Genesis

Soul Savers #0·5

by Kristie Cook

Prequel to the best-selling, award-winning Soul Savers Series **** A father who reveals his truth. Twins who take different paths--one light, one dark. Angels who have plans for them both And Demons who do as well. So the Earthly battle for souls ignites... A tale that is over 2,000 years old, this is the story of the Amadis beginnings **** Over 160,000 Soul Savers books sold! **** "I highly recommend this to all lovers of the Soul Savers Series and anyone interested in giving it a try." - Brenda Pandos, author of The Talisman Trilogy "...once I began to read, I could not stop until the very end." - Amy Stewart, Book Reviewer "If you have read Promise and Purpose, I highly recommend you to read this. It will explain a lot that you didn't get from the books. If you haven't read Promise and Purpose (what are you waiting for?) then I suggest you start with Genesis first. Two thumbs up!" - Cynthia, Book Reader Addicts **** While the land of Ancient Greece is plagued with mortals' wars, twins Cassandra and Jordan have lived more than a lifetime as outcasts. When their dying father divulges a secret that's been buried in his soul, his children come to opposite conclusions, launching them down two very different paths. Jordan descends down a road of darkness and discovers the Daemoni, servants to Satan. His passion to gain their inhuman abilities, especially that of immortality, nearly consumes him, but when he thinks he's achieved his ultimate goal, he yearns for his sister to share in his power. Cassandra, however, follows the path of healing and light. She cares for the wounded and dying on the battlefields, while praying for the end to such atrocities. But her brother is determined to bring her into the war of all ages - the one for human souls. Whether you've already immersed yourself in the world of the Amadis through the main Soul Savers Series, or this is your initial foray into Cook's world, you'll find yourself addicted and wanting more until long past the last word. **** Mature Content Advisory--may not be suitable for younger readers

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Angels, Romance, Demons, Young Adult, New Adult

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2011

About the author

Kristie Cook is a lifelong writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and being magical. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her puggle. She can be found at www.KristieCook.com.

Reviews

[Yianna Yiannacou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genesis is the prequel to Promise.

It starts off with twins named Jordan and Cassandra. Their father passes away and Jordan sees him as a demon while Cassandra sees him as an angel. They are only half human so they lived in a hut away from civilization since they did not age the same as regular humans. Cassandra dedicated her life to helping the wounded on the battle fields. Until one day she finds a soldier and brings him back to her hut, feelings stirring in her heart. After Jordan becomes upset with his sister for falling in love with a soldier he runs away and becomes evil incarnate. Cassandra becomes a strong warrior that has to defeat her brother in order to bring back good to the world. All the girl descendants of Cassandra become good but all the males turn to the dark. That is how it will always be.

The book gives a good inside on how good and bad first came to light. I really enjoyed it. There was a lot of passion written into this book and it showed while reading. I felt like I was part of the book, watching. I can’t wait to read Purpose now!

[Cynthia Cene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like both Promise and Purpose by Kristie Cook so when I was offer to read the prequel of the series, Genesis, I was excited. After reading it I can honestly say it is a great intro into the Soul Savers series.
Kristie put in some really good twist and turns in the story that I really liked. I think a story falls flat without them. Also, the characters are very well written. I really like how she set the twins up as good and evil which creates the becoming of Armadis.
If you have read Promise and Purpose then I highly recommend you to read this. It will explain a lot that you didn't get from the books. If you haven't read Promise and Purpose yet (what are you waiting for?) then I suggest you start with Genesis first.
Two thumbs up to Kristie! I can't wait for the release of Devotion!

[Stacey (sassysreadingnook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After just finishing Promise & Purpose I was so, so excited to start reading Genesis the prequel in the series and...

Wow, just wow! I absolutely loved this Novella! Kristie Cook is truely awe-inspiring, with each book I've read of hers I just keep getting more and more swept up in her words. Kristie has become one of my favorite indie authors and I'll be stalking her for more updates of upcoming books. *winks*

Genesis takes you back to where it all started. You meet the two main characters Cassandra and Jordan, they're twins and completely different in every way possible.
Cassandra was such a delight to read about, she has such a sweet and nurturing soul and you can really connect with her. The courage that she possesses is just amazing (makes me wish I was more courageous like her), the things she has to go through you truly feel for her.
Jordan on the other hand just oozes evil, he truly makes the perfect baddy. I really felt sorry for him tho having no control over the path he was chosen to go down. He becomes obssessed with seeking power and does everything he can to bring his sister over to the dark side.

Genesis gave me the answers I seeked about the Amadis & the Daemoni that I'd had swimming around in my head after reading Promise & Purpose.

I can't WAIT to start reading book 3 Devotion, I'm happy to say I have recieved an ARC copy from Kristie Cook herself to review. I'll be diving head first into it asap, so keep an eye out for my next review in the Soul Savers series on the 9th Febuary 2012. I look forward to being able to share my thoughts with you.

If you haven't read this series yet than I truly recommend you give them ago.. RIGHT NOW!!! These books will take you on such an exciting adventure. You'll just get swept away like I did. :)

[Stina Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com...

Kristie Cook takes us 2,000 years in the past to when the Amadis got their beginning.

The Angel Andrew was charged with protecting Zoe, but he did more than that. He loved her. When Zoe is attacked by Daemoni, instead of staying in the Otherworld and obeying the commands he was given, Andrew crosses over and reveals himself. As punishment, Andrew is sentenced to live 200 years as a human man.

This is how Cassandra and Jordan came into being. Upon Andrew's death bed he reveals the truth to his children. But Cassandra and Jordan see completely different visions: Cassandra sees her father as an angel ascending back into Heaven; Jordan sees his father as a demon descending into Hell. And that's where the divide between Cassandra and Jordan begins.

Cassandra is such a kind and caring person. She shows amazing devotion to what she believes. She never gives into Jordan's attempts to get her to join the Daemoni. Someone with that kind of strength and her compassion for those in need makes Cassandra the perfect person to lead the Amadis.

Because Jordan believes whole-heartily that he and Cassandra are half demon and that it explains the darkness that he's felt building inside himself, he's become blinded to the truth. Once he finds the Daemoni, Jordan becomes obsessed with not only the power he can gain, but also with getting Cassandra to come with him. Jordan becomes so steeped in evil that it just oozes off him in waves.

I have come to love this series so much and I really enjoyed having the chance to read where everything began. Genesis is such a bittersweet tale. I didn't know whether to be happy or sad by the end.

I think it's best to read Genesis after Purpose, because at the end of Purpose Alexis is reading her book and the history of the Amadis. So it's like we're reading the Amadis origin with her.

I have to say that sometimes the purposes the characters in the Soul Savers series have are kind of sad. In Genesis, Jordan's purpose was to join the Daemoni and create a potion that would not only make the Daemoni more powerful, but give Cassandra the power to create the Amadis. And it was so heartbreaking when Jordan realized the truth.

But that's part of what makes Kristie's writing so amazing. She know how to draw in her readers and make the feel something for her characters. I'm so emotionally invested in this series that I'm definitely going to see it through to the end.

[Inga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really was looking forward to read Genesis, because it is pre-story for Kristie Cook’s Promise and Purpose and since I liked both of these books and I knew that Genesis will tell the story of Amadis, I was counting days!

Genesis is well-written and gives a very good introduction to Soul Savers series.

Regarding the plot:

Genesis starts with prologue with Andrew who is a warrior angel and falls in love with the human woman. For this love he pays a high prize and he is condemned to live on Earth.

200 years later when Andrew is leaving the Earth back to the Otherworld he reveals his story to his children – to Cassandra and Jordan. Cassandra and Jordan are twins and have very special abilities and Andrew has protected them by keeping them away from the rest of the world which does not understand their abilities.

Cassandra’s and Jordan’s paths are going very differently. Jordan is drawn to everything demonic and Cassandra to everything angelic. The both have their beliefs they are willing to fight for.

There are quite some twists and turns in Cassandra’s and Jordan’s story, but what is most important, they impersonate the fight between thee good and evil which creates the need for Amadis.

I really liked how the author built the story up to the settings of Promise and Purpose and I cannot wait until Devotion will be published.

Regarding the characters:

My favorite character was actually from the evil side of the story – Jordan. It’s not because I liked him, but because Kristie succeeded to create him evil, devious, despicable. There were several times where I thought, how can Jordan do these kind of things to his own sister. Jordan’s hunger for power was well described.

I had some problems with understanding Cassandra. She seemed vague, especially when it came to her brother. He was her weak point, her Achilles’ heel. I would have wanted her to fight more and earlier, but I guess she was created too good hearted with the purpose – to balance out Jordan. She missed little spark in my opinion, the spark what Alexis has.

The supportive characters were well written; they had their role in the story.

Generally:

When you start reading Soul Savers series, then start with Genesis, it will give you a very good idea of what is Amadis and how it was created and why it was needed.

Genesis was easy to read and very interesting prequel to Promise and Purpose.

5 stars.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts:
If you've seen my review of Promise, the first book in the Soul Saver series, then you know it's my current obsession. And there is nothing my inner nerd loves more than to go back to the beginning, to where it all began, who was involved, and WHY. If you were to ask me if you should read Genesis first, I myself am a little surprised by my answer:

No. I don't think you should know more than Alexis does when you get into Promise, or I feel like the impact of her frustration and confusion loses its punch. I feel like it belongs where I haphazardly read it, and that's between book 1 & 2. But on to Genesis!

The prologue sets us up in ancient Thessaly, where the angel Andrew guards his charge, a human woman named Zoe, for whom his feelings are strange and new. When three minions attack her, a demon also attacks Andrew, and they battle for her soul. Andrew wins but the vampires have done their damage. Andrew crosses the veil between the human realm and the Otherworld to prevent them from changing her or silencing her faint heartbeat. He feeds her his golden blood and heals her, only to be punished by the Higher Angels by being cast out of Heaven, but not as a demon, for his sin was of love, not greed or hate or pride.

Interested yet?

This story mainly focuses on Cassandra, and her twin brother Jordan, 200 years later. When their father dies, they both experience his jaw dropping news that they are descended from angels differently. Jordan has always been restless, a little dark and chooses to believe they are part demon. Cassandra, the healer, believes their father. They fight and part ways, Jordan to seek answers from some very nefarious characters, and Cassandra to journey alone and find her own truth.

Their story reaches an epic climax as the siblings, each having acquired powers, battle it out, for family, for supremacy, for love and for our souls. This is the beginning of Daemoni and the Amadis....And lead right into the prophecy regarding Tristian and Alexis.Kristie Cook

[Mindy/fangedmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my Kindle with me to read Genesis while we waiting in the ER to get my son checked for strep. Good news: He was negative for strep. Even better news: we were there for 3 hours and I got over half way done with this book.

Of course, by the time we got home, it was supper time, last minute homework and getting ready for the new week to start. At bedtime, I grabbed my light and headed to bed. I was going to finish this book before I went to sleep. I sure did too! It was so worth it. Although this book is not a full length book, it more than makes up for it in content! This book blew me away.

As always when you deal with multiple characters, it is a little confusing to keep them all straight. My brain kept trying to tie them back to Purpose and Promise and you CAN’T DO THAT! That is why this is called a PREQUEL but my brain could not accept that at first. But after only a short time, I had all the characters straight in my mind and an incredible world opened up.

With the title being GENESIS, you can imagine the setting of this book. It was a time of war, gods and goddess’, Christianity and constant struggle. This time was a world of chaos, fear and uncertainty.

We meet Andrew. He is an angel that has been assigned to watch over the human, Zoe. He has pledged to protect her with everything he has. When she is attacked by the very demons he is trying to rid the world of, he does the unthinkable. He saves her! He is punished by higher powers for disobeying orders. Instead of being cast out as a fallen angel and turned to a demon, he will live as a human man.

As a human, Andrew builds a life and family. The angel blood that ran gold in his veins created a special power in his future family. The result of his time on earth creates the Genesis of the Good on earth to battle the evil that is constantly trying to take over. Generations and generations of twins will be brought into this world as born leaders to fight for the good of the Amadis and the evil of the Daemoni. So starts the series of Good vs Evil.

[Sue Tint · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I must first say that I absolutely loved Kristie Cook's Promise and Purpose, which are sequels to this prequel,, so much so, they got 5 stars from me. This prequel, however was a bit of a disappointment. It took me awhile to get through it (and it is only a novella). From what I understand from Cook, she was trying to sort of set the stage and explain where the Amadis (who are the central focus in the Soul Savers series) and the Daemoni came from, but honestly, I don't think it added anything to the overall story of Alexis (who is the central character in Promise and Purpose). There is still one book, Devotion, coming soon that completes the Soul Savers series, so maybe this prequel, Genesis, sets us up for that book. We will have to see.

What I did not like about this book was the pacing, it was so slow. It didn't seem like much was happening. I didn't feel enough of a connection to Cassandra and feel the emotion between Cassandra and Niko's love (which was completely different from my experience with Alexis in the novels). There were also some scenes written where something was missing. We would be reading about how so and so was thinking about attacking and next thing we know, he has attacked, but there is no explanation on how he got from point A to point B,,, I would have to go back in the text to see if I missed anything (which I didn't). I think some editing work in this regard could have been helpful.

I gave this novella 2.5 stars since it wasn't terrible, but it also did not rise to the level of even 3 stars. That being said, I am highly anticipating the release of Devotion to see how Alexis's story continues.

12/5/2011 Update: I was corrected by the author that Devotion is NOT the final book in the series, that in fact there will be 7 total books. Yay!

[Autum Reimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book spans what seems like hundreds of years and it’s amazing how Kristie was able to take you from one decade to the next and you not even realize it until it was going on to the next. Every time change flows right into the next and I think that it worked beautifully! At the beginning you will hear about the story of Andrew who was cast out of Heaven because of his love for Zoe, a mere human woman who he was sent to protect. From there it goes onto much later in life with Andrew and his two children Cassandra and Jordan. From there Andrew “goes home” and Cassandra and Jordan learn the true reason why they are so different. They set out on completely different paths, Jordan to a much dark path and Cassandra to a bright path filled with love. Thanks to Jordan and his need to rule all of the darkness in the world, also known as hell, with his Deamoni family he tricks his sister and niece into drinking an elixir, but it turned oh so wrong. From that point on the Amadis was created, completely different from the Deamoni (hells army) the Amadis is God’s army.

I was doing my best above to recount what I could tell you about this amazing Novella! I tried my hardest not to put in any spoilers so hopefully that worked out to my advantage. This book was seriously amazing! It explains every question I have ever had about the Deamoni and the Amadis. It is truly an amazing adventure that Kristie takes you on. Cassandra has to be the most loving person I have ever read about and Jordan the exact opposite. I am usually attracted to the evil bad boys but Jordan was just too much for me. He was an awesome character though. Without him the story would have been boring and uninteresting to me. If you plan on reading The Soul Savers series ever in the future you NEED to start with this book! It helps clarify things as you are reading Promise…..I promise! Lol.

4.5/5 Stars

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genesis is the prequel to Promise and the rest of the Soul Savers Series. This story starts with an angel watching over a women he has been told to protect at all costs, but when those costs turn out to be coming to earth, being seen and letting her drink his blood to save her life he is thrown out of heaven. On Earth he and the women fall.in love and have a set of twins, a son Jordan and a daughter Cassandra. Their story begins when on his death bed their father tells them what he is and why he is on earth, Jordan think that his father is a demon since he was thrown out of heaven and that is why they are so different from other humans and why they have always been forced to live off the land, something that has been making him angrier and angrier for years while Cassandra believes her father to be an angel and has been very happy with her life. Jordan decides to leave and find more demons to live with and be himself with, to rule. When his twin sister refuses to go with him and be something she is not, their lives go down hey different paths. Jordan goes to the Ancients ( Satan's lead men) and becomes a power hungry evil demon in every aspect of the word, Cassandra spends her life using her gift of healing to help anyone and anything that needs her. She falls in love gets married and has a daughter, Jordan has a son with a Deamoni's daughter and uses her for her powerful magic to become stronger and more powerful. His live is all about what he wants and his revenge on his sister for not following him. When he decided to trick her and her daughter into drinking a potion he believes she will be forced to follow him and be a Deamoni but she is pure goodness and love and gives her soul to God and is made an Amadis, she is told to make he angels army on earth and fight the Deamoni.

[Michele(mluker) Luker · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read Promise and Purpose, which I must say are INCREDIBLE, I decided to read Genesis to learn more about how the story began.

Its an incedible story and really makes Promise and Purpose make more sense to me. I loved how the whole story began,and the battle between brother and sister.

After reading Promise and Purpose, I thought it was time to read Genesis, a prequel to the series, to get a better understanding of how the Amadis came to be. And boy was I glad I did. It put the other stories in perspective for me and I had a better understanding of how important they are to keep the human race safe and reality in balance.

Cassandra and Jordan are twins. Living isolated with their father, they live in peace away from the rest of society. On their father’s deathbed, they learn an incredible secret that he has hidden from them, and the reason why they have lived away from others. Cassandra is amazed, Jordan is repulsed…sending them both on different paths. Cassandra for good, Jordan for evil.

Cassandra has made it her mission to search the battle fields for survivors and try to bring them back to health. Little does she know, a soldier, Niko, will change her life forever. Because of a arguement between Jordan and Cassandra, Jordan leaves to try and find answers to the secret their father revealed.

This is an amazing story of how the Amadis began. The struggle between good and evil and the hope that those evil souls can be won over again for good will keep your hands white knuckled. If you haven’t read this series, I recommend starting with Genesis first. It really puts the other stories into perspective. I have fallen head over heals for this whole series.

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I now know what started it all! This makes me happy, very happy! GENESIS is the story of how THE Amadis came to be and what started the epic battle between Good and Evil that Alexis and Tristan are fighting in PROMISE, PURPOSE and DEVOTION. I really enjoy prequel type stories that reveal how things got started or shed light on events that are mentioned in a series. In this case, GENESIS goes all the way back to the very first Amadis, Cassandra. And I really love how Alexis parallels so well with her! You can actually SEE Alexis in Cassandra, and how/why she turned out the way she did. I really loved seeing that connection. We also gain a lot of insight into why things are the way they are in the SOUL SAVER series and even have some of the questions that are left open in PROMISE and PURPOSE answered. GENESIS can be read at any time during the series, but I read it right after I finished PURPOSE and I thought that was the best fit. It answered some of the questions I had right after PURPOSE and I found out I didn't really want the answers before reading it. I think GENESIS fits perfectly right after PURPOSE. But that's my opinion, you can take it or leave it. :)

[Desiree reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

his is book 2 of three that i have form KRISTY COOK I HAVE GOTTEN THIS BOOK AND ON BLOG HOP
AND WHAT I THINK IS MY OPINION AND NO ONE ELSE HERE KRISTY TAKE YOU BEYOND THE NORMAL AND THEN THERE IS
HERE IS ANGLE THAT COME OR THROWN TO THE EARTH BECAUSE HE FALL FOR A HUMAN WOMAN HE WANT NO HARM TO COME TO HER
AND THEN IS TO STAY. THIS BOOK AND THE COVER IS GREAT WELL LET ME TELL YOU THE ANGLE WHOSE AGE IS OVER 200 AND THEN
ZOE THE LADY HE FALL FOR,ANDREW HELPS ZOE AND HEAL HER THEY DO GET MARRIED AND T HEY HAVE A SET OF TWIN
WHO HAVE GROWN UP AND THEY HAVE THERE OWN POWER OF THERE OWN ONE HEAL THE OTHER IS FIGHTER YEA THE MAN
TWIN SAID HE HAS TO SAVE HIS SISTER WHO GOES OUT AND HEAL ALL WHO CAN. DO NOT LET THE BOOK DISTRACT YOU WITH
THE TWILIGHT SERIES YOU SEE IT IN OWN WORLD AND THEN IF IS DOES GO TO SEQUEL IT WILL DO GOOD I WILL NOT TELL
YOU MORE BUT BUY THE BOOK READ IT AND YOU WILL ENJOY IT ALOT

[Samantha Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and read this after i read promise, purpose and devotion i must say this series has got to be one omy my most favorite to date i love Kristies writing ,she kept me hooked and wanting more.I seriously could not put any of them down untill they were finished then i was gutted when i finished Devotion cause i wanted more.I think this was a nice addition to the series because it explained how the Amadis started and evolved and the struggle that lies ahead which u read in the rest of the series

[Rebecca Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect addition to the Soul Savers series! This is the prequel that takes us back to the beginning of the Amadis, of Good versus Evil. Angel Andrew becomes a fallen Angel in the name of love. He then fathers two children, one good and one evil. Cassandra, the good, becomes the start of the Amadis and is akin to Alexis. We catch glimpses of her as Alexis goes through the AngDora. She helps Alexis in times of great fear. This is a perfect addition to the series, very well written!!

[Kimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this novella! It was so much more touching and moving to me than Promise and Purpose. I read books one and two before this and they are filled with such raw emotion. But this prelude to the series helps you understand the motivation behind the emotion so much more. I love that it is still gritty without being vile, but so much more descriptive. I like this series and it is apparent that the author is working hard to evolve this world. Awesome job!

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love these books you should read this prequel. It helped me understand how the Ames women came to be and what the potion did. I had already read the 3 books before reading this but I didn't realize until I was almost finished with it that Niko was Nicolas. I can't wait for book 4 to come out.

[Marie Muckey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!!! It started off a little slow and took about 2 chapters before I was completely hooked but after that I could not put it down. The characters are amazing in this book, there are struggles of good versus evil, brother versus sister and heaven versus hell. I was completely immersed in the story, thankful that there are more books in the series to wet my appetite for more!!!

[Trizzan Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. The author is amazing, she makes the book so you can picture the characters the way you want. I wished the book was longer, but I knew it couldn't be or it would give to much away :) Great job Kristie, its authors like you that I love to read!!!

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story on it's pwn but it also provides more detail to the backstory of The Soul Savers series. Having said that I am glad that I read Promise & Purpose before reading Genesis as part of my enjoyment came from discovering her heritage as Alexis does.

[Natina El · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and I was afraid I wouldn't (it being a .99 book on Amazon and all). Good versus evil that starts in the womb for generations to come. I gotta say that it is kinda nice that the female is the warrior that saves the world. Looking forward to reading the others in this series.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this prequel: http://simpleloveofreading.blogspot.c...

[Sheila Martinez]

Great Book!

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genesis is a story of how all began in the soul saver series . but you have to read it after purpose . then you understand all what is happening . I love this book and all of kristie's books

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Explains how the series started out and the history behind The Promise. Looking forward to carrying on with the rest of the books in the series.

[Julie Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome pre-quel to the trilogy. I'm glad I read it afteteard though. It gave me a taste of what I was already missing from the other three. Great, greay reads. Very happy!

[Natasha Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the back story to the rest of the world. The overall story is interesting but it could have been edited down a lot. It's interesting to have some of the history, but you can definitely skim through it.

[Freda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The prequel to the Soul Savers series. It's great to see how the Amadis came into being, the fight between good and evil, light and darkness, begins.

[Susan Sharman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought things together and made things more understanding.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fair story. I really enjoyed that the story starts out with action. Would of given more ⭐️ stars but I didn’t gel with the characters or the logistics of the angel world.