck? Sorry Christy, your taste in guys sucks. I don't know what's the deal with bad boys anyways. And after Jonah so obviously mistreated her, she still pursued him. What in the actual hell? Are we supposed to take a leaf out of her book and let guys walk over us? Why are they even letting this get published? Whatever. Okay so I didn't like it. Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't.
1.5 stars.
September 3, 2012
His face turns serious. “We should stop.”
“We should stop,” I repeat, hoping that if I say it out loud I can find the strength to follow through. We both know what could happen if we don’t.
Blake leans back, putting distance between us. He’s still breathing hard. We watch as the thread of silver light fades into the darkness.
I turn to face him. “You know, it wasn’t so bad.”
“What?”
“Carrying your soul around.”
“Better you than me.” He smiles at me and takes my hand.
“I might not mind … ” I let my voice trail off.
Blake pulls me into his lap in one smooth motion, laughing. “Yeah, well, you’re not the one who has to take on the black soul of a killer, are you?” His smile is the only thing that keeps him from getting blown right off this wall. “I know, I know. I need to work on my moves.”
I laugh with him. I’m still laughing when his mouth covers mine; then I’m lost in the scent of vanilla mint and the feel of his tongue as it twists with mine. And for once, I’m okay with the fact that I don’t know the answers, that my choices might all lead to the same inescapable place. I still have choices.
And I choose Blake.
I ABSOLOUTLEY, INDEFINATELY, POSITIVELY, UNDOUBTEDLY LOVED THIS.
AND BLAKE- HOT SMOLDERING SEXY GORGEOUS BLAKE.
this was amazing. I was entranced before I even read it. That cover? Beautiful!!
And then when I first met Blake I was a goner. I knew this series was going to be something great, I just didn't know how great!
I can't wait for the next installment. I feel like throwing a tantrum! I mean 2013?? Really. I need it pronto not next year :(!
“We should stop,” I repeat, hoping that if I say it out loud I can find the strength to follow through. We both know what could happen if we don’t.
Blake leans back, putting distance between us. He’s still breathing hard. We watch as the thread of silver light fades into the darkness.
I turn to face him. “You know, it wasn’t so bad.”
“What?”
“Carrying your soul around.”
“Better you than me.” He smiles at me and takes my hand.
“I might not mind … ” I let my voice trail off.
Blake pulls me into his lap in one smooth motion, laughing. “Yeah, well, you’re not the one who has to take on the black soul of a killer, are you?” His smile is the only thing that keeps him from getting blown right off this wall. “I know, I know. I need to work on my moves.”
I laugh with him. I’m still laughing when his mouth covers mine; then I’m lost in the scent of vanilla mint and the feel of his tongue as it twists with mine. And for once, I’m okay with the fact that I don’t know the answers, that my choices might all lead to the same inescapable place. I still have choices.
And I choose Blake.
I ABSOLOUTLEY, INDEFINATELY, POSITIVELY, UNDOUBTEDLY LOVED THIS.
AND BLAKE- HOT SMOLDERING SEXY GORGEOUS BLAKE.
this was amazing. I was entranced before I even read it. That cover? Beautiful!!
And then when I first met Blake I was a goner. I knew this series was going to be something great, I just didn't know how great!
I can't wait for the next installment. I feel like throwing a tantrum! I mean 2013?? Really. I need it pronto not next year :(!
December 25, 2019
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
MY THOUGHTS
I don't like writing negative reviews and I went back and forth about whether I wanted to post this review or not. It has sat in my drafts folder for the last five months. As it is probably obvious, I decided to post this. I do not like adding negativity, but I also needed to review this book for a challenge. And I want to warn others about how problematic this book is. I can honestly say this is the worst book I read this year. It was just a...mess. It was not at all what I expected. It had a few interesting concepts, but all of the characters were horrible people and it just turned out to be a horrible, cliche read.
Brianna feels invisible next to her attractive friend, Haley. But one day at a party her charm bracelet slips, there's a flash of silver light, time freezes, and she finally catches the attention of Blake, a boy who has previously never seemed to notice her. This small moment catapults Brianna into discovering her true origins and abilities.
I admit that when I first started this book I was interested. There were elements I wasn't too fond of, but for some reason, I kept wanting to turn the pages. But it was like watching a trainwreck. I suddenly found myself halfway through and I just kept thinking to myself, what the hell am I reading? By that point, I was too far in to give up. Part of my earlier interest was pure curiosity. I wanted to know what the flash of silver light meant. I thought the book was going into a fantasy direction (I honestly thought this was fantasy based on the cover) and I thought that Brianna would realize that Blake was not a good person to have an attraction to. That did not happen though.
There is so much girl-hate in this book. Brianna calls other girls stupid and slutty. She shames a girl based on her boobs (making the assumption they are fake) and calls other girls strippers, and this is only because they are interested in Blake, a boy who Brianna isn't even dating! There is so much slut-shaming and girl-hate, it just makes me so angry! This was written by a woman and primarily for teenage girls, and it's full of misogynistic crap! There is one point where Brianna is with two guys during a battle and just because she was with them her friends shame her because they assume she was hooking up with both of them. What the heck?! Her friends are absolutely terrible, not caring for Brianna at all. They only care about boys and how hot they look (although, Brianna's the same way). You know how girls are? They only care about themselves, their looks, and catching a hot boy. They will glare at you for daring to talk to a boy they like and call you terrible names. At least, that is the stereotype this book continues to show because THIS WAS EVERY GIRL IN THIS BOOK! I'm not kidding! There is not a single girl in this book who is portrayed in a positive light. UGH! You know what I want in a book? Girls who are in strong friendships with one another and don't give a rat's behind about boys!
Oh yeah, Brianna's character was also all over the place. She would say one thing and do a complete 180. When the book began, at the party, I thought the book was going in a completely different direction. When Blake notices her, she doesn't get immediate attraction, she had complete fear and the need to run away! I thought, cool, maybe a female character that doesn't get into a toxic relationship because she's smart (oh yeah, I forgot, Brianna is apparently a nerd and a super math whiz. Not that it's ever important to the plot). Nope. She falls in love(?) and enters an extremely toxic relationship. Her train of thought just never made sense.
Now, let's talk romance. It is really tough to get me to like a romance in a book and boy was this one terrible. There is a love triangle in this book but both guys were terrible human beings. They were both perverted, with only sex on the mind. I was legitimately scared that one of them was going to rape Brianna. I got that strong of a negative vibe from both of them. I mean, the first time Blake "sees" Brianna he says ""Mine" Classy, right? They have a back and forth relationship throughout the book which is extremely toxic and mostly physical. I did not want them to get together, at all. Although the other guy was worse if you can believe it. Hooray for romanticizing toxic relationships!
IN CONCLUSION
I really want to say something positive about this book. I guess I liked the Celtic mythology, but everything above took over the story. I am legitimately worried about how many positive reviews this book got because... is this how people see teenage girls? Is this what people think teenage girls should want in a relationship? This book was published seven years ago, which isn't that long ago, but it makes to realize that we have really changed how we write woman characters.
To end on a positive note, I have seen in the past year that more books are coming out that feature positive female representation in YA, and positive examples of female friendships. Do not read books like Silver, read books like Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee (which was one of my favorite reads of 2019). Read books where girls are there for each other. It is almost 2020 at the time of me writing this review and I am hopeful that in 2020 that I will read more books with positive examples of friendships and other relationships.
MY THOUGHTS
I don't like writing negative reviews and I went back and forth about whether I wanted to post this review or not. It has sat in my drafts folder for the last five months. As it is probably obvious, I decided to post this. I do not like adding negativity, but I also needed to review this book for a challenge. And I want to warn others about how problematic this book is. I can honestly say this is the worst book I read this year. It was just a...mess. It was not at all what I expected. It had a few interesting concepts, but all of the characters were horrible people and it just turned out to be a horrible, cliche read.
Brianna feels invisible next to her attractive friend, Haley. But one day at a party her charm bracelet slips, there's a flash of silver light, time freezes, and she finally catches the attention of Blake, a boy who has previously never seemed to notice her. This small moment catapults Brianna into discovering her true origins and abilities.
I admit that when I first started this book I was interested. There were elements I wasn't too fond of, but for some reason, I kept wanting to turn the pages. But it was like watching a trainwreck. I suddenly found myself halfway through and I just kept thinking to myself, what the hell am I reading? By that point, I was too far in to give up. Part of my earlier interest was pure curiosity. I wanted to know what the flash of silver light meant. I thought the book was going into a fantasy direction (I honestly thought this was fantasy based on the cover) and I thought that Brianna would realize that Blake was not a good person to have an attraction to. That did not happen though.
There is so much girl-hate in this book. Brianna calls other girls stupid and slutty. She shames a girl based on her boobs (making the assumption they are fake) and calls other girls strippers, and this is only because they are interested in Blake, a boy who Brianna isn't even dating! There is so much slut-shaming and girl-hate, it just makes me so angry! This was written by a woman and primarily for teenage girls, and it's full of misogynistic crap! There is one point where Brianna is with two guys during a battle and just because she was with them her friends shame her because they assume she was hooking up with both of them. What the heck?! Her friends are absolutely terrible, not caring for Brianna at all. They only care about boys and how hot they look (although, Brianna's the same way). You know how girls are? They only care about themselves, their looks, and catching a hot boy. They will glare at you for daring to talk to a boy they like and call you terrible names. At least, that is the stereotype this book continues to show because THIS WAS EVERY GIRL IN THIS BOOK! I'm not kidding! There is not a single girl in this book who is portrayed in a positive light. UGH! You know what I want in a book? Girls who are in strong friendships with one another and don't give a rat's behind about boys!
Oh yeah, Brianna's character was also all over the place. She would say one thing and do a complete 180. When the book began, at the party, I thought the book was going in a completely different direction. When Blake notices her, she doesn't get immediate attraction, she had complete fear and the need to run away! I thought, cool, maybe a female character that doesn't get into a toxic relationship because she's smart (oh yeah, I forgot, Brianna is apparently a nerd and a super math whiz. Not that it's ever important to the plot). Nope. She falls in love(?) and enters an extremely toxic relationship. Her train of thought just never made sense.
Now, let's talk romance. It is really tough to get me to like a romance in a book and boy was this one terrible. There is a love triangle in this book but both guys were terrible human beings. They were both perverted, with only sex on the mind. I was legitimately scared that one of them was going to rape Brianna. I got that strong of a negative vibe from both of them. I mean, the first time Blake "sees" Brianna he says ""Mine" Classy, right? They have a back and forth relationship throughout the book which is extremely toxic and mostly physical. I did not want them to get together, at all. Although the other guy was worse if you can believe it. Hooray for romanticizing toxic relationships!
IN CONCLUSION
I really want to say something positive about this book. I guess I liked the Celtic mythology, but everything above took over the story. I am legitimately worried about how many positive reviews this book got because... is this how people see teenage girls? Is this what people think teenage girls should want in a relationship? This book was published seven years ago, which isn't that long ago, but it makes to realize that we have really changed how we write woman characters.
To end on a positive note, I have seen in the past year that more books are coming out that feature positive female representation in YA, and positive examples of female friendships. Do not read books like Silver, read books like Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee (which was one of my favorite reads of 2019). Read books where girls are there for each other. It is almost 2020 at the time of me writing this review and I am hopeful that in 2020 that I will read more books with positive examples of friendships and other relationships.
August 22, 2012
3.5 stars
Brianna has always been invisible. The kind of girl who fades into the background at parties while her friends work the floor. This isn't anything new. Acceptable but still disappointing all the same.
But things are different when Brianna and her friends goes to this party. There Brianna was, quietly pining over an old obsession while he flirts with her best friend, but this is normal she reminds herself, it doesn't matter that he doesn't notice her, no matter how much Blake effects her. When a guy bumps into her and causes her silver bracelet to come undone, it's like a flip has been switched. Not only does Blake take notice (in a very eerie way) but so does everyone else....
First off, I really did enjoy what Silver had to offer. A wondrous escape. This has all the things I love in my reads. A well thought out mythology, great writing, a mysterious story line, intriguing characters and a love story denied and dangerous.
Talia Vance's writing is very bold and brave, I love that she doesn't shy away from some of the racier scenes and I love what she did with this particular Celtic mythology. That was my favorite part. It's unique and exciting and filled with so much history, mystery and suspense. I'd be lying if I said that I understood everything, but once the story started to play out it was easier to connect the plot with the roles of each character.
My real issue sadly deals with most of the cast. I didn't really care for Brianna's friends. I thought they were snobby and self centered. Her parents are okay but her dad seems to be the bigger supporter.
But my biggest problem were these boys. They really make the reader work for their affections.The constant push/pull dance was extremely frustrating but fascinating at the same time. Austin was pretty much a giant question mark the minute we meet him. He says and does all the right things, but I found myself questioning his true motives. Good or bad? There was just something about him that felt off. Even after the story is done, I still don't know how to feel about him.
And as for Blake? Man, this guy just killed me. He's one of those swoon worthy bad boy players that you really have high hopes for.
But the way he treats Brianna made me so flppin' dizzy. He wants her but then pushes her away in the same breath. I get the why's of it all considering the lore around them, but still. It took everything in me not to throw my computer out the window.
The relationship was very conflicting, complicated and consuming. It was so madding and almost twisted the way he'd compliment her but then shoot it down in the same sentence. Every intention felt like it was laced with a hidden meaning and the mind games went on and on till almost the end of the book. But when push comes to shove I still couldn't stop reading. It was crazy addicting.
Brianna was the only character that was easy to connect with. She's shy and sweet, but I loved seeing a different side to her. The confidence side making her shine with brilliance and beauty.
With that said, this still turned out to be decent read. It's entertaining and intoxicating from start to finish. I loved the concept and I adored this myth. The powers was exhilaration to witness and it was fun trying to keep up with these characters. I may not have loved this the way I wanted to, but it was still promising enough to provoke strong emotions and made me curious enough to want to know what happens next.
(Arc provided by Netgalley and Flux publishing)
This review and more can be seen at, WinterHaven Books;
Brianna has always been invisible. The kind of girl who fades into the background at parties while her friends work the floor. This isn't anything new. Acceptable but still disappointing all the same.
But things are different when Brianna and her friends goes to this party. There Brianna was, quietly pining over an old obsession while he flirts with her best friend, but this is normal she reminds herself, it doesn't matter that he doesn't notice her, no matter how much Blake effects her. When a guy bumps into her and causes her silver bracelet to come undone, it's like a flip has been switched. Not only does Blake take notice (in a very eerie way) but so does everyone else....
First off, I really did enjoy what Silver had to offer. A wondrous escape. This has all the things I love in my reads. A well thought out mythology, great writing, a mysterious story line, intriguing characters and a love story denied and dangerous.
Talia Vance's writing is very bold and brave, I love that she doesn't shy away from some of the racier scenes and I love what she did with this particular Celtic mythology. That was my favorite part. It's unique and exciting and filled with so much history, mystery and suspense. I'd be lying if I said that I understood everything, but once the story started to play out it was easier to connect the plot with the roles of each character.
My real issue sadly deals with most of the cast. I didn't really care for Brianna's friends. I thought they were snobby and self centered. Her parents are okay but her dad seems to be the bigger supporter.
But my biggest problem were these boys. They really make the reader work for their affections.The constant push/pull dance was extremely frustrating but fascinating at the same time. Austin was pretty much a giant question mark the minute we meet him. He says and does all the right things, but I found myself questioning his true motives. Good or bad? There was just something about him that felt off. Even after the story is done, I still don't know how to feel about him.
And as for Blake? Man, this guy just killed me. He's one of those swoon worthy bad boy players that you really have high hopes for.
But the way he treats Brianna made me so flppin' dizzy. He wants her but then pushes her away in the same breath. I get the why's of it all considering the lore around them, but still. It took everything in me not to throw my computer out the window.
The relationship was very conflicting, complicated and consuming. It was so madding and almost twisted the way he'd compliment her but then shoot it down in the same sentence. Every intention felt like it was laced with a hidden meaning and the mind games went on and on till almost the end of the book. But when push comes to shove I still couldn't stop reading. It was crazy addicting.
Brianna was the only character that was easy to connect with. She's shy and sweet, but I loved seeing a different side to her. The confidence side making her shine with brilliance and beauty.
With that said, this still turned out to be decent read. It's entertaining and intoxicating from start to finish. I loved the concept and I adored this myth. The powers was exhilaration to witness and it was fun trying to keep up with these characters. I may not have loved this the way I wanted to, but it was still promising enough to provoke strong emotions and made me curious enough to want to know what happens next.
(Arc provided by Netgalley and Flux publishing)
This review and more can be seen at, WinterHaven Books;
April 17, 2013
This is my first venture into the mythological fiction catogory were the myth retold was not Greek, Hindu or Norse but Celtic. Suffice to say I am the not as well versed with that one to feel outraged when the author takes liberties and frankly I am even less qualified to judge the story. So keeping the story and the myth aside for a moment I am going to analyse this book on the basis of writing style and characterizations.
For those of you who need a plot to go by the story goes like this.
We have Brianna an Irish 16 couple of days short of 17 year old girl who has felt invisible for most of her life. She is pretty, infact she can even be considered beautiful but too bad no one takes pains to notice especially the guy she has been crushing over for a year. Blake Williams on the other had is the ultimate player or atleast is portrayed as one and like every other Mythological YA hero is absolutely gorgeous. He has one or two girls always dangling on his arms and get this he has been introduced to Brianna atleast 6 times but he still does not remember her. When we are introduced to him he is trying to hit on Brianna's best friend. Then something happens and the charm bracelet Brianna had since she was 13 is broken and suddenly Blake sees her. Not just see her, he claims her and calls her a Bandia which surprises Brianna cause that is the name her Nana used to call her. Then lot of unexplainable things happen and Brianna comes to realize that her life and Blake's is not so normal as she thought and there are things that cannot be rationalized. Also there is a secondary love interest called Austin who has his very own agenda. "Lets hope Brianna figures everything out before it is too late" concept forms the rest of the story.
Charcaterization...Lets start with Brianna. I can't believe how casual the author made this girl aside from the fact that she is a Bandia. Even if she was a normal regular girl I still would not have believed such charcters exist. I mean she is invisible to boys and she blams it on some pheromone problem rational..accepted. She meets a guy who notices her at the party. She only knows him as the Red Shirt guy...and she decides to hook up with him. Remember this girl has never even kissed a guy and the next thing she is in a dark room with some stranger and the much more weirder fact is that she does this immediately after the guy she has been crushing on for over a year notices her and seems to take and interest in her. Logical...I don't think so...Now the Blake guy finally sees her asks her out on a date. He acts like a total jerk the whole time not even bothering to look at her. Blame it on the spell surrounding Brianna for Blake's reaction but I still can't fathom what prompted Brianna to ..Honestly I don't know what happened..but I think she hooked up with him for real..especially after she pegged him as a flirt and a heart breaker. I just don't get it. The next day he is like what did you do and she just takes his accusations. What happened to a little self respect?. coming to Blake for the first time I wanted the villain to kill the hero and claim the girl because I don't think any other shallow hero have ever graced the pages of YA books. Heroines I get but Heroes..He treats her like dirt and she just comes crawling back for more. If it is love I don't know what you call the real thing. The other are all cardboard carictures and thank god for that.
But Characterization aside I really did enjoy the plot of the story it was engaging and well thought out even though there were some inconsistancies which I am hoping the author will address in the next book. This could have been something spectacular if the author could have only created characters you can relate to. I would recommend this book to those who like a good mythology themes YA but is not bothered by one dimensional characters.
For those of you who need a plot to go by the story goes like this.
We have Brianna an Irish 16 couple of days short of 17 year old girl who has felt invisible for most of her life. She is pretty, infact she can even be considered beautiful but too bad no one takes pains to notice especially the guy she has been crushing over for a year. Blake Williams on the other had is the ultimate player or atleast is portrayed as one and like every other Mythological YA hero is absolutely gorgeous. He has one or two girls always dangling on his arms and get this he has been introduced to Brianna atleast 6 times but he still does not remember her. When we are introduced to him he is trying to hit on Brianna's best friend. Then something happens and the charm bracelet Brianna had since she was 13 is broken and suddenly Blake sees her. Not just see her, he claims her and calls her a Bandia which surprises Brianna cause that is the name her Nana used to call her. Then lot of unexplainable things happen and Brianna comes to realize that her life and Blake's is not so normal as she thought and there are things that cannot be rationalized. Also there is a secondary love interest called Austin who has his very own agenda. "Lets hope Brianna figures everything out before it is too late" concept forms the rest of the story.
Charcaterization...Lets start with Brianna. I can't believe how casual the author made this girl aside from the fact that she is a Bandia. Even if she was a normal regular girl I still would not have believed such charcters exist. I mean she is invisible to boys and she blams it on some pheromone problem rational..accepted. She meets a guy who notices her at the party. She only knows him as the Red Shirt guy...and she decides to hook up with him. Remember this girl has never even kissed a guy and the next thing she is in a dark room with some stranger and the much more weirder fact is that she does this immediately after the guy she has been crushing on for over a year notices her and seems to take and interest in her. Logical...I don't think so...Now the Blake guy finally sees her asks her out on a date. He acts like a total jerk the whole time not even bothering to look at her. Blame it on the spell surrounding Brianna for Blake's reaction but I still can't fathom what prompted Brianna to ..Honestly I don't know what happened..but I think she hooked up with him for real..especially after she pegged him as a flirt and a heart breaker. I just don't get it. The next day he is like what did you do and she just takes his accusations. What happened to a little self respect?. coming to Blake for the first time I wanted the villain to kill the hero and claim the girl because I don't think any other shallow hero have ever graced the pages of YA books. Heroines I get but Heroes..He treats her like dirt and she just comes crawling back for more. If it is love I don't know what you call the real thing. The other are all cardboard carictures and thank god for that.
But Characterization aside I really did enjoy the plot of the story it was engaging and well thought out even though there were some inconsistancies which I am hoping the author will address in the next book. This could have been something spectacular if the author could have only created characters you can relate to. I would recommend this book to those who like a good mythology themes YA but is not bothered by one dimensional characters.
April 29, 2013
This was such a great book! I think I liked it mostly because it is not like an average book of its genre. It was totally a paranormal book, but I loved how the author was able to throw in some mythological aspects as well.. I don’t know why but any time there is a mythological aspect the guys in the book always seem to be hotter ;)
I also loved that, even though Brianna knew something was different about her, she never really stuck her head in the sand. First she turned it into a science project… and then after she got over her initial shock when learning what the truth was, she never backed down from her beliefs such as not killing the boy she loves.
I also loved how it was not predictable, there were always little twists and turns that made me completely rethink the way I thought the story was headed, but not in a bad way… more like a “oh yea that person always did seem a little shady”. So that was a nice change, usually I either have no idea what will happen (which is ok too) or I will be able to know from start to finish EXACTLY what happens.
Overall I thought this book was great, it was average length, but you get so caught up in the story that its hard to put in down, (I finished it in like a day). It has a good story line, the characters are all so amazing… there are many boys to pick from if you want to expand your book boyfriend list, there is magic and gods, battles and love… what more can you really ask for?
I also loved that, even though Brianna knew something was different about her, she never really stuck her head in the sand. First she turned it into a science project… and then after she got over her initial shock when learning what the truth was, she never backed down from her beliefs such as not killing the boy she loves.
I also loved how it was not predictable, there were always little twists and turns that made me completely rethink the way I thought the story was headed, but not in a bad way… more like a “oh yea that person always did seem a little shady”. So that was a nice change, usually I either have no idea what will happen (which is ok too) or I will be able to know from start to finish EXACTLY what happens.
Overall I thought this book was great, it was average length, but you get so caught up in the story that its hard to put in down, (I finished it in like a day). It has a good story line, the characters are all so amazing… there are many boys to pick from if you want to expand your book boyfriend list, there is magic and gods, battles and love… what more can you really ask for?
August 31, 2012
The original review can be found here on The Book Hookup.
Actual rating of 4.5, but I couldn't make myself round down. I loved this!
**Note** An eBook of this title was provided by the publishers via Net Galley. However, that did not influence this review in any way.
So, honestly, this review is going to be a bit of a mess. I’ve written and rewritten it several times at this point. There’s so many twists, turns, and spoiler-related details that I can’t share, so basically all that keeps happening is me flailing about like a lunatic. It’s because of this that I know I’ll inevitably end up failing to give this book the type of review that I think it deserves, so my apologizes to Ms. Vance in advance.
Simply put, I just want to crawl on top of the tallest tower (Which terrifies the bejeebus out of me– hello, BIGGEST. FEAR. EVER!) and shout, “WORLD! READ THIS BOOK! Then, come back to me and let’s talk about all the yummy kissing scenes!” However, I can be an adult on occasion, and I’m going to put on my serious business hat and try to write an adequate review.
The Lowdown: Ever since the incident that caused her family to move, Brianna Paxton has lived a life of anonymity. She’s smart and pretty, but not enough to help her stand out among her peers or to catch the eye of any guy. It’s like she almost doesn’t exist to the her male counterparts, like they stare straight through her, that is when they even happen to look her way. But all that changes one night at a party, where the one guy that Brianna would kill to be noticed by, Blake Williams, truly sees her for the first time. In an instant, a thousand-year-old secret comes bubbling to the surface and a war long buried, but far from over, is reignited.
With deadly enemies and tangled souls comes bloodlust and lust-lust. With hearts on the line, figuratively and literally, will an ancient battle to the death seal their fate long before they’ve had a chance to test the strength of their confusing, but blossoming relationship or does Brianna’s destiny prove to be the key to ending this war once and for all?
Author Ego-Booster: Okay, I have to give credit where credit is due. When I first picked this book up, I’ll admit I was at my limit on female protagonists never being noticed, always invisible, except for, you know, every guy in the history of ever in that book. So yeah… I may have went on a mini rant on Goodreads about it (Forgive me, Talia!). Anyhoodles, I bet you’re asking yourself now, what relevance does this even have, Christina? Well, I’ll tell you. Ms. Vance is a freaking genius and totally made me put my foot in my mouth because she had a legitimate reason for Brianna always being ignored by guys, AND I ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ADORE HER FOR IT! Of course, I can’t tell you the reason, but there is one, and I just didn’t want you to get frustrated like I did and be an ass.
The author manages to pull the readers into this enthralling book mainly because of the multi-faceted characters that emerge throughout this story, providing ones you’ll love to love and ones you’ll love to hate. Each character, even the secondary ones, are so well developed and unique, that you’ll find yourself compelled to turn the pages to find out what new layer you’ll discover as the story unfolds. Each character has a role to fill, and I felt a connection to each of them and their purpose in the story.
I’m a huge fan of reinvented mythology or tales of mythological beings set in present time, but I’m not well read on Celtic/Irish folklore. I quite enjoyed unraveling the curse of the Bandia and the Milesians and the war that has been brewing between them for thousands of years. Ms. Vance did a magnificent job of teasing the readers, letting out just enough information at the appropriate times, revealing secrets long sealed at the perfect moment to make an impact, all while keeping the reader just as curious as the main character herself about who she is and why her world is suddenly so confusing. Usually I’m not one for suspense, but I found myself more intrigued and glued to what was happening in the moment, rather than racing to put the puzzle pieces together out of aggravation with the need to know everything. I loved the pacing of the story and having that feeling of being on the edge of my seat, and felt every detail was connected to the next, making the story as a whole one of the best, most original plots I’ve read in a while. There’s unimaginable depth and surprises around every corner, and I found it extremely difficult to put this book down.
Lastly, this author can write some sizzling chemistry. You feel the spark and attraction between Blake and Brianna, the need of intimacy between their bonded souls. I often found myself rereading the passages where they were together because you feel their chemistry set the page on fire. It’s so good.
The Drawbacks: I rarely ever go back and reread a book immediately, but I did with this one. On the first read, I would have been hard-pressed to find a problem worth mentioning at all, but I did come across something that stuck out to me a little more the second time around. The hot and cold action between Blake and Brie can be a little frustrating at times. The intimate, more sincere moments they share can quickly boil over into a heated argument, and I found myself a little more noticeably agitated about it on the second read-through. Of course, it’s easy to dismiss this as a true problem because you have to remember that even though their souls become bound– which means they’re undeniably connected to one another on such a deep level– that all Blake has ever known is the stories he was told while growing up. No matter how he feels about Brianna, a part of him isn’t able to take her at face value because she’ll always be the enemy to him.
The Verdict: Read this book! I started reading it at 9pm, and then tried to put it down several times between the hours of 10pm-2am, where I eventually fell asleep only to be startled awake at 4am and picked it back up again. I immediately found myself getting sucked back into it a second time because I wasn’t ready to let the characters or this story go. Though it wasn’t left with a cliffhanger ending (THANK GOODNESS!), the author did leave it wide open for the series to continue. I can’t see what adventures await us and to discover how this will all play out, particularly how the relationship between Blake and Brianna will grow. I need Gold (Bandia #2), like, yesterday.
♥ A very special thanks to Flux and Net Galley for allowing me to preview this title. It’ll be available on Saturday, September 8th.
Actual rating of 4.5, but I couldn't make myself round down. I loved this!
**Note** An eBook of this title was provided by the publishers via Net Galley. However, that did not influence this review in any way.
So, honestly, this review is going to be a bit of a mess. I’ve written and rewritten it several times at this point. There’s so many twists, turns, and spoiler-related details that I can’t share, so basically all that keeps happening is me flailing about like a lunatic. It’s because of this that I know I’ll inevitably end up failing to give this book the type of review that I think it deserves, so my apologizes to Ms. Vance in advance.
Simply put, I just want to crawl on top of the tallest tower (Which terrifies the bejeebus out of me– hello, BIGGEST. FEAR. EVER!) and shout, “WORLD! READ THIS BOOK! Then, come back to me and let’s talk about all the yummy kissing scenes!” However, I can be an adult on occasion, and I’m going to put on my serious business hat and try to write an adequate review.
The Lowdown: Ever since the incident that caused her family to move, Brianna Paxton has lived a life of anonymity. She’s smart and pretty, but not enough to help her stand out among her peers or to catch the eye of any guy. It’s like she almost doesn’t exist to the her male counterparts, like they stare straight through her, that is when they even happen to look her way. But all that changes one night at a party, where the one guy that Brianna would kill to be noticed by, Blake Williams, truly sees her for the first time. In an instant, a thousand-year-old secret comes bubbling to the surface and a war long buried, but far from over, is reignited.
With deadly enemies and tangled souls comes bloodlust and lust-lust. With hearts on the line, figuratively and literally, will an ancient battle to the death seal their fate long before they’ve had a chance to test the strength of their confusing, but blossoming relationship or does Brianna’s destiny prove to be the key to ending this war once and for all?
Author Ego-Booster: Okay, I have to give credit where credit is due. When I first picked this book up, I’ll admit I was at my limit on female protagonists never being noticed, always invisible, except for, you know, every guy in the history of ever in that book. So yeah… I may have went on a mini rant on Goodreads about it (Forgive me, Talia!). Anyhoodles, I bet you’re asking yourself now, what relevance does this even have, Christina? Well, I’ll tell you. Ms. Vance is a freaking genius and totally made me put my foot in my mouth because she had a legitimate reason for Brianna always being ignored by guys, AND I ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ADORE HER FOR IT! Of course, I can’t tell you the reason, but there is one, and I just didn’t want you to get frustrated like I did and be an ass.
The author manages to pull the readers into this enthralling book mainly because of the multi-faceted characters that emerge throughout this story, providing ones you’ll love to love and ones you’ll love to hate. Each character, even the secondary ones, are so well developed and unique, that you’ll find yourself compelled to turn the pages to find out what new layer you’ll discover as the story unfolds. Each character has a role to fill, and I felt a connection to each of them and their purpose in the story.
I’m a huge fan of reinvented mythology or tales of mythological beings set in present time, but I’m not well read on Celtic/Irish folklore. I quite enjoyed unraveling the curse of the Bandia and the Milesians and the war that has been brewing between them for thousands of years. Ms. Vance did a magnificent job of teasing the readers, letting out just enough information at the appropriate times, revealing secrets long sealed at the perfect moment to make an impact, all while keeping the reader just as curious as the main character herself about who she is and why her world is suddenly so confusing. Usually I’m not one for suspense, but I found myself more intrigued and glued to what was happening in the moment, rather than racing to put the puzzle pieces together out of aggravation with the need to know everything. I loved the pacing of the story and having that feeling of being on the edge of my seat, and felt every detail was connected to the next, making the story as a whole one of the best, most original plots I’ve read in a while. There’s unimaginable depth and surprises around every corner, and I found it extremely difficult to put this book down.
Lastly, this author can write some sizzling chemistry. You feel the spark and attraction between Blake and Brianna, the need of intimacy between their bonded souls. I often found myself rereading the passages where they were together because you feel their chemistry set the page on fire. It’s so good.
Still clutching my hair, he pulls it back gently, tilting my head at an angle that invites him in. He brings his lips to mine. Just as our lips touch, a sharp ocean breeze swirls around us, blowing my hair and creating a small electric shock where our lips meet. I laugh, a little startled.
Blake pulls back, his hand still holding my hair. “What was that?”
“Static electricity? The imbalance of positive and negative charges caused by friction? For a guy who plans to be a doctor, you don’t know much about science.”
“You have an answer for everything don’t you?”
“Not this,” I admit. I can’t explain what is happening now. My theory is officially dead. And I don’t even care. I just want him to kiss me again. As if he hears the thought, he does.
“Zap,” I say, my lips moving against his.
He laughs, sending warm vibrations against my mouth. His tongue licks softly against my lips. The hand that holds my hair pulls my head back further, allowing him to move deeper into the kiss, into me. The electricity in the air fills me completely.
The Drawbacks: I rarely ever go back and reread a book immediately, but I did with this one. On the first read, I would have been hard-pressed to find a problem worth mentioning at all, but I did come across something that stuck out to me a little more the second time around. The hot and cold action between Blake and Brie can be a little frustrating at times. The intimate, more sincere moments they share can quickly boil over into a heated argument, and I found myself a little more noticeably agitated about it on the second read-through. Of course, it’s easy to dismiss this as a true problem because you have to remember that even though their souls become bound– which means they’re undeniably connected to one another on such a deep level– that all Blake has ever known is the stories he was told while growing up. No matter how he feels about Brianna, a part of him isn’t able to take her at face value because she’ll always be the enemy to him.
The Verdict: Read this book! I started reading it at 9pm, and then tried to put it down several times between the hours of 10pm-2am, where I eventually fell asleep only to be startled awake at 4am and picked it back up again. I immediately found myself getting sucked back into it a second time because I wasn’t ready to let the characters or this story go. Though it wasn’t left with a cliffhanger ending (THANK GOODNESS!), the author did leave it wide open for the series to continue. I can’t see what adventures await us and to discover how this will all play out, particularly how the relationship between Blake and Brianna will grow. I need Gold (Bandia #2), like, yesterday.
♥ A very special thanks to Flux and Net Galley for allowing me to preview this title. It’ll be available on Saturday, September 8th.
August 17, 2012
Brianna Paxton was invisible. No matter what she did, she always remained in the shadow of her best friend Haley. Not that she minded most of the time. Because there was something from her past that she didn’t want anyone to know. Something she’d done. Something so bad even her mother seemed afraid of her.
But when it came to Blake Williams she wished he could see her. She kept count of the times that she saw him and that he acted as if she wasn’t even there. She wished that he would flirt with her like he did with Haley. She hoped he would notice her. Even if it was just once.
Then one night her wish came true. He did see her. For the very first time he saw her clearly. And in that moment everything changed.
Because he knew her. He knew things about her that she didn’t know. Things she didn’t want to believe were true. Dark things. Dangerous things. Things that if they were true meant that her life would never be the same again. That she would never be safe again. Not even from him.
And he wasn’t the only one who could see her now.
***
Utterly captivating, deliciously dark and sexy, exciting and original, Talia Vance’s Silver is a fast-paced and immensely entertaining read that will keep those pages turning.
From a plot that is full of secrets, betrayal, danger, mystery, suspense, heartbreak and chemistry that scorches to characters that readers will love to love and love to hate, this first book in the Bandia series is the perfect escape into a world that brings Celtic myth into a modern day setting.
The writing flows beautifully and transports readers into this story of ancient powers and beliefs, age-old rivalries and long-standing enemies. A story with a likable and relatable heroine who has been kept in the dark about who she is, what she’s capable of and the dangers that await her. And a story that pits loyalty and responsibility against love and trust.
Author Talia Vance grabs readers’ attention with the intensity of the connection between Brianna and Blake. She keeps them on edge by revealing fragments of the mythology only as her main character learns about it. And she keeps them riveted by the constant threat of danger, the fear of not knowing what will happen next, the two boys that capture her heroine’s interest, and the enemies that seek to destroy her.
With a market saturated with paranormal stories for young adults, Silver explores a mythology that is different and incredibly intriguing. The author’s ability to enchant, tease and torment with her words, to tie readers in knots and to create not only interesting but very memorable characters, makes Silver an absolute must read first book in this new series.
On a personal note:
From the moment I started reading Silver I fell in love. Yes, it was total insta-love. There was just something about the writing that I connected with immediately. Just a few sentences in and I knew that it would be a “me” book. And I was not wrong.
It was totally a “me” book. From the writing, to the characters, to the story, to the mythology, to the darkness, to the heartbreak, to the nail-biting suspense, to the chemistry.
Ahhh the chemistry. There was plenty of that. It was intense. It was electric. It held an element of danger. It sparked. It sizzled. It blazed.
But what I loved most was the writing. It was gorgeous. It gave me that twisty-turny feeling inside that I absolutely love. It kept me riveted to the story. It broke my heart. It made me nervous. It took me on a ride that I never wanted to get off of.
And then there was the mythology. I was fascinated. I wanted to know more. I still want to know more. I loved how the mythology was revealed teasingly, piece by piece. I loved how different it was. And I love that I don’t know the whole of it just yet.
This story utterly bewitched me. I had not anticipated being so enamored with it when I picked it up. But within moments I just knew it would tear me apart. And it did.
I loved getting to know Brianna. I loved trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I loved every single moment that involved Blake Williams. And I loved trying to figure out Austin Montgomery.
The story was just so easy to read, so easy to get lost in. I don’t think I’ve devoured a story as quickly as I had this book in quite awhile. But I couldn’t slow down my pace because I wanted answers. I wanted to get to that next scene with Brianna and Blake. I wanted to learn more about the characters’ history. And I wanted to find out just how things would end.
Though when I reached the end I was devastated that I had finished. That there was no more story left to read. That I'd have to say goodbye to the characters. Especially since I wasn't sure if there would be another book, as Silver did not end in a cliffhanger. But there was this one moment that would have been the perfect cliffhanger...a perfectly cruel cliffhanger.
Instead, the book tied up many loose ends and so I was terrified there was no more story for the characters and that this was a standalone and not a series. But thankfully there is more story and there is a sequel. Now I just have to suffer the wait.
Because not every question was answered. Not every thread tied up neatly. Not every threat removed. And not every aspect of the mythology revealed.
I love being surprised by a book. I love unexpectedly falling in love with a story. And I love finding new characters that I can so easily connect with.
Silver made all that happen. Now I just can’t wait for Gold.
But when it came to Blake Williams she wished he could see her. She kept count of the times that she saw him and that he acted as if she wasn’t even there. She wished that he would flirt with her like he did with Haley. She hoped he would notice her. Even if it was just once.
Then one night her wish came true. He did see her. For the very first time he saw her clearly. And in that moment everything changed.
Because he knew her. He knew things about her that she didn’t know. Things she didn’t want to believe were true. Dark things. Dangerous things. Things that if they were true meant that her life would never be the same again. That she would never be safe again. Not even from him.
And he wasn’t the only one who could see her now.
***
Utterly captivating, deliciously dark and sexy, exciting and original, Talia Vance’s Silver is a fast-paced and immensely entertaining read that will keep those pages turning.
From a plot that is full of secrets, betrayal, danger, mystery, suspense, heartbreak and chemistry that scorches to characters that readers will love to love and love to hate, this first book in the Bandia series is the perfect escape into a world that brings Celtic myth into a modern day setting.
The writing flows beautifully and transports readers into this story of ancient powers and beliefs, age-old rivalries and long-standing enemies. A story with a likable and relatable heroine who has been kept in the dark about who she is, what she’s capable of and the dangers that await her. And a story that pits loyalty and responsibility against love and trust.
Author Talia Vance grabs readers’ attention with the intensity of the connection between Brianna and Blake. She keeps them on edge by revealing fragments of the mythology only as her main character learns about it. And she keeps them riveted by the constant threat of danger, the fear of not knowing what will happen next, the two boys that capture her heroine’s interest, and the enemies that seek to destroy her.
With a market saturated with paranormal stories for young adults, Silver explores a mythology that is different and incredibly intriguing. The author’s ability to enchant, tease and torment with her words, to tie readers in knots and to create not only interesting but very memorable characters, makes Silver an absolute must read first book in this new series.
On a personal note:
From the moment I started reading Silver I fell in love. Yes, it was total insta-love. There was just something about the writing that I connected with immediately. Just a few sentences in and I knew that it would be a “me” book. And I was not wrong.
It was totally a “me” book. From the writing, to the characters, to the story, to the mythology, to the darkness, to the heartbreak, to the nail-biting suspense, to the chemistry.
Ahhh the chemistry. There was plenty of that. It was intense. It was electric. It held an element of danger. It sparked. It sizzled. It blazed.
But what I loved most was the writing. It was gorgeous. It gave me that twisty-turny feeling inside that I absolutely love. It kept me riveted to the story. It broke my heart. It made me nervous. It took me on a ride that I never wanted to get off of.
And then there was the mythology. I was fascinated. I wanted to know more. I still want to know more. I loved how the mythology was revealed teasingly, piece by piece. I loved how different it was. And I love that I don’t know the whole of it just yet.
This story utterly bewitched me. I had not anticipated being so enamored with it when I picked it up. But within moments I just knew it would tear me apart. And it did.
I loved getting to know Brianna. I loved trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I loved every single moment that involved Blake Williams. And I loved trying to figure out Austin Montgomery.
The story was just so easy to read, so easy to get lost in. I don’t think I’ve devoured a story as quickly as I had this book in quite awhile. But I couldn’t slow down my pace because I wanted answers. I wanted to get to that next scene with Brianna and Blake. I wanted to learn more about the characters’ history. And I wanted to find out just how things would end.
Though when I reached the end I was devastated that I had finished. That there was no more story left to read. That I'd have to say goodbye to the characters. Especially since I wasn't sure if there would be another book, as Silver did not end in a cliffhanger. But there was this one moment that would have been the perfect cliffhanger...a perfectly cruel cliffhanger.
Instead, the book tied up many loose ends and so I was terrified there was no more story for the characters and that this was a standalone and not a series. But thankfully there is more story and there is a sequel. Now I just have to suffer the wait.
Because not every question was answered. Not every thread tied up neatly. Not every threat removed. And not every aspect of the mythology revealed.
I love being surprised by a book. I love unexpectedly falling in love with a story. And I love finding new characters that I can so easily connect with.
Silver made all that happen. Now I just can’t wait for Gold.
August 10, 2012
This review originally appeared HERE on my blog, My Life is a Notebook.
I don’t even know where to start with this book. I went into it a little apprehensively, because the blurb made it sound like Brie might be another one of those girls who goes on and on about how she’s not pretty and then whoops there would be this insta-love thing and I would be left knocking my head against my desk.
That didn’t happen.
First off, Brie is totally relatable. She’s geeky, but not in the overpowering, stereotype way. She doesn’t think she’s pretty, she thinks she’s invisible BUT she doesn’t spend hours whining about it. She accepts it, she’s chill about it and she let’s that make her stronger. Especially after dealing with the character of America in The Selection, that was fantastic to read. Add in some snappy dialogue and I was hooked.
The book started off with a rocky beginning, and that was when I realized this book was going to go severely either way with me. The reason for the half star dock is that there were a few logical inconsistencies that made me flip back a few pages and say WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE? or HOW DOES THAT WORK? and I got no explanation. For me, though, they were small (okay, one was not so small and that’s the biggest reason for the docked 1/2 star but I can’t tell you what it is without spoiling!) and I forgot them in the fast pace of the novel. I just enjoyed the ride.
And it is a fantastic ride. There are few books that make me actually laugh out loud, and this is one of them. I was not a fan of Blake at first, but then all the sudden Brie is being all stupidly into insta-love and Blake takes a step back and goes INSTA-LOVE? EW! We became good friends after that point.
The mythology–as you might have seen hinted at and that’s probably the reason why you thought this book was cool–doesn’t disappoint. Vance doesn’t spend an inordinate amount of time explaining it either, which is nice. We know what we need to know as we need to know it. Then, of course, there is all the supernatural powers being flung around. In my book, that is always awesome. Despite not knowing anything about these Irish myths, I was instantly at home in the world and the legend, which isn’t always easy to do.
A big thing with me is always a book’s pacing, and there Silver didn’t disappoint either. There was certainly time set about for “normal” life and romance, but there was plenty of action too–at almost the perfect intervals, actually. Nothing was squashed together or rushed, for the most part. The book kept moving and I was unable to find many places to stop and catch my breath. I know I’m into a book when I have to force myself to literally get up and take a breather for a second.
Overall, Silver is one of my new favorites of 2012. It makes me genuinely sad you guys can’t share this with me until September 8. The characters were relatable and cute, the dialogue was snappy and the mythology was excellent. All the action and romance didn’t help either. If you’re in for a refreshing read with a great storyline, fast action and sexy romance, definitely give this one a try!
I don’t even know where to start with this book. I went into it a little apprehensively, because the blurb made it sound like Brie might be another one of those girls who goes on and on about how she’s not pretty and then whoops there would be this insta-love thing and I would be left knocking my head against my desk.
That didn’t happen.
First off, Brie is totally relatable. She’s geeky, but not in the overpowering, stereotype way. She doesn’t think she’s pretty, she thinks she’s invisible BUT she doesn’t spend hours whining about it. She accepts it, she’s chill about it and she let’s that make her stronger. Especially after dealing with the character of America in The Selection, that was fantastic to read. Add in some snappy dialogue and I was hooked.
The book started off with a rocky beginning, and that was when I realized this book was going to go severely either way with me. The reason for the half star dock is that there were a few logical inconsistencies that made me flip back a few pages and say WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE? or HOW DOES THAT WORK? and I got no explanation. For me, though, they were small (okay, one was not so small and that’s the biggest reason for the docked 1/2 star but I can’t tell you what it is without spoiling!) and I forgot them in the fast pace of the novel. I just enjoyed the ride.
And it is a fantastic ride. There are few books that make me actually laugh out loud, and this is one of them. I was not a fan of Blake at first, but then all the sudden Brie is being all stupidly into insta-love and Blake takes a step back and goes INSTA-LOVE? EW! We became good friends after that point.
The mythology–as you might have seen hinted at and that’s probably the reason why you thought this book was cool–doesn’t disappoint. Vance doesn’t spend an inordinate amount of time explaining it either, which is nice. We know what we need to know as we need to know it. Then, of course, there is all the supernatural powers being flung around. In my book, that is always awesome. Despite not knowing anything about these Irish myths, I was instantly at home in the world and the legend, which isn’t always easy to do.
A big thing with me is always a book’s pacing, and there Silver didn’t disappoint either. There was certainly time set about for “normal” life and romance, but there was plenty of action too–at almost the perfect intervals, actually. Nothing was squashed together or rushed, for the most part. The book kept moving and I was unable to find many places to stop and catch my breath. I know I’m into a book when I have to force myself to literally get up and take a breather for a second.
Overall, Silver is one of my new favorites of 2012. It makes me genuinely sad you guys can’t share this with me until September 8. The characters were relatable and cute, the dialogue was snappy and the mythology was excellent. All the action and romance didn’t help either. If you’re in for a refreshing read with a great storyline, fast action and sexy romance, definitely give this one a try!
November 6, 2012
Review originally posted on The Oaken Bookcase on November 6, 2012.
Brianna is a Bandia – a descendant of the Celtic goddess Danu. Her grandmother gave her a special charm bracelet that was to protect her and keep her powers at bay until her seventeenth birthday, but when the bracelet is removed during a party at college, Brianna is revealed to the Sons of Killian – an order that exists to hunt down and kill the Bandia.
Silver ended up being a bit of an odd read for me. I was immersed in the story early on even through the college life parts which aren’t usually my thing – there were just enough hints of something strange going on to intrigue me and keep me reading, and before long I had trouble putting it down. The premise and the mythology are fantastic, and even though the author has taken liberties with Irish folklore, it all weaved together in a magical way.
As I progressed with the story though, I realised that I really didn’t like any of the characters in it. To start with, Brianna was kind of sulky and continually playing the victim. Rather than trying to find out what was actually going on, she blames everything on herself and clams up rather than asking questions. I realise this is actually a fairly realistic trait in people and to be fair, she does grow out of it a bit as the story goes on, but I found it a little frustrating.
Then there’s Brianna’s friends – two bitchy popular girls who get mad at Brianna for being noticed by a guy one of them is trying to hook up with. I had a hard time working out why they were all friends in the first place – they seem to fight and make up more times during the book than should be going on between sixteen/seventeen year olds.
Possibly the strangest characterisation in the story is Blake – a bad-boy and player whom Brianna has been stalking for a long time. When he finally notices her thanks to the removal of her protective charm, he comes on to her very strongly, but then gets extremely upset when she accidentally binds their souls together. Despite the strangeness of their relationship, their romantic scenes are quite sweet and occasionally steamy.
Character problems aside, I thought the action scenes and general story were very well-written and this is a solid debut from Talia Vance. This review may sound rather negative but I’ve given it four stars based on the story alone which really grabbed me. I’ll be looking out for the next book in this series as I’d quite like to know what will become of Brianna and Blake.
This book is recommended to paranormal romance fans, but beware, the characters may be a bit bitchy for your liking.
Brianna is a Bandia – a descendant of the Celtic goddess Danu. Her grandmother gave her a special charm bracelet that was to protect her and keep her powers at bay until her seventeenth birthday, but when the bracelet is removed during a party at college, Brianna is revealed to the Sons of Killian – an order that exists to hunt down and kill the Bandia.
Silver ended up being a bit of an odd read for me. I was immersed in the story early on even through the college life parts which aren’t usually my thing – there were just enough hints of something strange going on to intrigue me and keep me reading, and before long I had trouble putting it down. The premise and the mythology are fantastic, and even though the author has taken liberties with Irish folklore, it all weaved together in a magical way.
As I progressed with the story though, I realised that I really didn’t like any of the characters in it. To start with, Brianna was kind of sulky and continually playing the victim. Rather than trying to find out what was actually going on, she blames everything on herself and clams up rather than asking questions. I realise this is actually a fairly realistic trait in people and to be fair, she does grow out of it a bit as the story goes on, but I found it a little frustrating.
Then there’s Brianna’s friends – two bitchy popular girls who get mad at Brianna for being noticed by a guy one of them is trying to hook up with. I had a hard time working out why they were all friends in the first place – they seem to fight and make up more times during the book than should be going on between sixteen/seventeen year olds.
Possibly the strangest characterisation in the story is Blake – a bad-boy and player whom Brianna has been stalking for a long time. When he finally notices her thanks to the removal of her protective charm, he comes on to her very strongly, but then gets extremely upset when she accidentally binds their souls together. Despite the strangeness of their relationship, their romantic scenes are quite sweet and occasionally steamy.
Character problems aside, I thought the action scenes and general story were very well-written and this is a solid debut from Talia Vance. This review may sound rather negative but I’ve given it four stars based on the story alone which really grabbed me. I’ll be looking out for the next book in this series as I’d quite like to know what will become of Brianna and Blake.
This book is recommended to paranormal romance fans, but beware, the characters may be a bit bitchy for your liking.
August 26, 2012
It is always so nice when you find a book that just blows you away with just how great and unexpected it is.
When you get a storyline and characters that are completely unparalleled to what else is out there in the world of YA paranormal.
I loved that I didn't have all the answers with this one right away. That there was so much mystery involved in just what the heck was going on. That normally bugs me with stories, when I don't even have a clue who is good or bad or what is even happening with everyone but some how it just worked with this story.
It was filled was some pretty amazing male characters, Blake, Austin Joe. I have a hard time deciding who I liked more and if they were even good or bad. In fact I frequently changed my opinion about them from chapter to chapter. It was fantastic!
Even the main character Brianna was hard to pin point exactly. Was she really evil? Was she good? Was she going to turn evil?
This was a roller coaster of twists and turns and plots and myths and lies and half truths and....well, you get the idea.
Like I said, a completely unexpected read.
When you get a storyline and characters that are completely unparalleled to what else is out there in the world of YA paranormal.
I loved that I didn't have all the answers with this one right away. That there was so much mystery involved in just what the heck was going on. That normally bugs me with stories, when I don't even have a clue who is good or bad or what is even happening with everyone but some how it just worked with this story.
It was filled was some pretty amazing male characters, Blake, Austin Joe. I have a hard time deciding who I liked more and if they were even good or bad. In fact I frequently changed my opinion about them from chapter to chapter. It was fantastic!
Even the main character Brianna was hard to pin point exactly. Was she really evil? Was she good? Was she going to turn evil?
This was a roller coaster of twists and turns and plots and myths and lies and half truths and....well, you get the idea.
Like I said, a completely unexpected read.
September 6, 2012
Rating: 3.5/5
Silver is an intriguing first installment, delighting us with a touch of Celtic mythology as well as a deeply forbidden romance, and keeping us on the edge of our seats as life for young Brianna gets more complex by the page. Tensions run extraordinarily high the more we learn of Brianna’s lineage and the cycle of violence that plagues those like her, defeat settling on our shoulders with a tangible weight as the fate of all the young women before her becomes brutally clear. While the mythology and the starcrossed nature of the romance is endlessly fascinating and painfully heart-wrenching, the actual romance itself leaves us slightly lukewarm – missing the flush to our cheeks and the rapid thumping of our hearts every time Brianna and Blake appear on the same page, but the potential for combustion is there and we can’t help but hope we feel that fire in the next book...
Full review available at: http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com...
Silver is an intriguing first installment, delighting us with a touch of Celtic mythology as well as a deeply forbidden romance, and keeping us on the edge of our seats as life for young Brianna gets more complex by the page. Tensions run extraordinarily high the more we learn of Brianna’s lineage and the cycle of violence that plagues those like her, defeat settling on our shoulders with a tangible weight as the fate of all the young women before her becomes brutally clear. While the mythology and the starcrossed nature of the romance is endlessly fascinating and painfully heart-wrenching, the actual romance itself leaves us slightly lukewarm – missing the flush to our cheeks and the rapid thumping of our hearts every time Brianna and Blake appear on the same page, but the potential for combustion is there and we can’t help but hope we feel that fire in the next book...
Full review available at: http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com...
May 5, 2012
I've really gave this a book try because it speaks full of forbidden romance between Brianna and Blake.I was a little bit confused with the plot at the start and with all the things about the gods and goddess but after reading further I'd really get it.There is a total Hate and love relationship between Bri and Blake even though he is such a jerk towards her i'd really liked his protectiveness towards her.And the red shirt guy Austin he is totally HOT and mysterious.I do like to know the whole story of Killian and Danu in brief.There are lots of twists and turns in this book which are not predictable.The plot was not that great nor it is bad it was good you'll get sucked into it once you get into it.
July 19, 2015
What a spectacular book!
While there were some points in the book where I was like, get on with it, I'm pretty sure that was only because I wanted to find out what happened next.
I love how the authors voice comes through her characters. This is a fun, fresh fanasty that intrigued me from the start. And the romance! I'm totally team Austin, but that's because I always root for the bad boy underdog.
I can't wait to see what happens next!
While there were some points in the book where I was like, get on with it, I'm pretty sure that was only because I wanted to find out what happened next.
I love how the authors voice comes through her characters. This is a fun, fresh fanasty that intrigued me from the start. And the romance! I'm totally team Austin, but that's because I always root for the bad boy underdog.
I can't wait to see what happens next!
August 9, 2012
Flipping loved it!!! Damn you Talia I need Gold now!!!!
Want to read
April 8, 2012This is on NetGalley folks. :)
September 5, 2012
The original review can be found here on The Book Hookup.
Christina's Review:
**Note** An eBook of this title was provided by the publishers via Net Galley. However, that did not influence this review in any way.
So, honestly, this review is going to be a bit of a mess. I’ve written and rewritten it several times at this point. There’s so many twists, turns, and spoiler-related details that I can’t share, so basically all that keeps happening is me flailing about like a lunatic. It’s because of this that I know I’ll inevitably end up failing to give this book the type of review that I think it deserves, so my apologizes to Ms. Vance in advance.
Simply put, I just want to crawl on top of the tallest tower (Which terrifies the bejeebus out of me– hello, BIGGEST. FEAR. EVER!) and shout, “WORLD! READ THIS BOOK! Then, come back to me and let’s talk about all the yummy kissing scenes!” However, I can be an adult on occasion, and I’m going to put on my serious business hat and try to write an adequate review.
The Lowdown: Ever since the incident that caused her family to move, Brianna Paxton has lived a life of anonymity. She’s smart and pretty, but not enough to help her stand out among her peers or to catch the eye of any guy. It’s like she almost doesn’t exist to the her male counterparts, like they stare straight through her, that is when they even happen to look her way. But all that changes one night at a party, where the one guy that Brianna would kill to be noticed by, Blake Williams, truly sees her for the first time. In an instant, a thousand-year-old secret comes bubbling to the surface and a war long buried, but far from over, is reignited.
With deadly enemies and tangled souls comes bloodlust and lust-lust. With hearts on the line, figuratively and literally, will an ancient battle to the death seal their fate long before they’ve had a chance to test the strength of their confusing, but blossoming relationship or does Brianna’s destiny prove to be the key to ending this war once and for all?
Author Ego-Booster: Okay, I have to give credit where credit is due. When I first picked this book up, I’ll admit I was at my limit on female protagonists never being noticed, always invisible, except for, you know, every guy in the history of ever in that book. So yeah… I may have went on a mini rant on Goodreads about it (Forgive me, Talia!). Anyhoodles, I bet you’re asking yourself now, what relevance does this even have, Christina? Well, I’ll tell you. Ms. Vance is a freaking genius and totally made me put my foot in my mouth because she had a legitimate reason for Brianna always being ignored by guys, AND I ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ADORE HER FOR IT! Of course, I can’t tell you the reason, but there is one, and I just didn’t want you to get frustrated like I did and be an ass.
The author manages to pull the readers into this enthralling book mainly because of the multi-faceted characters that emerge throughout this story, providing ones you’ll love to love and ones you’ll love to hate. Each character, even the secondary ones, are so well developed and unique, that you’ll find yourself compelled to turn the pages to find out what new layer you’ll discover as the story unfolds. Each character has a role to fill, and I felt a connection to each of them and their purpose in the story.
I’m a huge fan of reinvented mythology or tales of mythological beings set in present time, but I’m not well read on Celtic/Irish folklore. I quite enjoyed unraveling the curse of the Bandia and the Milesians and the war that has been brewing between them for thousands of years. Ms. Vance did a magnificent job of teasing the readers, letting out just enough information at the appropriate times, revealing secrets long sealed at the perfect moment to make an impact, all while keeping the reader just as curious as the main character herself about who she is and why her world is suddenly so confusing. Usually I’m not one for suspense, but I found myself more intrigued and glued to what was happening in the moment, rather than racing to put the puzzle pieces together out of aggravation with the need to know everything. I loved the pacing of the story and having that feeling of being on the edge of my seat, and felt every detail was connected to the next, making the story as a whole one of the best, most original plots I’ve read in a while. There’s unimaginable depth and surprises around every corner, and I found it extremely difficult to put this book down.
Lastly, this author can write some sizzling chemistry. You feel the spark and attraction between Blake and Brianna, the need of intimacy between their bonded souls. I often found myself rereading the passages where they were together because you feel their chemistry set the page on fire. It’s so good.
The Drawbacks: I rarely ever go back and reread a book immediately, but I did with this one. On the first read, I would have been hard-pressed to find a problem worth mentioning at all, but I did come across something that stuck out to me a little more the second time around. The hot and cold action between Blake and Brie can be a little frustrating at times. The intimate, more sincere moments they share can quickly boil over into a heated argument, and I found myself a little more noticeably agitated about it on the second read-through. Of course, it’s easy to dismiss this as a true problem because you have to remember that even though their souls become bound– which means they’re undeniably connected to one another on such a deep level– that all Blake has ever known is the stories he was told while growing up. No matter how he feels about Brianna, a part of him isn’t able to take her at face value because she’ll always be the enemy to him.
The Verdict: Read this book! I started reading it at 9pm, and then tried to put it down several times between the hours of 10pm-2am, where I eventually fell asleep only to be startled awake at 4am and picked it back up again. I immediately found myself getting sucked back into it a second time because I wasn’t ready to let the characters or this story go. Though it wasn’t left with a cliffhanger ending (THANK GOODNESS!), the author did leave it wide open for the series to continue. I can’t see what adventures await us and to discover how this will all play out, particularly how the relationship between Blake and Brianna will grow. I need Gold (Bandia #2), like, yesterday.
♥ A very special thanks to Flux and Net Galley for allowing me to preview this title. It’ll be available on Saturday, September 8th. Make sure to grab you a copy and then come back and let us know what you thought of it.
Christina's Review:
**Note** An eBook of this title was provided by the publishers via Net Galley. However, that did not influence this review in any way.
So, honestly, this review is going to be a bit of a mess. I’ve written and rewritten it several times at this point. There’s so many twists, turns, and spoiler-related details that I can’t share, so basically all that keeps happening is me flailing about like a lunatic. It’s because of this that I know I’ll inevitably end up failing to give this book the type of review that I think it deserves, so my apologizes to Ms. Vance in advance.
Simply put, I just want to crawl on top of the tallest tower (Which terrifies the bejeebus out of me– hello, BIGGEST. FEAR. EVER!) and shout, “WORLD! READ THIS BOOK! Then, come back to me and let’s talk about all the yummy kissing scenes!” However, I can be an adult on occasion, and I’m going to put on my serious business hat and try to write an adequate review.
The Lowdown: Ever since the incident that caused her family to move, Brianna Paxton has lived a life of anonymity. She’s smart and pretty, but not enough to help her stand out among her peers or to catch the eye of any guy. It’s like she almost doesn’t exist to the her male counterparts, like they stare straight through her, that is when they even happen to look her way. But all that changes one night at a party, where the one guy that Brianna would kill to be noticed by, Blake Williams, truly sees her for the first time. In an instant, a thousand-year-old secret comes bubbling to the surface and a war long buried, but far from over, is reignited.
With deadly enemies and tangled souls comes bloodlust and lust-lust. With hearts on the line, figuratively and literally, will an ancient battle to the death seal their fate long before they’ve had a chance to test the strength of their confusing, but blossoming relationship or does Brianna’s destiny prove to be the key to ending this war once and for all?
Author Ego-Booster: Okay, I have to give credit where credit is due. When I first picked this book up, I’ll admit I was at my limit on female protagonists never being noticed, always invisible, except for, you know, every guy in the history of ever in that book. So yeah… I may have went on a mini rant on Goodreads about it (Forgive me, Talia!). Anyhoodles, I bet you’re asking yourself now, what relevance does this even have, Christina? Well, I’ll tell you. Ms. Vance is a freaking genius and totally made me put my foot in my mouth because she had a legitimate reason for Brianna always being ignored by guys, AND I ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ADORE HER FOR IT! Of course, I can’t tell you the reason, but there is one, and I just didn’t want you to get frustrated like I did and be an ass.
The author manages to pull the readers into this enthralling book mainly because of the multi-faceted characters that emerge throughout this story, providing ones you’ll love to love and ones you’ll love to hate. Each character, even the secondary ones, are so well developed and unique, that you’ll find yourself compelled to turn the pages to find out what new layer you’ll discover as the story unfolds. Each character has a role to fill, and I felt a connection to each of them and their purpose in the story.
I’m a huge fan of reinvented mythology or tales of mythological beings set in present time, but I’m not well read on Celtic/Irish folklore. I quite enjoyed unraveling the curse of the Bandia and the Milesians and the war that has been brewing between them for thousands of years. Ms. Vance did a magnificent job of teasing the readers, letting out just enough information at the appropriate times, revealing secrets long sealed at the perfect moment to make an impact, all while keeping the reader just as curious as the main character herself about who she is and why her world is suddenly so confusing. Usually I’m not one for suspense, but I found myself more intrigued and glued to what was happening in the moment, rather than racing to put the puzzle pieces together out of aggravation with the need to know everything. I loved the pacing of the story and having that feeling of being on the edge of my seat, and felt every detail was connected to the next, making the story as a whole one of the best, most original plots I’ve read in a while. There’s unimaginable depth and surprises around every corner, and I found it extremely difficult to put this book down.
Lastly, this author can write some sizzling chemistry. You feel the spark and attraction between Blake and Brianna, the need of intimacy between their bonded souls. I often found myself rereading the passages where they were together because you feel their chemistry set the page on fire. It’s so good.
Still clutching my hair, he pulls it back gently, tilting my head at an angle that invites him in. He brings his lips to mine. Just as our lips touch, a sharp ocean breeze swirls around us, blowing my hair and creating a small electric shock where our lips meet. I laugh, a little startled.
Blake pulls back, his hand still holding my hair. “What was that?”
“Static electricity? The imbalance of positive and negative charges caused by friction? For a guy who plans to be a doctor, you don’t know much about science.”
“You have an answer for everything don’t you?”
“Not this,” I admit. I can’t explain what is happening now. My theory is officially dead. And I don’t even care. I just want him to kiss me again. As if he hears the thought, he does.
“Zap,” I say, my lips moving against his.
He laughs, sending warm vibrations against my mouth. His tongue licks softly against my lips. The hand that holds my hair pulls my head back further, allowing him to move deeper into the kiss, into me. The electricity in the air fills me completely.
The Drawbacks: I rarely ever go back and reread a book immediately, but I did with this one. On the first read, I would have been hard-pressed to find a problem worth mentioning at all, but I did come across something that stuck out to me a little more the second time around. The hot and cold action between Blake and Brie can be a little frustrating at times. The intimate, more sincere moments they share can quickly boil over into a heated argument, and I found myself a little more noticeably agitated about it on the second read-through. Of course, it’s easy to dismiss this as a true problem because you have to remember that even though their souls become bound– which means they’re undeniably connected to one another on such a deep level– that all Blake has ever known is the stories he was told while growing up. No matter how he feels about Brianna, a part of him isn’t able to take her at face value because she’ll always be the enemy to him.
The Verdict: Read this book! I started reading it at 9pm, and then tried to put it down several times between the hours of 10pm-2am, where I eventually fell asleep only to be startled awake at 4am and picked it back up again. I immediately found myself getting sucked back into it a second time because I wasn’t ready to let the characters or this story go. Though it wasn’t left with a cliffhanger ending (THANK GOODNESS!), the author did leave it wide open for the series to continue. I can’t see what adventures await us and to discover how this will all play out, particularly how the relationship between Blake and Brianna will grow. I need Gold (Bandia #2), like, yesterday.
♥ A very special thanks to Flux and Net Galley for allowing me to preview this title. It’ll be available on Saturday, September 8th. Make sure to grab you a copy and then come back and let us know what you thought of it.
November 4, 2013
This book was just all over the place, not even that good action packed kind. I'm talking about the kind that makes you want to throw a book out a window, yeah that right, bad.
I'm not even going to write a normal review, that includes positive things as well as negative. There were no positive things for me. If you don't like reviews that are basically all complaints then I suggest you just skip this one over. Now I'm just going to say I took a while to write this because I was hoping that maybe I just needed to give it time to settle in, you know just see if time would make me realize anything good about it, yeah no that didn't happen. I hate this book just as much as I always have. Another thing I will warn you of is this past month, I have read too many books that have been disappointing, so try to understand there is a good chance that I'm taking most of the frustration out on this book. That doesn't mean what I say isn't true, it just means there's a chance this could get a little....ranty.
CONS
The plot was off the freaking charts. I couldn't even tell what the heck the point was. Right when I thought I had finally figured it out, it changed again. I just...I can't even understand the point of this book. I literally got nothing but a bunch of frustration and mixed messages from this book(especially with the characters, but I'm not done complaining about the plot ;) As I was saying, I just feel that it is important to know why the characters are doing something or what they are even trying to do. I don't know about anybody else, but I enjoy knowing what the heck is going on in the books I read!!! I don't think that is too much to ask for!! Then again I could be wrong...some others might enjoy the confusion. Yep that's the ranting I warned you about. I'll just stop there.
The characters...so many problems here, where to begin? I'll start with the main character. Brianna was a total mess. She had no control, no self respect, and lastly no redeeming qualities. I tried so hard to try to find something that could make me like her. I found nothing. Nada. Zero. Zip.
Blake is a total inconsiderate, hot and cold, self serving douche. And Brianna let him walk all over her. He basically is the reason her life got so screwed up, and yet she "can't separate herself from him". It physically hurts for her to be away from him. Yeah I get that the stupid connection he forced on her might cause that, but if someone like him treated me like that I would get over it. I would not let someone like Blake walk all over me, and then go crawling right back to him. Yeah NO! I get she has never gotten much attention, but I'm sorry I just don't think that would stop you from having some self respect and don't let people treat you like some unimportant piece of trash.
Not only did she let Blake treat her like crap, she let her friends treat her like that too. When for the first time she starts to get noticed, Haley literally asks her what is going on, and tells her she has no experience with anything. Brianna tries to warn Haley about something and all Haley does is say she's just trying to steal her boyfriend. I can barely even stand to read about Haley, how can Brianna even stand to be on the same continent as her? Christy, another friend of Brianna, also treated her like crap. But I don't even want to go into Christy. She is just as bad if not worse than Haley.
To be honest it is the characters that really pissed me off. Every single one of them was a spineless, shallow excuse of a person. They were all selfish, overly jealous, jerks to each other. The plot was annoying but having to deal with the characters was worse.
Now this doesn't happen a lot and I hate to say this about a book, but this was truly a waste of my time. I wish I had never read this. It was such a let down. I expected so much more from it. It had a great concept of bandia and it just all fell through. Nothing really worked out. I will most definitely not be reading the second book. That's really all I have to say. I'm sorry this is such a negative review but this is just how I felt about this book. I really did try to find something, anything positive. That's really all I have to say about Silver.
I'm not even going to write a normal review, that includes positive things as well as negative. There were no positive things for me. If you don't like reviews that are basically all complaints then I suggest you just skip this one over. Now I'm just going to say I took a while to write this because I was hoping that maybe I just needed to give it time to settle in, you know just see if time would make me realize anything good about it, yeah no that didn't happen. I hate this book just as much as I always have. Another thing I will warn you of is this past month, I have read too many books that have been disappointing, so try to understand there is a good chance that I'm taking most of the frustration out on this book. That doesn't mean what I say isn't true, it just means there's a chance this could get a little....ranty.
CONS
The plot was off the freaking charts. I couldn't even tell what the heck the point was. Right when I thought I had finally figured it out, it changed again. I just...I can't even understand the point of this book. I literally got nothing but a bunch of frustration and mixed messages from this book(especially with the characters, but I'm not done complaining about the plot ;) As I was saying, I just feel that it is important to know why the characters are doing something or what they are even trying to do. I don't know about anybody else, but I enjoy knowing what the heck is going on in the books I read!!! I don't think that is too much to ask for!! Then again I could be wrong...some others might enjoy the confusion. Yep that's the ranting I warned you about. I'll just stop there.
The characters...so many problems here, where to begin? I'll start with the main character. Brianna was a total mess. She had no control, no self respect, and lastly no redeeming qualities. I tried so hard to try to find something that could make me like her. I found nothing. Nada. Zero. Zip.
Blake is a total inconsiderate, hot and cold, self serving douche. And Brianna let him walk all over her. He basically is the reason her life got so screwed up, and yet she "can't separate herself from him". It physically hurts for her to be away from him. Yeah I get that the stupid connection he forced on her might cause that, but if someone like him treated me like that I would get over it. I would not let someone like Blake walk all over me, and then go crawling right back to him. Yeah NO! I get she has never gotten much attention, but I'm sorry I just don't think that would stop you from having some self respect and don't let people treat you like some unimportant piece of trash.
Not only did she let Blake treat her like crap, she let her friends treat her like that too. When for the first time she starts to get noticed, Haley literally asks her what is going on, and tells her she has no experience with anything. Brianna tries to warn Haley about something and all Haley does is say she's just trying to steal her boyfriend. I can barely even stand to read about Haley, how can Brianna even stand to be on the same continent as her? Christy, another friend of Brianna, also treated her like crap. But I don't even want to go into Christy. She is just as bad if not worse than Haley.
To be honest it is the characters that really pissed me off. Every single one of them was a spineless, shallow excuse of a person. They were all selfish, overly jealous, jerks to each other. The plot was annoying but having to deal with the characters was worse.
Now this doesn't happen a lot and I hate to say this about a book, but this was truly a waste of my time. I wish I had never read this. It was such a let down. I expected so much more from it. It had a great concept of bandia and it just all fell through. Nothing really worked out. I will most definitely not be reading the second book. That's really all I have to say. I'm sorry this is such a negative review but this is just how I felt about this book. I really did try to find something, anything positive. That's really all I have to say about Silver.
August 1, 2012
Release Date: Sep 8, 2012
ARC from Netgalley: 4½ stars/5 stars
“Beauty is pointless when no one’s looking. And no one ever looks.” But Brianna Paxton is used to no one looking at her and has resigned herself to the fact that this will likely never change. Until the day it does change, and then, quite unexpectedly, everything and everyone around Brianna changes, too. And who would have thought all that change could occur simply because Brianna took off her lucky silver bracelet?
Silver’s plot revolves around an ancient feud that all began with a tragic case of love gone way wrong. Through the centuries the feud, and need for vengeance, has traveled through the generations of two families, the Sons of Killian and the Daughters of Danu. Silver’s plot is entertaining, interesting, and filled with action and romance. Mixed into the brilliantly unfolding plot is the backstory of the feud, Danu and Killian, as well as the backstory of a few of the novel’s major characters. While the plot moves along rather quickly, it is not rushed, and the backstory is appropriately placed throughout.
While Silver contains a whole host of characters, this particular novel focuses primarily on Brianna, Blake, and Austin. Brianna had the potential to be a really annoying and angsty teenager, but Vance thankfully avoided this by creating a lead female that is smart, logical, rational, and not really your typical teenage girl at all. Brianna knows no one is ever looking at her, especially guys, but rather than wallowing in self-pity, Brianna chooses to focus her attention on her studies and hones her skills as a scientist who relies on empirical evidence rather than emotions. As the plot unfolds and Brianna begins to understand more about herself and her role in the ancient feud, she becomes even stronger and more confident. I love this about Brianna’s character and hope that her confidence and intelligence will continue to grow as the series grows.
Blake, God bless his stupid little heart! Blake is perhaps the most tragic character in the entire novel. He is beautiful, he is conflicted, he is physically strong, and he has a serious problem with inserting his foot in his mouth at every turn. Blake understands that he can’t help or control his connection to Brianna, and this struggle often has very bad results. Being near Brianna makes Blake both stronger and weaker and the two must come to terms with their place in each other’s world. While Blake struggles to say and do the right thing, he often epically fails. With that being said, it is abundantly clear that Blake is good and well-intentioned, he just can’t ever say or do what he really means, properly. Thank goodness, Brianna was also written to have a healthy level of patience ☺
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Austin in this review, as he is such a major part of Silver, but he is also a character that is difficult to discuss without divulging too much of the plot’s secrets, twists, and turns. So, I will leave you with my impression of Austin: slimy, creep-tastic, over-the-top nice, and always seeming to have some ulterior motive. For me, Austin never “felt” right; his actions and his words never really align, but you don’t fully know and/or appreciate why that is until it is nearly too late. Austin’s role in Silver is vital, and the plot just wouldn’t have been the same without him, but he still pisses me off!
Bottom line: Silver is an excellent read that had me hooked from the very first line. It is a book I had absolutely no desire to put down and, quite frankly, didn’t put down until I had plowed through the entire thing. With the exception of a few smallish and nagging questions, nothing about this novel didn’t appeal to me. This book is a fantastic blend of strong characters and great plot, and something I would certainly feel comfortable recommending to mature young adults and adults alike. Finally, it is clear that Talia Vance is far from done with the stories of Killian and Danu and Blake and Brianna. For that, I am very excited!! Write faster Talia Vance; I have the distinct feeling you are going to have a very large group of followers anxiously awaiting the release of book two.
ARC from Netgalley: 4½ stars/5 stars
“Beauty is pointless when no one’s looking. And no one ever looks.” But Brianna Paxton is used to no one looking at her and has resigned herself to the fact that this will likely never change. Until the day it does change, and then, quite unexpectedly, everything and everyone around Brianna changes, too. And who would have thought all that change could occur simply because Brianna took off her lucky silver bracelet?
Silver’s plot revolves around an ancient feud that all began with a tragic case of love gone way wrong. Through the centuries the feud, and need for vengeance, has traveled through the generations of two families, the Sons of Killian and the Daughters of Danu. Silver’s plot is entertaining, interesting, and filled with action and romance. Mixed into the brilliantly unfolding plot is the backstory of the feud, Danu and Killian, as well as the backstory of a few of the novel’s major characters. While the plot moves along rather quickly, it is not rushed, and the backstory is appropriately placed throughout.
While Silver contains a whole host of characters, this particular novel focuses primarily on Brianna, Blake, and Austin. Brianna had the potential to be a really annoying and angsty teenager, but Vance thankfully avoided this by creating a lead female that is smart, logical, rational, and not really your typical teenage girl at all. Brianna knows no one is ever looking at her, especially guys, but rather than wallowing in self-pity, Brianna chooses to focus her attention on her studies and hones her skills as a scientist who relies on empirical evidence rather than emotions. As the plot unfolds and Brianna begins to understand more about herself and her role in the ancient feud, she becomes even stronger and more confident. I love this about Brianna’s character and hope that her confidence and intelligence will continue to grow as the series grows.
Blake, God bless his stupid little heart! Blake is perhaps the most tragic character in the entire novel. He is beautiful, he is conflicted, he is physically strong, and he has a serious problem with inserting his foot in his mouth at every turn. Blake understands that he can’t help or control his connection to Brianna, and this struggle often has very bad results. Being near Brianna makes Blake both stronger and weaker and the two must come to terms with their place in each other’s world. While Blake struggles to say and do the right thing, he often epically fails. With that being said, it is abundantly clear that Blake is good and well-intentioned, he just can’t ever say or do what he really means, properly. Thank goodness, Brianna was also written to have a healthy level of patience ☺
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Austin in this review, as he is such a major part of Silver, but he is also a character that is difficult to discuss without divulging too much of the plot’s secrets, twists, and turns. So, I will leave you with my impression of Austin: slimy, creep-tastic, over-the-top nice, and always seeming to have some ulterior motive. For me, Austin never “felt” right; his actions and his words never really align, but you don’t fully know and/or appreciate why that is until it is nearly too late. Austin’s role in Silver is vital, and the plot just wouldn’t have been the same without him, but he still pisses me off!
Bottom line: Silver is an excellent read that had me hooked from the very first line. It is a book I had absolutely no desire to put down and, quite frankly, didn’t put down until I had plowed through the entire thing. With the exception of a few smallish and nagging questions, nothing about this novel didn’t appeal to me. This book is a fantastic blend of strong characters and great plot, and something I would certainly feel comfortable recommending to mature young adults and adults alike. Finally, it is clear that Talia Vance is far from done with the stories of Killian and Danu and Blake and Brianna. For that, I am very excited!! Write faster Talia Vance; I have the distinct feeling you are going to have a very large group of followers anxiously awaiting the release of book two.
December 24, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Dark and captivating tale about powerful magic and tragic love.
Opening Sentence: Beauty is pointless when no one’s looking.
The Review:
Brianna Paxton is invisible. The only people who can truly see her are her two good friends Haley and Christy. She just thinks it is a weird quirk of the people around her until the day Blake actually “sees” her one night at a party. She can’t believe her luck, not only can Blake see her but another boy at the party, Austin, takes an interest in her. Both boys know exactly that Brianna is a descendant of Danu, a powerful goddess and witch. Blake and Austin have their own plans for Brianna, good, bad and sketchy.
Blake comes from a family that hunts down those like Brianna, but he can’t deny the attraction he feels towards her. One night of passion leaves them bound together, body and soul. As Brianna slowly learns about herself and the people around her, she believes that a curse can be broken and not everyone has to live up to their legacy.
Brianna is a complicated girl. One minute she hates being invisible and then the next misses her invisibility. She has no problem getting into fights with her best friends. Brianna is also a little “stalkery” when it comes to Blake. She has kept a diary about her interactions with Blake on a daily basis for the past year.
Silver has a dark, tragic tone that flows throughout the novel. As a descendant of Danu, Brianna holds some powerful magic, but as generations of her kind have been hunted down by Blake’s family, their relationship is not taken well. Blake hides the fact that he is bonded to Brianna from his family, the only solution to the bond is death, but Blake seeks another way to lose the bond without either one of them dying.
Brianna’s first person account is well written even during the angsty teen parts, even as I wanted to scream at her to talk to her friends instead of constantly getting in fights with them. I had a hard time with many of the decisions that Brianna would make throughout the novel, especially when she would follow Blake around like a stalker. And I didn’t understand why she couldn’t believe Blake about a little thing like her bracelet when other even stranger things were happening around her that she believed with no problem.
Overall, Silver is a dark and angst filled teen novel. Readers who love highland magic and lore may want to give this novel a try. Beware to all horse lovers because there is a scene with a horse that may be a little hard to take even though all works out in the end. The ending of Silver has me hooked for the sequel Gold. I can’t wait to see how the relationships play out after that.
Notable Scene:
I don’t feel dizzy. At first, nothing is out of place. It’s not until I realize that I can no longer hear Matt cleaning up behind the counter, or even Christy as she repeats the spell that my pulse kicks into overdrive. The fact that the room is devoid of sound is the only warning I get before the entire room goes pitch black.
Crap. It occurs to me too late that I might be considered an evil creature who should be banished from earth, and I wonder if the spell really did work. But then the room comes back into focus, everything and everyone immobile, lost in silence.
I wait for something to happen. For someone to move in the stillness, but at first there’s nothing, just a frozen moment in time, stretching into a hollow void. The movement comes from behind me. I let go of Haley and Christy’s hands and get up from the table. When I turn around, everyone is still. Matt’s hand hovers over a note pad, but his eyes are locked on Christy even as his pen is pressed to the paper.
There is a flash of silver dancing in the air to his left.
Then the fairy tale princess is there, her indigo eyes sparkling.
“Are you Danu?” I ask as she walks toward me, arms outstretched.
“So you know me now, do you? A short lived peace then.”
FTC Advisory: Flux provided me with a copy of Silver. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Dark and captivating tale about powerful magic and tragic love.
Opening Sentence: Beauty is pointless when no one’s looking.
The Review:
Brianna Paxton is invisible. The only people who can truly see her are her two good friends Haley and Christy. She just thinks it is a weird quirk of the people around her until the day Blake actually “sees” her one night at a party. She can’t believe her luck, not only can Blake see her but another boy at the party, Austin, takes an interest in her. Both boys know exactly that Brianna is a descendant of Danu, a powerful goddess and witch. Blake and Austin have their own plans for Brianna, good, bad and sketchy.
Blake comes from a family that hunts down those like Brianna, but he can’t deny the attraction he feels towards her. One night of passion leaves them bound together, body and soul. As Brianna slowly learns about herself and the people around her, she believes that a curse can be broken and not everyone has to live up to their legacy.
Brianna is a complicated girl. One minute she hates being invisible and then the next misses her invisibility. She has no problem getting into fights with her best friends. Brianna is also a little “stalkery” when it comes to Blake. She has kept a diary about her interactions with Blake on a daily basis for the past year.
Silver has a dark, tragic tone that flows throughout the novel. As a descendant of Danu, Brianna holds some powerful magic, but as generations of her kind have been hunted down by Blake’s family, their relationship is not taken well. Blake hides the fact that he is bonded to Brianna from his family, the only solution to the bond is death, but Blake seeks another way to lose the bond without either one of them dying.
Brianna’s first person account is well written even during the angsty teen parts, even as I wanted to scream at her to talk to her friends instead of constantly getting in fights with them. I had a hard time with many of the decisions that Brianna would make throughout the novel, especially when she would follow Blake around like a stalker. And I didn’t understand why she couldn’t believe Blake about a little thing like her bracelet when other even stranger things were happening around her that she believed with no problem.
Overall, Silver is a dark and angst filled teen novel. Readers who love highland magic and lore may want to give this novel a try. Beware to all horse lovers because there is a scene with a horse that may be a little hard to take even though all works out in the end. The ending of Silver has me hooked for the sequel Gold. I can’t wait to see how the relationships play out after that.
Notable Scene:
I don’t feel dizzy. At first, nothing is out of place. It’s not until I realize that I can no longer hear Matt cleaning up behind the counter, or even Christy as she repeats the spell that my pulse kicks into overdrive. The fact that the room is devoid of sound is the only warning I get before the entire room goes pitch black.
Crap. It occurs to me too late that I might be considered an evil creature who should be banished from earth, and I wonder if the spell really did work. But then the room comes back into focus, everything and everyone immobile, lost in silence.
I wait for something to happen. For someone to move in the stillness, but at first there’s nothing, just a frozen moment in time, stretching into a hollow void. The movement comes from behind me. I let go of Haley and Christy’s hands and get up from the table. When I turn around, everyone is still. Matt’s hand hovers over a note pad, but his eyes are locked on Christy even as his pen is pressed to the paper.
There is a flash of silver dancing in the air to his left.
Then the fairy tale princess is there, her indigo eyes sparkling.
“Are you Danu?” I ask as she walks toward me, arms outstretched.
“So you know me now, do you? A short lived peace then.”
FTC Advisory: Flux provided me with a copy of Silver. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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