When Aleria Hayes gets swept into the world of the Watchers her fate is tied to the end of the world. Will anyone survive? “Sometimes series fizzle out by the second book. Yet, The Watcher Series manages to skip that and get better and better.” ★★★★★ —The Indie Shelf Review Sometimes the most frightening secrets are those we keep from ourselves. With her eyes now open to the world of immortals, Ali Hayes realizes that there is more to the ancient power struggle between Vampires and Watchers than she ever thought possible. When a surprise informant reveals the French Coven is closing in on her and those she loves, she also learns things about herself that she cannot fully explain. Will the secrets she uncovers change the balance of power—or simply awaken things that should have been left undisturbed?
The simple beginning of The Unintended gives way to the fast-paced sequel, The Nexus. Journey into the shadow world of vampires, fallen angels, and the Watchers. This series is great for anyone who loves the romance of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, the world building of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments Series, and the high stakes of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games. When you get to book two, fasten your seatbelt, each book is faster, darker, and sexier. “Woods continues to grow her characters while adding more danger and emotion to the mix .” —Author Tamar Hela “ I love kick ass heroines .” —The Indie Shelf Review “ I made excuses to read —even going to the laundromat to wash bulky rugs!” —Judi on Goodreads “It thrusts the urgency of the story forward at a break-neck pace .” —Lauren on Goodreads “It is so much more than a love story (although, let's be real, the love story part is really hot) .” —Amazon Review “I found that i t surprised me with each new chapter, in a good way . The ending is much like Allure, and will definitely leave you shell-shocked.” —Hailey on Goodreads
If you want maximum suspense, this is the recommended
Robin Woods is a former high school and university instructor with two and a half decades of experience teaching English, literature, and writing. She earned a BA in English and an MA in Education.
In addition to teaching, Robin Woods has published six highly-rated novels, eight creative writing workbooks, and has multiple projects in the works.
When Ms. Woods isn’t teaching or writing, she is chasing her two kids around and spending time with her ever-patient husband.
With the Nexus, second book in The Watcher Series, the plot quickly thickens. Aleria "Ali" Hayes is thrust from being simply tangled in the vampire story to being a full blown aid in an ancient vampire prophecy. All of the facts rooted in true historical truth, Robin Woods weaves a story that is completely fascinating to anyone who loves their history. Bringing together multiple historical sources, she creates a prophecy, and a whole race of vampires in this book. But more importantly, she tells Ali's story. She writes an honest story of a teenage girl trying to handle the curve ball life has thrown her. Ali deals with the pressure the way any teenage girl would, but slowly learns to walk with an air of grace as she does it. Ali, unlike many Mary Sue heroines who can be found in books, is actively trying to learn how she can help and participate in fighting against the evil forces that surround them. She attends school just for this purpose, training on how she can best be of help. With a strong will that never breaks, and morals that are unwavering no matter the pressure, she is a strong and independent woman who faces evils against all odds.
This is my first review so please forgive me because I am afraid I may not do this book enough justice. I won this book in one of the free goodread giveaways (I believe all of the goodread giveaways are free. But I think at some point in this review I am supposed to state that I got this book for free). I did not read the first book and I have never really been into books that were not romance focused so it was a little hard at first for me to get into this book. But oh boy did I. Even if I really am loving how a book is going it normally takes me about 4 days to finish it. Well this book consumed all of my time and energy. I finished it in two days and I believe I only slept 10 hours in that 48 hour period because I had to know what happened next and when it was all over I had to go back to my favorite moments to lie in its glory. Ms. Woods is an extremely talented writer and I am so glad I was picked to win this book so I could find out about her giftedness. I cannot wait for book three to be published. But until then I have the first one to read and the second one to reread.
From the beginning of The Unintended (the first in the series), I could tell that I would end up in love, head-over-heels, with the story of Aleria Hayes. And that I did. The Nexus, believe it or not, was even more enthralling than the previous book. It found me laughing hysterically, gnawing on my fingernails, or nearly crying at every turn. Robin Woods has the power to break or satisfy a reader's heart, and she does both, frequently and skillfully. I can't decide whether to despise or admire how much power she has over my heart. I eagerly await The Sacrifice. No, I am DYING for The Sacrifice. Pun Unintended.
****SPOILERS**** **SO MANY SPOILERS** *****MY HEART*****
NO NO NO NO! Okay, yes I love this series, yes I adore this book. But no, my heart feels as though it's been ripped out. Mrs. Woods goes on a killing spree, such a killing spree. I want to take away all the characters and refuse to give them back until she promises to be nice to them. JOSHUAAAAA nooo I was shocked, although I have to say I think he's still alive, I mean you can't just kill off the supporting protagonist, wait *finnick*. So I suppose she could kill off Joshua, but I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive her. Anyway, although it makes me incredibly sad that the deaths were so numerous, I do understand the "necessity" (there is no necessity :'( such sadness) Leslie and Gentry were Ali's anchors, they kept her from falling into the deep end when Gabriel, Sebastian, and Joshua were so serious. And Tyran just had to go and kill them, I think the reason I was so frustrated with him is because they were just extra effect to him. Even though he knew she would come with him if he simply held them hostage he still thought it would be fun to kill them. And please, don't even get me started on Joshua's 'death' (yes, I am still holding the torch), *why??!?!* it was so unnecessary *ugh the feelings*.
Despite my sorrow and frustration, I highly recommend this book. Mrs. Woods jumps in feet first on the very first page. The pace of the book is much faster, and takes some serious emotional stability ;). I am going to go for the cliché ending. 'But don't take my word for it, go read it for yourself!'
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm not a YA fan and I thought I didn't much care for vampire novels but I have to admit that I read the last 3/4 of this novel in one day. I made excuses to read - even going to the laundromat to wash bulky rugs! I found myself saying "This is pretty good but I have other things I need to do..." only to find that another hour had passed before I said it again! Pretty good? This was a VERY good novel! If there were 1/2 stars "The Nexus" would get 4 1/2 easy.
The second in the Watchers series and Wood's sophomore novel is a great read! Her characters have developed and become more well rounded and multi-faceted. Dialog is more realistic with each character interaction pulling the reader into the story. I appreciate that these characters pull insights from their literary history (Milton, Thoreau, Shakespeare) demonstrating they're well read - but not too well read. It gives the reader insight into how much research and thought Woods has put into her characters.
I have book three "The Sacrifice" sitting next to me right now. Guessing not much else is going to get done this weekend...
This book takes you for a ride! It was a bit slow at first, but it's like that for a reason so you can get a feel for the characters and what is happening. Then it keeps going and going and going and just takes off! It was a nice, fresh spin on otherwise overused topics. I loved that it didn't just seem like a typical perfect little story but there was real hard trials and pain.
I find myself NEEDING to read the sequel.... Can't wait. It's one of /those/ stories. If you liked the first book, it only gets better in this one.
I was able to read the ARC of The Nexus and let me just say...amazing! Definitely loved the fast-paced, sexy, and dark themes of the book. Woods continues to grow her characters while adding more danger and emotion to the mix. Many more questions are answered--especially questions that arise from reading The Unintended. I could barely put the book down. Once I finished, I wanted more! Can't wait for the next book, The Sacrifice to come out. This is a vampire series unlike any other.
"Read The Nexus," they said. "The Nexus was what The Unintended was building up to," they said. "The Nexus won't make your brain melt and ooze through your ears," they said. Yeah, see if I listen to them ever again. (Though in all honesty, they might not have actually said that last one. But it was inferred.) To be fair, I got slightly more interested during the end, and think that, just maybe, Bowen and Tyran could be sort of interesting if given half a chance. (Then again, this might be because I had, by this point, gotten so bored I had assigned random character traits to people in order to stop myself from falling asleep. For example, Bowen in an existentialist and Tyran is a nudist.) But, overall, I had the same basic issues with this book as I did with the first one. (See The Unintended: Why This Book is Boring.) Except, of course, that the protagonist's six interchangeable friends from the first book have been replaced! In their place are Uriel, Leslie, Ian, and Gentry, who are just as interchangeable as they are expendable. But, on the bright side, there's only four of them! And, by the end of the book, there's only two left. So that's a plus! On the other hand, I don't remember Aleria and Joshua being this irritating. Were they always this irritating? Aleria can't prioritize! She places staying a virgin over the safety of THE ENTIRE GOD DAMN HUMAN RACE. That's like risking the lives of fifty orphans because you didn't want to eat a chocolate bar. And Joshua stands by this decision, because no one in this world except Winslow has heard of consequentialism, and then proceeds to give irksome advise, like, upon being hypothetically captured, "survive, no matter what happens. You keep breathing...keep fighting" (155). Oh, thank you! So, if I get stabbed in the brain, all I have to do is KEEP BREATHING. I'm glad I know that. Think what would have happened if I had been stabbed in the brain, and I didn't know that I had to keep breathing in order to stay alive! Why, I might have DIED AND BROUGHT ABOUT ARMEGEDDON. And they're DUMB. Were Aleria and Joshua always this dumb? Why did Joshua and Aleria think it was a good idea for Joshua to drink her blood multiple times after she'd just had abdominal surgery, when there WERE OTHER PEOPLE THERE? Feed on Gabriel! Feed on Gentry! Feed on Peter! Feed on anyone who hasn't just had surgery! Jesus. And Aleria is whiny! And I could put up with it up with it until she had those lines about how she's always being punished for being good, like not doing drugs or still being a virgin. Aleria, you are not being good. You are RISKING THE FATE OF THE PLANET AND MOST OF THE SENTIENT BEINGS ON IT for the sake of your own selfish desires. Go die in a hole, and then the human race would be safe. Of course, Joshua "Bad Advise" Whatever-His-Last-Name-Is is no help in the matter, even asking the protagonist, "Do you really want to alter your beliefs because of some external force?" (154). Man, I could write an essay on this line. On one hand, you could interpret it to mean something like, "Would you claim to change what you believe because someone was threatening you?" except, of course, for that word "external." And, with that word "external," we get the implication that our beliefs should come from within, and not through any sort of observation, and I disagree. I strongly disagree! I wouldn't even mind if this line was part of some sort of ethical discussion, but it's not, really. It's just Joshua and Aleria going back and forth, talking about how morally great Aleria is because she's never gotten laid, even though that's potentially going to get lots of people killed. I know is said in my review of The Unintended that Aleria wasn't a bad role model, she was just bland, but I take it back. She's bland, AND a bad role model. And she can't narrate in an interesting way! Everything reads like a list, and she spends too much time describing unimportant things like how she took a shower, and too little time on important things, like, uh, whatever the hell the main plot of this book is supposed to be. I didn't like The Unintended because it was tedious, but this sequel makes me angry. At least, it does when it's not too busy making me bored out of my skull. It doesn't even have an unintentionally hilarious villain line near the end, like The Unintended. I guess that's why I started imagining Tyran was a nudist. When you're reading The Nexus, you have to make your own entertainment.
Things really pick up a lot in The Nexus. It gets a lot more exciting!
Why I like this book: 1. Increased pacing 2. Great dialog 3. Cool mythology 4. Characters with depth 5. Story and setting and everything is cooler than the first book.
If you've read the Unintended and are on the fence about giving The Nexus a try, trust me. Do it. Coming from someone who has read the three books in this trilogy as well as the prequel, and is now even reading the final two books of the series (which aren't out yet at the time this review is being written), I can say with confidence that stopping after the Unintended would be a huge disservice to yourself.. With every new novel of the Watcher Series, Robin Woods somehow manages to outdo the previous one in every way, all the while getting darker and more mature the further the story progresses. The stakes become higher, the scale becomes grander and the story becomes more and more intense and rewarding to read and be a part of. The scope of this series is so great that it has something for everyone. You seriously will not believe the places this story goes. Pick it up!
More Addictive Than Coffee! I had the privaledge to read an ARC of the Nexus, and boy, what a thrill ride! If you could not put down The Unintended, buckle your seatbelt, 'cuz it's gonna get a lot more crazy and a lot more wild! I seriously could-not-put-this-book-down. I received it in the evening and stayed up all night reading it until it was finished the next day. In a nutshell, I would say The Nexus is a whole new take on paranormal fiction meets The Mortal Instruments meets Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire meets apocalyptic fiction. Woods is such an incredibly gifted and amazing author. As the story continues to develop, twist, and turn, the complexity and depth of the characters continue to delve deeper as we fall more in love with each one. Woods has again managed to incorporate a great gift of language with humor and style that is uniquely becoming all her own. I look forward to seeing where she takes us in this epic tale and what the future holds for our heroine.
I got to read an ARC and it was awesome!!! It wasn't hard for me to fall in love with Aleria 'Ali' Hayes but now it's a full fledged love affair. The girl who seemed to have strength and courage in the first book finally gets to show her what she's made of. Ali is not the damsel in distress that many writers like to depict and I'm glad for that. She is a spunky young woman who is finally coming into her own in this book. Woods has a way of finding a way of getting me extremely attached to characters like I haven't been with other books and I'm not sure if I like it or not. No I like it...I do :) I can't wait to read the twists and turns Robin Woods takes Ali on in the conclusion of her adventure.
If you've read the Unintended (1st book of the trilogy), you'll feel the intensity/pacing difference in the snap of finger with the Nexus. The action/violence caught me by surprise after getting used to the previous book, and out of the 3, I like Nexus the most. Primarily taking place in Europe (England), your thrust into a totally different environment at a totally different pace. Robins writing in chapters 1-2 is a subtle way of her telling you to buckle your seat belt. Additionally, I feel Robins perfects her style/voice within these characters in Nexus and escalates everything to the next level with the story. Without a doubt, this was an overall improvement/progression from the Unintended.
I love this book! I could not put this book down. Think you can guess what's coming next? No way. Not a chance. I'm not good at breaking down a book for review - this series is actually the first time I have done this. Here's what I can tell you: The author does a great job developing the characters. I love them all. Ok, I'm not a fan of one, but I think it's supposed to be that way. I will say, I hold a tiny bit of hope for that one, but I'm sure the author has some plan that will take me by surprise. I have read a few series that pick up the pace here and there, but I like that the pace gets faster and faster with each book. Read this series - you won't be disappointed.
Having read all the books, The Nexus still stands secure at the top as far as favorites in the series goes. This book is the payoff to the previous book's amazing set up. Ms. Woods provides all my favorite plot themes: a thrilling chase, a love story to die for, sexy villains. What more do you really want out of life, you know what I mean?
Recommended, recommended, recommended! If you've read the first one, you need to pick up this one right now. And if you haven't read the first one, what the heck! This series is a must-read!
I love this series! The characters are engaging and I want to know more about them and spend more time in their company. This is not just another vampire story. Woods has a way of story telling that is both unique and down to earth at the same time. The reader feels like they are familiar with the story elements and given the opportunity to learn new things. I swear when the characters are underground you can almost feel the rough-hewn walls! So that you don't miss anything start with book one and keep on going!
Amazing! What a ride...I felt like I was running from page one. I couldn't put it down. The first book was great and the second is even better. Epic. Beautiful story telling, with gorgeously 'fleshed out' characters, who feel like friends. Robin Woods perfectly balances moments of frenetic pace and quiet romance, the thrill of the chase and a tender love story. I have no idea how I am going to wait for book 3!
I really enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. I read this & the first book The Unintended because I won the third book in a Goodreads giveaway but felt I couldn't do an honest review until I read the first two books.
This book picked up where the first book ended. It's fast paced & the ending surprised me... definitely not the way I pictured it ending. I cannot wait to start on the the 3rd book The Sacrifice.
The story and characters are so well written! In addition to a captivating story line and intricate mythology, I love that this is not simply a story about a girl falling in love with some guys. It is so much more than a love story (although, let's be real, the love story part is really hot). It is a story about a girl figuring out who she is and finding her inner strength as she overcomes incredible obstacles.
You can easily tell the author did her research for her books. I am always worried when reading a second book in a series because you never know if it'll turn out better or worse than the first. This book continued to surprise me and kept me wanting even more. I highly encourage you to read it. You will not be disappointed.
Get ready for some serious action! Ms. Woods has kicked up the pacing in this book. I love the darker and sexier feel of this book. This has more action and some seriously hot kisses, which leave you wanting more. I did not see the plot twist at the end coming and I may or may not have screamed Noooooooooo! And quite possibly cried, but I will never admit it to anyone that I know.
The second book in this series is very thrilling as it goes into detail on who Aleria Hayes is and what her future is. I found that it surprised me with each new chapter, in a good way. The ending is much like Allure, and will definitely leave you shell-shocked.