What do you think?
Rate this book
Siren
By 2348, the world has been put in a crisis. With humans and Sirens on the brink of a discriminating civil war, much is shrouded in secrecy. With death as the reward, many don’t dare speak the truth and others prefer the bliss of ignorance. People who share their opinion and come against the government's tyrannical rule are thrust into exile.
Nadia Delmasta is one of those people.
Being a recently, and falsely, exiled solider, Nadia sees this as chance to have the freedom she never could and to set aside the life she was forced into. Everyone else has other plans though. As Nadia begins to understand more about the world outside of the military and the ways of the corrupt government, she has to make a life changing decision.
Will she join in the fight for justice or seek out her own freedom?
Nadia Delmasta is one of those people.
Being a recently, and falsely, exiled solider, Nadia sees this as chance to have the freedom she never could and to set aside the life she was forced into. Everyone else has other plans though. As Nadia begins to understand more about the world outside of the military and the ways of the corrupt government, she has to make a life changing decision.
Will she join in the fight for justice or seek out her own freedom?
341 pages, Paperback
First published December 18, 2011
1 person is currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Joycelin Arnold
2 books7 followersI’m Joy or Jae. It’s a duality thing; blame Fight Club.
I’m a freelance writer as well as an aspiring science-fiction author. Writing has always been a passion of mine but recently, it’s something that I’ve wanted to pursue more. In that pursuit, one of my first big projects keeps glaring over at me. My first published work is something that I'm more than proud to have achieved at just 21. Reaching one of my childhood dreams so early left me exhilarated. However, as I grew older and my skills improved (Thank God!), I've felt the urge to revisit my books and finish what I started.
Like my mom once told me, art is a labor of love, and my craft is just that. In this pursuit republishing my first book, as well as the rest of the series, I hope to tell the story in the way I imagined as a kid.
Click below to learn more SIREN on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/SirenSeries
I’m a freelance writer as well as an aspiring science-fiction author. Writing has always been a passion of mine but recently, it’s something that I’ve wanted to pursue more. In that pursuit, one of my first big projects keeps glaring over at me. My first published work is something that I'm more than proud to have achieved at just 21. Reaching one of my childhood dreams so early left me exhilarated. However, as I grew older and my skills improved (Thank God!), I've felt the urge to revisit my books and finish what I started.
Like my mom once told me, art is a labor of love, and my craft is just that. In this pursuit republishing my first book, as well as the rest of the series, I hope to tell the story in the way I imagined as a kid.
Click below to learn more SIREN on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/SirenSeries
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 29, 2012
First things first, I got a copy of this book from the author (via goodreads.com group Shut up and Read) for fair and honest review.
This book is a diamond in the rough, I struggle as to give it three or four stars. To me, a three is average book, and four is a better then average book. I'd say it was a four, but the editing issues need to be addressed to honestly give it four.
To write this review I have to divide things up into two parts. First my thoughts and feelings about the storyline, next the book (including editing).
This was a good story. It's fast paced, combat action, good vs evil battle.
The story opens in a battle scene and is 'go' from there.
22 year old Sargent Nadia Delmasta finds herself unexpectedly exiled from the military, with special ops assassins tracking her down.
Her only hope is to trust in her friends and a small group of resistance fighters. Nadia quickly learns that in the struggle for freedom, both sides have a muddied past.
She must figure out for herself which side she belongs on, but to do that she has to face many difficult truths about her past, her family and a prophecy about her.
I want to say a little something about our protagonist Nadia. She is at times emotional, impulsive and self centered, but no more then in most books with a female lead character (protagonist). If the books protagonists doesn't have a few flaws, then it is not only difficult to move the plot a long, but it is boring to read. Who wants to read a book about a perfect person in a perfect world? Where would one find a reason to read on. Flaws make characters relatable. We (the reader) experience the book through the emotions of the protagonist, their successes, their struggles, their failures. In a series, growth of a character can take place slowly over each book. The growth (emotionally and psychologically) of a character can only take place through personal failures, mistakes (errors in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment) and exploration of those errors, on the characters part. These are my views of course, and I found Nadia very relatable.
This book seems to be the first in a series. I think it has much potential as a series.
The downside of this book is that it really needs to have an editor work over it. There are typos, incorrect spelling, and often the simple words are left out.. like instead of saying 'in his hand'.. it says 'his hand,' or instead of the word 'of'' it says 'off'. This might seem to be a bit trivial to point out (and grammar certainly isn't my strong suit either ), but I found the grammatical errors to be highly distracting at times.
I would make this recommendation to the author, get text to voice program, there are several out there and many are free, then use it to play back what you have written to 'proof'' it.
I use a program called Ultra Hal text to speech reader. It is free for the basic version (you pay for the extended program). I got it off C-net, but you can get it off the company's main website (Google text to speech reader).
Now let me give you some kudos. When I seen you are 21 and this was your first book, I was taken back. Your story was well thought out, honestly the only reason I did not give you more stars was because of the grammar issues, and those are easy fixes. The hard part is writing a story is to have characters others can relate too, good dialog, suspense, twists (FYI you got me with the Major Bennet twist, didn't see that coming) and enough material to reach 300 + pages. You did all that, you have a pretty good book here.
Ok do I recommend it? Yes.
Readers who like...
Post-apocalyptic
Action-combat
Suspense
Romance
Young Adult
Fantasy
Science Fiction
..will like this book
This book is a diamond in the rough, I struggle as to give it three or four stars. To me, a three is average book, and four is a better then average book. I'd say it was a four, but the editing issues need to be addressed to honestly give it four.
To write this review I have to divide things up into two parts. First my thoughts and feelings about the storyline, next the book (including editing).
This was a good story. It's fast paced, combat action, good vs evil battle.
The story opens in a battle scene and is 'go' from there.
22 year old Sargent Nadia Delmasta finds herself unexpectedly exiled from the military, with special ops assassins tracking her down.
Her only hope is to trust in her friends and a small group of resistance fighters. Nadia quickly learns that in the struggle for freedom, both sides have a muddied past.
She must figure out for herself which side she belongs on, but to do that she has to face many difficult truths about her past, her family and a prophecy about her.
I want to say a little something about our protagonist Nadia. She is at times emotional, impulsive and self centered, but no more then in most books with a female lead character (protagonist). If the books protagonists doesn't have a few flaws, then it is not only difficult to move the plot a long, but it is boring to read. Who wants to read a book about a perfect person in a perfect world? Where would one find a reason to read on. Flaws make characters relatable. We (the reader) experience the book through the emotions of the protagonist, their successes, their struggles, their failures. In a series, growth of a character can take place slowly over each book. The growth (emotionally and psychologically) of a character can only take place through personal failures, mistakes (errors in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment) and exploration of those errors, on the characters part. These are my views of course, and I found Nadia very relatable.
This book seems to be the first in a series. I think it has much potential as a series.
The downside of this book is that it really needs to have an editor work over it. There are typos, incorrect spelling, and often the simple words are left out.. like instead of saying 'in his hand'.. it says 'his hand,' or instead of the word 'of'' it says 'off'. This might seem to be a bit trivial to point out (and grammar certainly isn't my strong suit either ), but I found the grammatical errors to be highly distracting at times.
I would make this recommendation to the author, get text to voice program, there are several out there and many are free, then use it to play back what you have written to 'proof'' it.
I use a program called Ultra Hal text to speech reader. It is free for the basic version (you pay for the extended program). I got it off C-net, but you can get it off the company's main website (Google text to speech reader).
Now let me give you some kudos. When I seen you are 21 and this was your first book, I was taken back. Your story was well thought out, honestly the only reason I did not give you more stars was because of the grammar issues, and those are easy fixes. The hard part is writing a story is to have characters others can relate too, good dialog, suspense, twists (FYI you got me with the Major Bennet twist, didn't see that coming) and enough material to reach 300 + pages. You did all that, you have a pretty good book here.
Ok do I recommend it? Yes.
Readers who like...
Post-apocalyptic
Action-combat
Suspense
Romance
Young Adult
Fantasy
Science Fiction
..will like this book
August 25, 2016
This story of a very unpleasantly Dystopian society has all the prerequisites: detailed world-building, explanation of society, culture, military, government; xenophobia, in that the humans and the Sirens and Banshees are antithetical; decent writing; and the novel starts out with plenty of action and dialogue, just as is essential to hook a reader. The author definitely has a vivid imagination and has created a society-a future-where no one in their right mind would want to live, where the worst threats of totalitarian governments in our day have been exceeded by corporations; and where the military is a tool for not just government, but for those megalithic corporations. This is a life where death is preferable, because even in exile, one will be hunted down, tortured, murdered. Better to have never been born at all.
April 8, 2012
This was a very good book - however, it would have been excellent if it wasn't for all the typos. I realize this is a preview, but I REALLY hope that all the errors are taken care of before printing. The grammatical errors, punctuation and misspellings were so distracting, it took me the whole two weeks to read it. normally, this would have been a one nighter, because the story line is very worthy.
So - to the story line - disregarding the problems stated above - the story was fantastic! It was original, and really a breath of fresh air to what is available right now. I was engrossed in the characters, and they progressed very realistically, from feelings of hatred, to more, and then much more! It was believable, and made me want to know much more, and soon!
I won't spoil the story - but let's just say it was so full of twists and turns, it took my breath away in parts. I want more! And more corrected before I read it please!!
So - to the story line - disregarding the problems stated above - the story was fantastic! It was original, and really a breath of fresh air to what is available right now. I was engrossed in the characters, and they progressed very realistically, from feelings of hatred, to more, and then much more! It was believable, and made me want to know much more, and soon!
I won't spoil the story - but let's just say it was so full of twists and turns, it took my breath away in parts. I want more! And more corrected before I read it please!!
March 29, 2012
Seargent Nadia Delmasta lives in a society that’s on the brink of a civil war between Sirens and humans. For the first time, due to her recent exile, she’s looking forward to living life the way she chooses. However, an order of execution and repeated assassination attempts on her life, throw her directly back into the thick of things. She now finds herself fighting for her life, and putting her trust in new and life-long friends, as well as a small group of resistance fighters.
There are books you love immediately, books you never want to read again, and then there are books you continue to read because you see the potential for something more. Siren is the type of book you see potential for something more.
The first few chapters of the book were slow, which made it difficult for me to get into the story. However, by the middle of the book it began to pick up. The story became progressively interesting as pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. There was action, angst, a bit of romance, among other things, to keep the plot moving along. Overall, I feel the series definitely has potential to expand on the story that was introduced in the first book.
There are a couple of issues I had with the book. One was the characterization of some of the characters. While I was somewhat able to sympathize with Nadia’s plight, I found her, for the most part, to be an extremely self-centered, whiny brat for most of the book. She repeatedly did things that put her life in jeopardy, as well as those of her friends and the people around her. I chalked it up to her being only 22, so there’s plenty of time for her to mature and grow into the leader that members of the resistance fighters believe her to be. By the end of the book, there were glimpses that Nadia would mature into a dynamic as well as likeable character.
As far as secondary characters, I found Jonny and Monte the most likeable of the bunch. Jonny had many layers and it will be interesting to see the person he becomes by the end of the series. Monte seemed mature and very capable for someone who was only 14. In fact, in my opinion, he showed more maturity than Nadia at times. Other characters seemed one-dimensional like Vincent, Kaleb and Ezra, and could use a bit more fleshing out.
Another issue I had was the many grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book. The typos, missing words and extra words were jarring, and took away from my enjoyment of the story. The book could use some editing, preferably by an editor. Also multiple proof-readings by the author and close friends and family could help lesson errors in the future.
Overall, I give Siren 2 stars, which I consider to be average. Siren had an interesting story, likeable characters, and could eventually make for an engaging series. It wasn’t a perfect book, due to multiple grammatical errors, a slow start, and troublesome characterization for some of the characters, Nadia in particular. But the story and characters have potential for growth.
There are books you love immediately, books you never want to read again, and then there are books you continue to read because you see the potential for something more. Siren is the type of book you see potential for something more.
The first few chapters of the book were slow, which made it difficult for me to get into the story. However, by the middle of the book it began to pick up. The story became progressively interesting as pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. There was action, angst, a bit of romance, among other things, to keep the plot moving along. Overall, I feel the series definitely has potential to expand on the story that was introduced in the first book.
There are a couple of issues I had with the book. One was the characterization of some of the characters. While I was somewhat able to sympathize with Nadia’s plight, I found her, for the most part, to be an extremely self-centered, whiny brat for most of the book. She repeatedly did things that put her life in jeopardy, as well as those of her friends and the people around her. I chalked it up to her being only 22, so there’s plenty of time for her to mature and grow into the leader that members of the resistance fighters believe her to be. By the end of the book, there were glimpses that Nadia would mature into a dynamic as well as likeable character.
As far as secondary characters, I found Jonny and Monte the most likeable of the bunch. Jonny had many layers and it will be interesting to see the person he becomes by the end of the series. Monte seemed mature and very capable for someone who was only 14. In fact, in my opinion, he showed more maturity than Nadia at times. Other characters seemed one-dimensional like Vincent, Kaleb and Ezra, and could use a bit more fleshing out.
Another issue I had was the many grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book. The typos, missing words and extra words were jarring, and took away from my enjoyment of the story. The book could use some editing, preferably by an editor. Also multiple proof-readings by the author and close friends and family could help lesson errors in the future.
Overall, I give Siren 2 stars, which I consider to be average. Siren had an interesting story, likeable characters, and could eventually make for an engaging series. It wasn’t a perfect book, due to multiple grammatical errors, a slow start, and troublesome characterization for some of the characters, Nadia in particular. But the story and characters have potential for growth.
February 3, 2012
I found the book slow to start. However once details started coming together i couldn't put it down.
October 1, 2012
Did you read the synopsis? Sounds great, right? I really thought so too. I mean the whole idea sounds absolutely intriguing and exciting. Plus, the cover is pretty kick-ass. And I am always a sucker for a great cover.
However…. I know. Nothing that starts with However is ever good. Siren is not horrible, but definitely not a winner for me. It started out slow and confusing and stayed that way. The character of Nadia was immature and the other characters were lacking depth. I didn’t feel anything for any of them. And there were many typos that threw me off.
I kept reading until the end, because Siren just seemed to have potential. But, Siren really let me down. I really, really wanted to like this book. And I am not trying to bash it. I am sure some people will think this is their cup of tea. Guess I prefer coffee.
2 stars for Siren.
However…. I know. Nothing that starts with However is ever good. Siren is not horrible, but definitely not a winner for me. It started out slow and confusing and stayed that way. The character of Nadia was immature and the other characters were lacking depth. I didn’t feel anything for any of them. And there were many typos that threw me off.
I kept reading until the end, because Siren just seemed to have potential. But, Siren really let me down. I really, really wanted to like this book. And I am not trying to bash it. I am sure some people will think this is their cup of tea. Guess I prefer coffee.
2 stars for Siren.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews