Song to Wake to

Levels #1

by J.D. Field

The boy you love is a legend.Literally. Now he says that you're one too.  Praise for The Levels "If you like the paranormal romance of TWILIGHT, the mystery of MORTAL INSTRUMENTS,or the intrigue of VAMPIRE ACADEMY and HARRY POTTER then this is for you."  -Somerset Reader

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Mythology

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2011

About the author

I love travelling (especially in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Romania). I believe that Dawsons Creek is deeply underated. If it was allowed I would eat bacon three times a day.
I like to invent silly dances and embarrass my friends. Basketball is good, as are whales.
If any of this needs clarification, please ask.

Reviews

[J.D. Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, first off, I have to say I'm biased, cos I wrote this. But I wrote it for a purpose. I wanted to write a book full of story elements I love to read about.
It has mystery, paranormal secrets that slowly unfold. It's set in a school, and it has a hero and heroine that are different and new. They're flawed, but not wimps. She's fickle, bright, and knows her own mind. He's well... you'll just have to read to find out exactly how special Eddy Moon is...

[Katrina Passick Lumsden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps I'm being too harsh in only giving this two stars. Two and a half? Who knows, by the time I'm done writing this review, I may have upgraded it to a full three stars. I don't feel it warrants much more than that, however. As inventive and imaginative as the story was, it was too hard to really connect with any of the characters, especially the main protagonist, Maddy. Sympathetic characters are a must for me and, try as I might, I just couldn't bring myself to really like Maddy at all. Conversely, I didn't really dislike Maddy, either. She flitted about the story wavering between different personalities, "changing" them (deliberately) to fit a given situation, but there wasn't much difference between any single one of the personalities, and they all shared a common thread; they were all boring and flat. Her idea of changing from "Regular Maddy" to "Party Maddy" was to put on a dress and attend a party. I don't know how old J.D. Field is, but if I had to guess, I would say she's still a teenager herself. It would help explain the inability to convey any kind of serious emotion.

Aside from Maddy's bizarre habit of "reinventing" herself every five minutes, she wasn't the brightest of heroines, either. Things that I saw coming five chapters away would take her a literary eternity to piece together, and I found myself on more than one occasion wanting to reach through the book and slap her.

Now we come to Eddy. Poor, sweet Eddy. Was I the only one who found his story rather unbelievable? I'm not referencing the mythical part of it, I'm talking about the "Adonis in exile because he doesn't wear cool clothes" aspect of the whole thing. He's 6'4", ripped, devastatingly handsome, shy and quiet, kind...yet he was shunned because he was an orphaned charity case with bad fashion sense? I don't care if there were viral videos of him flaying kittens, it's difficult to imagine a guy like that ever being an outcast. I tried, though. And here's where it got me; wondering how suddenly all of the kids in Levels who previously shunned Mr. Fantastic suddenly change their ways and become his cheerleaders. I'm not kidding, he gives a speech and quite literally overnight BAM! everyone loves him. Even "The Four Horsemen", the school's uber-clique of athletic gods who once set out to ruin Eddy, now do his bidding with unwavering loyalty.

I tried to like Eddy since I couldn't really get there with Maddy, but again, there's hardly anything there. He presents a rather varied mask of one cliched emotion after another during every scene he's in, then tends to either walk off rudely while Maddy is trying to talk to him, or else just mumble an awkward goodbye and exit gracelessly.

I just realized what this book is like. Reading it was like watching one of those awful student films where no one can act so every line is delivered flatly while the "actor" fidgets uncomfortably.

There were lots of pretty references, though. Frilly mentions of Martin Luther King, Jr., The Beatles, Elvis, Motorhead, Abba, etc. A few place descriptions. But that's about it. No one is really there and the story moves along at a rather schizophrenic pace, oozing along like a slug until I wanted to scream, "Get ON with it!", or hurtled through time like Doc Brown had the runs and a raging case of OCD and was desperately searching for a clean bathroom. There's a rather important aspect to the story at the very end and, in the space of a page and a half, we go from Maddy asking her mother what happened to a Rugby match three or four days later!

As you might have noticed, the two star rating remains. This book just wasn't good enough for me to say, with conviction, that I liked it. But it wasn't horrible. I think J.D. Field shows potential, however, and with a little maturation and some work on character development and pacing, perhaps one day she'll amaze even cold-hearted me.

[Just My Opinion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book was incredibly enchanting! The author requested I read the book, so without even knowing the premise or genre, I dove right in. It's a combination of modern day life and several beloved historical legends. As it turns out, they are some of my "favourite" legends and I was immediately enraptured and submerged into an ethereal atmosphere which accompanied me throughout the story.

I could physically feel the emotions and the action throughout its entirety. The author does an amazing job of describing everything in such a way that you feel and sense it rather than just “picture it” in your mind. While there is a love story mixed in, it's not the main premise of the book-the legends are.

Mr. Field allows his characters to mature and realize their purpose at such a perfect pace. The characters swirled around me right from the start-I love the relationship between the female lead and her mother. The female lead is such a strong and intelligent girl you really support her through every challenge she faces. Truly, every character (male and female alike) is so powerful and their entwined relationships are so well delivered I was shocked at how interesting high school age kids could be! I also love the England setting…I could actually feel the rain and hear their accents!

While this is the first book in a series, and yes-you are left with some questions, you never have the feeling that the characters are unsure about their fates. They all have purpose and will follow it wherever it leads them. We've heard these legends many times in many ways, but NEVER like this. I was left yearning to be back with my new "friends" as soon as I finished the book. I can't WAIT to start on the second book in the series!

UPDATE: The following is a review by my husband so you can get a 33 yr. old male perspective. He listens to kindle books (text-to-speech) while he works.

I started reading this book without having any idea what the premise was…I was going in blind. My wife said it was getting great reviews and that the author had asked for a review, so I gave it a shot. I was concerned at first that I was getting into another young adult romance novel, but at about 20% into the book I realized the strong potential of the story. Suddenly, I found myself completely understanding the main characters plight. This surprised me more than anything as the character is a 16 year old girl, and I’m a 33 year old man. The pacing and character development kept me glued to the book. I literally couldn’t put it down. Having a degree in history really helped make this story appeal to me. I love it when authors are able to take historical events and create historical-fiction from it. I highly recommend this book to all readers, men and women alike. My wife is reading it now, so expect her review soon!

[PostCardashian Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best first book of a series I've ever read.
It's amazing, and I'm so excited that I read today there's going to be TWELVE books and the 2nd one is going to be out in like 3 days or something, so finally I can bear to officially stop reading it and post a review.

REASONS WHY SONG TO WAKE TO IS AWESOME.

1, The idea. it's like Twilight, like the Mortal Instruments, like My Blood Approves, but the paranormal plot is different to all of those, and to anything else I've read. It also links to stories EVERYBODY knows, but in a way I've NEVER seen before.

2, The mystery. this side of it is a bit like Harry Potter, there are awesome clues and real moments when you get it and like smack yourself in the forehead.

3, The romance. Forbidden, most of the time. The best kind.

4, The hero, Eddy Moon, is just so hot in a different kind of way. I wish he was real.

5, Maddy Bride, the heroine, is a bit like everybody, i think. She's not a wuss, she's smart and knows her own mind and I love that about her.

6, The setting. It's in the UK, which always interests me, in a real town called Glastonbury, that sounds really cool, and in an awesome boarding school (bit of Vampire Academy there).

If you like any of the other books I've mentioned in the review you'll love Song to Wake to. It'll be the best 99cents you ever spend... :)

[Literary Chanteuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young adult book mixed with Arthurian legend made this quite intriguing to start with however once I began it I was hooked. It has elements that are familiar and yet it has unique and different aspects as well. As you get to know the characters there is a lot of mystery surrounding both them and in the story itself. It leaves you with just the right amount of curiosity and anticipation for the sequel. It's not a long and overwhelming read but satisfying.

[maddie]

It looks really good. I love when the males aren't so outgoing. The mysterious type but not bad boy. Or atleast this is what it seems like.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea what to expect from this book, only that it had great reviews and was compared to several other series I've read. Right away I had a good feeling about this book because it reminded me of a book that I read when I was actually in my teens. Based on that feeling, I thought I knew what the main characters were-I was so wrong! I'm leery of summarizing the book, because it wouldn't be fair to give anything away. I love the setting, I love the characters, and I love that while there is a supernatural element it's something totally different. I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[Christina Rod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so I have to say I liked the premise of the story. I liked that the Maddy and Eddy were opposite of what you usually read, liked the houses, liked most of the characters. BUT felt the story lacked something...depth? maybe. I just didn't feel any connection with the characters. The relationship between Maddy and Eddy was rushed and just plain awkward. The story was rushed and not much was explained.

I think this story has a lot of potential and will give the next book a try.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book !! I have never read a book like this and it was just so interesting !! I know some history about king Arthur and it was fun how all of that was woven into the book :) I really want to know what the four horsemen boys/dudes have to do with this, what character they are. It was such a good book, and I can't wait to start the next one

[Elisabeth Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Arthur said he'd come back when we needed him. How bad does it have to get?"

Every devotee of Arthurian lore knows about the legend of the Seven Sleepers. Countless writers have ventured to tell their own versions of how Arthur came to rest in a hidden mound where he lies yet. What I have never encountered before, is a story that tells about what happens when The Once And Future King really does wake up. And how amazing it is!

The plot:
This book was disruptive to my sleep patterns on account of the fact I couldn't pry myself away from it. I stared at my iPhone for hours as if my life depended on it, my eyes racing over the words, aching to know how the story would end.

It follows Maddie, a young girl trying to adjust to having her life completely uprooted and moved from vibrant London to a tiny village in the country. At a posh private school, she meets Eddy Doforni Moon in her history class. Eddy is awkward, mocked, gorgeous, stunning, of unknown origins.

It turns out, Eddy has lived once before and there's more to Maddie's amazing talents as a swimmer than just athletic ability. As an illicit attraction between them grows, they learn that another power from Arthur's day, a power wishing him ill, has also survived. And they must defeat it before it defeats them.

The characters:
Maddie was one of those characters I could get mad at and cheer on at once. While she's got a bit of a temper and can be a bit over-worried about her social status in the beginning, she does admit when she's wrong and fights when she has to. I adored her from early on and my heart leapt and plunged as hers did. She was a perfectly crafted heroione!

Eddy. Oh, it's impossible not to love Eddy! Brave, unassuming, and loyal, he's the guy every girl'd love to meet. But he wasn't cookie-cutter perfect, either. No, he has flaws and that makes him all the more adorable because it proves he's still human. I relished watching how the tale of Arthur's rise was repeating itself in a 21st-century style, complete with the popular foster-brother and everything.

The next book in this series, Rock Anthem, is way up there on my to-read list. I am very eager to know how Arthur's second lifetime will work out and I am especially concerned about Guinevere turning up. (No offense, Guin. But you had your shot and you blew it.)

Conclusion? I BLOODY LOVE THIS BOOK!!! If you haven't read it, you must do so now. =D

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t you love it when an author takes an age-old story and gives it a new twist? That’s exactly what J.D. Field has done with Song to Wake to.

Song to Wake to is the first book in J.D. Field’s Levels Series. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll apologize in advance for being kind of vague. I just want potential readers to have the story open up for them the way it did for me. It won’t take you long to figure out the myths and legends that this series is centered around, but even that little tidbit is worth the wait.

I really liked Maddy. She was determined, smart and had a strong sense of right and wrong. Her little conversations with herself were adorable. Those little quips to herself gave the reader the real sense that she was a typical teenager trying to find herself. Maddy was so much more than that though. Her relationship with her mom was great too. Even when they didn’t see eye to eye.

It was also obvious from the beginning that there was a lot more to Eddy Moon than first appeared. He wasn’t nearly as backward as everyone thought he was and the glimpses that he gave Maddy of his true personality made me smile.

There was a little bit for everyone in Song to Wake to. It had drama, romance, magic, action and heart break. It also made me want to bone up on my mythology and legends of the past. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a sucker for current reads that have a basis in mythology and history. That’s just one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book. J.D. Field has given us characters that I care about and want to get to know better.

There is so much more left to be told in Maddy and Eddy’s story. Lots of mysteries to be solved, battles to be fought and loose ends to tie up. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, Rock Anthem. My only regret is that I let Song to Wake to sit on my Kindle so long before I finally opened it. I won’t make that mistake with the next one.

[Kate’s Book Spot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic, it completely had me hooked and I just couldn’t put it down. There were parts at the beginning of the story that reminded me of both Twilight and The Vampire Diaries – I love both of these so this is not necessarily a bad thing, I just felt that I had read it before. However, I soon realised that this story was very different when certain British legends were brought into the equation.

King Arthur, the Lady of the Lake and Merlin are just some of the things that make this book different to anything I’ve read before. It has been cleverly written in a way that brings these historical figures into the modern world and makes it believable.

Maddy was a great character, I especially liked all her different persona’s and the way she describes them. She discovers a lot about herself in this book and there were quite a few times that I gasped out loud at the things she found out. Eddy was a perfect handsome hero and I loved how his character developed throughout the story, the more that was revealed about him, the more he became. I didn’t like the Four Horsemen at the start, I thought they were arrogant, but by the end I had warmed to them all.

I was planning to wait before I bought the next book in the series (I’ve bought far too many books recently and really need to read them first) but I couldn’t resist once I got to the end of this one – I simply had to know what happens next!

[Hells Bells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Song to Wake to is a refreshing young adult novel. It's a great start to a series. It has all the things that make me (a-not-so-young-adult) love YA literature and it revives an original background story to go with it.
Maddy is a great heroine and you can already tell she is going to evolve throughout the series and us with her. Eddy is, like heroes usually are, dreamy at times and exasperating at other, sometimes you just want to shake him.
The whole book is told through Maddy's point of view, and i found that annoying at times because she is missing so much information. On the other hand I loved how she slowly discovers the legends behind the misteries that she faces.
If the book were, in fact, a song to wake to it would be a very catchy tune and I can't wait to read the next installment. Luckily it seems we won't have to wait very long.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!! I was totally captivated by this book. I absolutely LOVE the story told throughout this book and the reference to one of my FAVORITE legends.
J.D. Field has taken a story that has been written many times and made it modern with its own twists that grab a hold of you from the beginning of the book and keep you enticed all the way through. The book was paced perfectly giving me answers exactly when I needed them and then still leaving questions for me to ponder as we near the end of the book. Of course, since this is a series, not all of my questions are answered, but I am now so eager for the next book to reach my hands I know I will devour it!!
I can't really go in to details about the story b/c it would give so much away and I don't want to give any spoilers. I can definitely say that my interest was intrigued and then I was hooked!!
Great read and high recommend!!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful beginning to a series and I was sucked in from the very beginning. It had a good balance of romance and action. I also think it was original and unpredictable (I haven't read a lot of fantasy though so maybe I just don't know). One other thing, I really liked the heroine, Maddy. She figured things out when a smart person should. I can't stand it when the clues are all there and the chick just can't put the pieces together to figure out what the heck is going on. Maddy was not this way and that was awesome!! I loved it! I can't wait for the next one to come out.

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it! I like this new and interesting mythology - as much as I love vampires, I am kinda sick of reading about them! This was a refreshing break! I think the YA audience will be curious enough to go and look at the original King Arthur legends to get some background, and this teacher says YAY!
Like the strong voice of Maddie, and her indecision as to ":who she should be today." At 45, sometimes I can't decide which Audra I am! The characters are interesting, realistic and I want to get to know more about their relationships.

[Amaleen Ison · Rating 4 out of 5]

JDField has me hooked, and I can’t wait for the next instalment. Song to Wake to is refreshingly original in a genre of sameness. The plot - well I won’t spoil it - takes on the most unexpected twist, but ticks all the YA romantic boxes. Forget Edward Cullen, Jace Weyland and even Daniel Grigori, because there’s a new brooding male in town, and his name is Eddy Moon.

[Tona · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Maddie's grandmother passes away, Maddie and her mom move back to her home town. It's a big change moving from London to a small village. Not only that she needs to go to a private school. She soon meets Eddy. A bumbling giant. Maddie see's more in Eddy. Eddy has a secret that could prove to much for Maddie. A secret that Maddie's mom knows and could keep her and Eddy apart.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book! Read it in one day. When can I get my hands on part two. The book brought back a lot of my childhood memories. I grew up in the country and went to private school in England and visited family in London. This book is an excellent read. You did well!!!!

[Johnna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It sucked me in and I stayed up way late to finish it. The main character is very relatable and the I love the subject matter. One of my favorite historical figures features prominently in it. The water thing was way cool too. Can't wait for the next one.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book. When I was finished, I went right out to the Amazon Kindle store and bought the second (I'm about 16% through it). I think it could have used a bit more editing, but some of that could just be the difference between UK English and American English.

[Angela Willetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing take on YA fictional fantasy, cleverly combining old mythical legends into modern day characters depicting how potentially this really could occur in real life and get intertwined in a real society and lives. Very good, easy read, and addictive.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the cover and sounds great cant wait to read it...

[Yue · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, I found it silly but I also thought it was something my younger self would have liked it. I shelved this book almost a decade ago, so I thought if I've read this sooner, I would have liked it more. The whole school system is dumb, a complete joke, but what made me really roll my eyes was the "four horsemen" thing. So manga-like! Like the F4... four handsome and rich and whatever guys.

So the first part was ridiculous but kinda funny. But slowly it is like the author added pieces of different characters and books into one, the flow is not consistent, the characters are not consistent, things happen that make no sense, the romance is boring, some plots do not make sense at all, and overall, it was plain ridiculous. Like Maddy (a very silly MC) calls her mother 3 days after something happened to her... 3 days later??? And why call her from school, if they were living together?? And Eddy, being King Arthur and from one pathetic, smelly loser, to the leader of the school was super ridiculous and what he did having sex in the bathroom! was not something a "hero" -a YA hero- would do. Even the back of the car would have been better (not) but a random bathroom??? what an ass. I honestly thought there was a spell to make other people see him as ugly and a loser, and only Maddy see him as what he originally was, but no, there was no spell. He was literally the handsomest man alive, the tallest, strongest, etc, etc, but all people saw him as "weird" and smelly and whatever, except that, one night, after one fantastic speech, everyone loved him. WHAT.

I skimmed the last 2 chapters or so. The drama was getting more ridiculous. I just couldn't believe my eyes.

I think this author has potential, only needs an editor to be better.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddy has just moved from the city to her grandmother’s home. After her grandmother passed away, it has become Maddy and her mother’s responsibility to take care of the bees. Maddy is enrolled into a private school and feels out of place with her poorer appearance compared to the other students. But as she starts fitting in, she realizes there is more than meets the eye to the school.

Fellow student Eddy Moon is the adopted child to one of the Four Horsemen, four rich guys that seem to monopolize everything. Eddy gets the short end of the deal and works more as a servant than an accepted brother. But there is something special about Eddy. Maddy is drawn to him even though Eddy tries to stay away from her.

But Maddy is about to get more adventure than she wanted when she learns about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. This is not merely a story, this is happening right now and both Eddy and her have a key roll to play.

I really liked this story. I admit that I’m not big on the King Arthur story so I went into this relatively blind. But I am not interested in reading about King Arthur. I liked how Maddy believed in Eddy even though no one else did.

I admit that I was a bit irritated by Maddy with how fast she could accept Eddy’s past but just couldn’t accept he role in the story. Beyond that, I think this is a great story. I can’t wait to read the next books in this series.

This is a great young adult novel that I think anyone would like. If you like King Arthur you will like this more.

I received this book for free and offered to review it for the author.

[Steffi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Book "Song to Wake to" beginns as many other teen books: Girl moves and is the new one at school. In this case is the protagonist Maddy Bride not the typical girl from such storys but she has an annoying tendency to invent herself in every imaginable situation new. Which means that she behaves out of the blue in a totaly different way than bevor. Okay so teens try to find out who they really are and also sometimes try to be different but for me this went too far and was only irritating. However the storie takes some interessting turns when the mysterios Eddy Moon appears. He is one of those typical male charakters: handsome and mysterios. The only difference to them is that he ist at first neither rich nor popular but the latter changes. Beside those things the storyline is quite good an inovative. I enjoyed reading it most of the time. But it isn't as with other books from a serie that i have to read the sequels as soon as possible. I don't even know if i will read them at all.

[J.D. Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, first off, I have to say I'm biased, cos I wrote this. But I wrote it for a purpose. I wanted to write a book full of story elements I love to read about.
It has mystery, paranormal secrets that slowly unfold. It's set in a school, and it has a hero and heroine that are different and new. They're flawed, but not wimps. She's fickle, bright, and knows her own mind. He's well... you'll just have to read to find out exactly how special Eddy Moon is...

[Karen Berlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic quick read! I loved the British school reminders of Hogwarts, the mystery of Eddy Moon, and the headstrong main character of Maddy Bride. Can't wait to read book two and find out how Maddy and Eddy's relationship progresses now that she knows his secret... and I'm horrified that Barnes and Noble doesn't seem to carry the second part for the nook!

[Dilys Myhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now & again you come across a novel you can,t put down & this is one of those. I loved the main characters Eddie & maddie & look forward to being re-introduced in the 2nd book Rock anthems. A worthy 5*
Won this on fist-reads so was a bonus.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was probably closer to 4 1/2 stars - it was really amazing. Loved it, and will definitely read the second book. Love the whole history factor, and the incorporation of the past and present in a wonderfully unique and intriguing puzzle.

:)