One wolf shifter. One Valkyrie. Will they risk it all for love?
Infinity is a superstar singer, who has always had everything at her fingertips—until her world unravels. Her foretelling dreams have haunted her, and a part of her believes them to be true.
Although a preternatural world filled with vampires, wolves, tiger-shifters, and Valkyries surrounds her, Infinity doesn't know that others are after her or that any of them even exist. They want her for the ultimate power that she can give them, yet she doesn’t realize the extent of the force she holds within herself.
When the truth of her dreams comes to light, Infinity risks losing not only her own life, but also the lives of those she’s always loved.
In a war between the supernatural beings, there is no telling who will survive.
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Sedona Venez lives in New York City with her hot ex-military hubby--hooah--and their fur babies. She loves writing sizzling, sexy intricate stories about strong but broken characters who push limits, overcome their fears and risk it all for love.
Want a text alert when Sedona has a new release? Text "SedonaVenez" to 33222 Or if you prefer by email, Sign up for her Naughty Romance List to get all the newest hot releases, sales, great giveaways and a FREE Wolf Shifter Romance--> CLICK THE LINK TO JOIN THE SV TRIBE!
I just finished reading this book and I'm still not quite sure exactly what was going on the entire read. Everything was very centered around things that I found to be unimportant to the plot of the book. I swear there was one chapter completely dedicated to a conversation taking place in a car, where all that was talked about was sex, drugs and how hot everyone was. I didn't get anything from this except the understanding that Infinity likes to think a lot about herself, and has some crazy emotional mood swings. . .going from laughing so hard she is crying, to being pissed in 1.3 seconds and right back again.
Infinity was a very shallow character, she literally only thought about herself the entire book. There is one scene that takes place where she pretty much screams "no one will tell me what to do!" runs off doing something stupid and causing a lot of unnecessary harm to herself and the people around her. If she just listened to the person telling her what to do, considering she knows there are people out that want to kill her, none of it would have happened. And when the person tell her this to her face she blames everything on him for bossing her around.
There seems to be almost no background information on her, and everything is given to you with the "you don't need to know anything right now" line only to be proved that if she only knew what was going on everything could have been avoided and she could have prepared herself better for things to come. I can handle a little of this in a book, but when it gets to the point that bad things keep happening and no one outs the needed information it stops being mysterious to me and just gets annoying.
The other characters surrounding Infinity were just as bad as her. . .I have no reason to root for any of them. Most are only explained halfway before they either disappear making me wonder why there where even there in the first place, or try to get into Infinity's panties.
And with that it brings me to one of my main complaints. I don't think I have ever seen the work virgin thrown around so much. I got the point right in the first chapter after it was said about 4 times. I did a word count on my kindle and found that in between chapter 1,2 and 4 the word virgin, or some form of the word, is said 16 times. I understood she was a virgin after the first chapter, I really did.
There is some aspects I liked about this book, but they are few and far between. Even though it never moved the story along I liked the way Zoe and Diego came across, they were funny and their banter fun to read. I got to one point that I actually really started to enough the story but Infinity would ruin it all by acting like a spoiled child. . .which I guess I should expect because she is a famous superstar, but it was really annoying sometimes.
I didn't like the ending at all. . .from what I kept getting was that Infinity was trained at one point from her mom to fight and protect herself, she really only does this once though. I'm sure she could have stepped up and kicked butt, but she decided to let herself get pushed around more.
Would I recommend this book? Nope, I found myself more frustrated during this read then anything else.
**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review"**
I can't do the full review right now... too upset. Can't even bring myself to rate it yet.
I will say there are things I like in this book. Infinity- Rock Star, recovering addict, and living in a bizarre, futuristic world controlled by supernatural races. Boulder, hot wolf-shifter with panty melting powers. The unkindness of ravens that follows her is unusual and a nice touch. Overall, I enjoyed the variety of characters and 'loved' to hate many of them, while being sympathetic to a select few.
There are many, many things I did not like. It's hard to describe and contradictory in a way, but I didn't like the plot. It pissed me off, it dumped information quickly, it turned down apparent (or for now) dead ends, it pissed me off (it requires mentioning twice,) and I waffled on my opinion of the book as a whole throughout my entire reading. I said it's contradictory, because usually books that create such an emotional response are good, really good. And I can't find fault with the writing style as I was still reading the book. I wanted to put it down, but couldn't. I know that's just clear as mud.
In addition to my issues with the plot, I feel character choices and personality also went hand-in-hand to adding to my hesitation to the rating. The characters themselves were interesting and enthralling, but overall I feel that Infinity's choices were 2♥ choices (if I was able to rate them.) I was growling in irritation, and yelling at my poor Kindle for Infinity to put on her big girl pants, put up or shut up, and grow a pair of cahoneys.
WTF is up with that ending? I'm not going to give spoilers except that it made me want to hurt my precious Kindle and I started spouting like a sailor in front of my family.
I'll be updating this ... when I'm able to calm down.
Edit 1/20/13 Finally have decided to give this 3♥'s. It had promise, and I wanted to like it overall despite my hang-ups. So, a solid 3 from me.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
"Infinity,i want you...so much."He rasped,his voice sexy and sedutive.
♣ 3.5 Raven black stars....♣
This book was basically a great read....uv'e got a kickass plot...kickass heroine....n FOUR HOT kickass guys claiming to be her 'ONE TRUE MATE', while taking turns to go all Neanderthal on her ass...LOL...
Come on....Boulder..i know for a FACT you were thinking about going at it with Torch and her.. *snikers* LOL lets just saw..ur thoughts were on 'kindle-display :P
RECOMMENDATION: Over all....not a bad fantasy read....other than the fact that i didn't really understand why 23 year old Infinity had a general impulse of living a life off a drugged out 17 year old...it was all good.
So yes,theres a hance i'll continue this seres.......but this book defiantly wont make it into my Fresh-FAVORITES shelf as a re-read.That element of 5 star was sadley missing...but all in all this book was defiantly a great first book for author Sedona Venez
This is a really great story and book. We get vampires, shape shifters, magic, witches and more! Infinity has been living the wild life of a rock star. She had decided it is time to take control of her life. Gone are the drugs and partying. Infinity is becoming aware that things around her are not adding up. One of her nearest and dearest is trying to control her and take over her life. Her family is dysfunctional but they love her fiercely. Her mother who took her in when she was an orphan keeps telling her trouble is coming. Zoe and Diego are her best friends, choreographers and dancers are closest to her and have noticed people are missing and threats are increasing. Public enemy number one is the Collective Corporation who is trying to stop her upcoming tour, even if that means ending her. Infinity herself can can feel the darkness inside of her and her horrible dreams show her what will happen if she succumbs to the dark side.
Secrets have been kept and these secrets are powerful enough to destroy Infinity and everything she loves. She no-longer knows who to trust or who to depend on. She is being targeted my many and her new personal body guards may not be able to protect her, even if they are her true mates.
I was at the end before even realized and found myself screaming NOOO! I cannot wait for book #2. There are so many cliffhangers that I can't decide which one has me torn the most.
Thank you to Inscribe Digital and NetGalley for allowing me the read.
I'm not even halfway through this book and already I don't like it. I Seriously don't think I can finish it. So far none of the characters are interesting, and I'm just not into the whole drug addiction theme. Also, the fact that Infinity, a hard partying rocker chick, is really a clueless, naive virgin is just ridiculous. I honestly have to say that, at this point, I couldn't care less about what happens to any of the characters.
I received an ARC of Infinity in return for an honest review.
I have to open this review with negatives and I'm afraid it pretty much finishes on negatives too. I struggled to connect with the characters in this book and not just one but actually most of them. I think this is due to me getting whiplash a few times by the writing style. Sedona seems to write with a very punchy vernacular and oh boy does this author like writing conversations or what! At least half of the 'chat' could be stripped from this book and leave it a much meatier piece of writing that's my honest opinion.
It was during these long winded conversations that I found the plot procrastinated a lot on completely unimportant issues. I couldn't believe when I read so many pages about a discussion between Zoe, Diego and Infinity in the car on the way to the Party, it was such a waste of text and competely un-necessary and I wanted to throw the book down in a fit of boredom, and sadly this happens a lot.
I really didn't like Infinity, she's a spoiled, self centred, know it all and actually because she doesn't 'know it all' she causes more damage than good a lot of the time.
The premise of the story was actually on the clever side and plausible it's just the deliverance didn't live up to what could have been a cracking good paranormal read.
Actually I am going to give this a positive comment though, the cover I really liked the cover and it's mostly what drew me in.
Sadly I wouldn't recommend this read unless it's been edited masses and a lot of unnecessary waffle removed and Infinity's character toned down a bit, I get that she's a virgin but I didn't need to be reminded of it near every other page....... and considering she's a virgin she's very promiscuous in the use of words about sex and that didn't sit right with me either.
Immortal beings controlling the lives and fates of humans. Add in the idea of true mates and an assortment of crazy and awesome different types of paranormal beings. This book conceptually is one that I could really see my self getting into. However there was something lacking in the execution.
For the first quarter of the novel no action occurs. There’s two different conversations which tell the reader a lot about what’s happening in the world where the Collective (an organization made up of Shifters and Vampires) control the rich and poor alike though a new drug. A pharmaceutical they developed keeps the unfortunate and downtrodden healthy whilst giving the wealthy a pleasant buzz. It’s such a cool idea that Venez has created. But there were times when it was just too much information and not enough action. Other times everything happened so quickly and out of the blue that I felt a little left behind.
Infinity plays the over-indulged pop star exceptionally well however she lacks any real depth. And the fact that every male character in the story wants to be the one to claim her virginity – it felt a little over the top.
This book didn’t feel like a New Adult novel to me – with the copious swearing and sexual references – it felt more like an adult paranormal fantasy novel. I have come to expect some kind of coming of age or at least have the lead to grow emotionally throughout the story in a NA novel but with all the drama in Infinity occurring over a few days and the novel ending on a cliff-hanger - there’s no much room for growth or resolutions of any kind.
There’s a lot of potential in this story and the world in which it’s set but I just couldn’t get into it.
I liked the idea of this book. The paranormal or superstar elements alone are tried and test formula, but their combination here adds something new and intriguing to both genres. However, I’m not so sold on the execution. The book started slow, launching straight into a lengthy conversation between two characters that acted a background-dumping device alongside a token effort towards action. The first chapter secured my disinterest rather than my interest.
That’s not to say that it was bad. The chapter titles were a nice little touch. The main character has a definitive and real voice, providing some funny observations.I can’t really point out terrible major flaws or peeves.
My main dispute is that I don’t feel particularly inclined to carry on after the first chapter (getting this far felt quite long in itself). I will. I committed to reading and writing a review of this book in exchange of getting it as a free gift. Would I bother otherwise? Perhaps not.
Take home message: I’m quite neutral about this book so far. I don’t recommend or not recommend it. I’m not terribly impressed yet. Once I finish, I’ll be able to offer a better well-informed opinion. It is unfair to judge a book on the first chapter.
Let me first say that I decided to read Infinity because the sequel, Infinity Unleashed, looked interesting and I really had no idea that it was the second book in the series. So, I requested the book but when I started it, I realized I was missing a LOT of information. I ended up buying this one so that I could get up to speed on everything that happened. I had high hopes for it even though I really had no idea what it would be about considering all the blurbs I found were just a snippet from the story. With that said, I was extremely unprepared for what I was getting into and honestly, pretty upset that the publisher and/or author did not do the book justice by providing an actual blurb to explain the story or at least provide a warning that there was a ménage in the making.
For example, the 'blurb' led me to believe that Boulder and Infinity would be the main couple in this romance story. Nowhere does it mention a third love interest in this. As one that doesn't enjoy being blindsided by ménages (I avoid them, in all honesty), I was more than a little upset that around 80% into the book I find out that Infinity will not only have ONE mate but TWO mates. Not only that but neither of these guys make a LIVE appearance in the book until 59% for one and 80% for the other. I'm a lover of romance and what that means is I want to experience the courtship, I want a developing love ESPECIALLY when the book is labeled as 'Paranormal Romance'. Instead, with this book, I'm pretty much getting straight up lust with Infinity going into something akin to heat for both Boulder and Torch in the last 25% of the book. To say I'm disappointed in not only realizing this series features a ménage but that it took literally more than half the book for either of the heroes to come into play, is a VERY BIG understatement.
Let's talk about the characters, though. As a popular singer, Infinity has a lot going for her. She's rich, she's famous and she's gorgeous. Unfortunately, she has the classic spoiled brat attitude where she doesn't really care about anyone else but herself, she has no respect for others or their time or the fact that people are trying to help her. Instead, she acts like she's the only person that matters and throws tantrums when she doesn't get her way. Screaming at people and making their lives hell, not to mention making them wait on her, NONE OF THESE are attractive qualities. I had a very hard time liking her, to be honest. She's hypocritical, self-absorbed and very, very selfish not to mention a drug addict. I found her constant answer of "I'm sober and not even taking any Rejuvenators" very annoying because she literally just popped two or three of them not hours before and was just thinking of popping another two after she was finished doing whatever she was doing. She's heavily in denial. Then again, you can't really expect anything different when the very people who 'love' her and want to 'protect' her constantly lie to her.
This leaves me to my next issue. Kara, Infinity's adopted mother, is a Valkyrie that is the Immortals' puppet. What this means is that she knows what will happen next and instead of informing others about this, she never tells anyone anything. Including Infinity. Apparently, Infinity is half-Valkyrie and half-wolf and instead of letting Infinity know this while growing up (honestly, I'm not quite sure why she never developed any powers or shifted considering she's in her twenties now), Kara decides to hide the truth from Infinity. Actually, everyone in this story seemed to be some type of paranormal - vampire, Valkyrie, shifter, witch, etc. - that hid the truth from Infinity and this BAFFLED me. I didn't and COULD NOT understand why it was so important to leave Infinity in the dark about who she was. Yet, they all kept telling her that it was important she didn't act this way or that way, don't draw attention to yourself, don't let someone hurt you, learn to fight so that you can stick up for yourself and when she asked WHY any of that mattered, she was roadblocked by "You don't need to know" or ignored. Honestly, I could not comprehend what the point of keeping Infinity in the dark was. If she had KNOWN what she was, maybe she wouldn't have acted so stupidly so often in the book. Maybe she would have realized that she was important and that so many people wanted to use her and maybe she would have acted like a sane, responsible adult instead of a spoiled brat that threw tantrum after tantrum and unwittingly stepped into bad situation after bad situation while being able to understand that she's really NOT crazy, just a supernatural being.
Now, with all that said, I found Kara and Infinity acted the exact same way. It was hard to differentiate between the two to the point that I even thought I was reading about Infinity when it was Kara's POV! They had the same mannerisms, they had the same speech, etc. Since Kara is centuries old and considering how she acted in the beginning, I would have expected her to act her age, more or less, or at least more mature and not a teenaged girl like Infinity acted. It was very annoying how immature they both were and how secretive they were. IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE! This leads me to the fact that the book is written in both first person (from Infinity's POV) and third person (from multiple different POVs). Honestly, it was confusing and really awkward when the third person POVs didn't show up until half-way into the book, almost like the book was either written by two different people or that the author wrote the first half then put it aside to write the second half at a later date. It was not a smooth transition.
The plot of the story actually had a lot of potential and I DID find some of it intriguing. Unfortunately, the story is clogged with unnecessary purple prose, ridiculous descriptions of things that do not matter (such as a long thorough scene about Infinity, Zoe and Diego in a car talking about inane, unimportant things or the constant need to describe everyone's clothing) and a lack of progression. The first half of the book could have been cut because all it showed was that Infinity is stereotypical and conceited. Not to mention the fact that she's a virgin, sexy, gorgeous, beautiful, etc. is mentioned more times than most likely Boulder OR Torch's name. The story stalled because the author focused too much on WHO Infinity is as a human and not who she is as a PARANORMAL. Besides that, the whole world was confusing. ARE vampires and shifters widely known? If not, then why doesn't everyone know about them? WHAT was the Fire and Ash War? Exactly WHEN does this story take place? WHY is Infinity so important? While I understand that she could save the Others, nothing related to HOW or WHY they need to be saved is mentioned (besides a brief mention of their lack of reproduction). One last thing, this story ends on a major cliffhanger, to the point that not only was nothing resolved but now there is a new threat that takes of Infinity and leaves the story completely opened with absolutely nothing resolved... not even Infinity understand what she is.
With that said, I can't recommend this book. The descriptions and tags associated with it are inaccurate and misleading. The blurb speaks nothing of the story, the plot, the characters, the direction the story is going in. NOTHING. All the females are immature and probably should realize that saying things like "Hell to the no!" makes them seem childish. It lacks depth in the world AND the characters that are important but yet focuses on characters and descriptions that bring nothing to the story but instead act as a filler. I was filled with so much frustration and annoyance reading this book that I'm sorry but I just did not like this one.
Have you ever walked up to two people who are in the middle of a conversation? It might be a casual conversation or one that's got them both heated up, and chances are it's something that's important to the two of them. But, the thing is, you don't have a clue as to what the heck they're talking about. After awhile of trying to figure it out just by listening to them, you really don't care. You're on the outside looking in. That's kind of what I felt like reading the first half of Infinity. There was a lot of talking and I felt dropped in the middle of it without a clue. In fact, the more they talked the greater my confusion and eventual apathy got. Ummm... so not a good sign.
What it's About: Infinity is about a young woman named Infinity. She's twenty-two and a singing sensation. She's about to make a comeback after a six-month hiatus due to a mental meltdown and drug abuse. Infinity is an unusual girl. She has visions, a posse of crows that follow her around, and a youthful mother who can fight and run real fast. Her brother (in name only) is her manager and he's taking too much control over her life and career. Infinity's concert is pissing off some real powerful people, and it seems they'll go to any extent to shut her and this concert down. You can then mix in werewolves, vampires and Others, rebels and power plays, Valkyries and Immortals. There is also the question of what the heck Infinity really is.
The Bad: Like I said, there was a lot of talking in this book and some of it was about absolutely nothing. Infinity and her two best friends are adults in their twenties, but I kept picturing them as sixteen. Very immature sixteen year olds at that. There was a chapter, or at least it felt like a chapter or half the darn book, where these three talk about hot men, being hot, sex and the fact that Infinity is a virgin. Let me not leave out that this conversation takes place in the back of an SUV. I was so tempted to skip this chapter and if need be this book, but I pushed on... More bad news, I didn't care for Infinity. I really didn't like her. She was annoying and she needed to grow the hell up! In fact I didn't like anyone in this story with the exception of Boulder the werewolf and even then the name irked me. And while discussing the bad, let's not leave out the fact that the story ends with a cliffhanger.
The Good: Starting off the good by talking about the cover may not bode well for the actual story, but I really liked the cover of this eBook. Yes, cover snob that I am couldn't help but fall in love with that cover, which was fitting for what was going on in the story. The raven, the man, and the wolf eyes. The high heels and the microphone. Great freaking cover! Although it might not sound like it, there was some good in this story as well. It just waited until the last part of the book to happen. After Infinity's concert the shit (excuse my language folks) hit the fan! Sure, Infinity's immaturity set things in motion, but the thing is the story started to get good. It made me sit up and pay attention. Unfortunately, it ended abruptly with a cliffhanger.
What it Boils Down To: I can honestly say that I did not like Infinity for a majority of the story, however, it ended with a bang and so I have hope. This is my first time reading a book by this author and if it weren't for that last minute save it might have been my last. Fortunately the ending of this book was really quite good and captured my attention to the point that I'm interested in knowing what's going on and actually want to keep reading. Unfortunately, based on the majority of this book I'm giving it between 2 and 2.5 stars and hoping book 2 will pick up on the promising ending.
*A copy of this eBook was given to me by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
INFINITY is the perfect name for this heroine – plagued by the unknown her entire life and will likely be plagued by what might have been and by the haunting dreams that are destined to become reality for the rest of her life.
Author Sedona Venez has concocted a mysterious and unique world in this first book of the VALKYRIES: SOARING RAVEN series.
Infinity is a young megastar singer fighting the stigma, thanks in large part to the media, as being a wild child, drug-addicted, party animal, but is that really what she is all about? Not so much. She is a fierce businesswoman who is destined for greatness – though she is not exactly sure of her role in the world, she is determined to right the wrongs of a very secretive group called Collective Corporation and to say they are not her biggest fans is a vast understatement.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book! The sheer volume of brooding, testosterone-laden, hunky males is enough to make any girl cream her panties ;-) and most of them seem to want a little piece of Miss Infinity – yum! I can’t wait to see which one she chooses. Eeny Meeny Miny Moe choose a vampire, a tiger or a were named Bo! Ok, well the were’s name is Boulder (work with me here – Boulder just didn’t sound as good in my little rhyme) or as she has so fondly nicknamed him, “Big Red” and he is Hot-Hot-Hot!
INFINITY left us with so many questions that I just don’t know what I want to know first! All I have to say about this is that I really need to get my hot little hands on book 2 PRONTO! There’s a whole lotta ‘splain’ Ms. Venez needs to do!
Great read if you dig vampires, tigers and wolf shifters and if you enjoy a unique spin on the paranormal genre stories.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
______________________________________________________________________ If you like this type of book, you might enjoy one of these groups. Check us out!
**Firstly I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read this for free in exchange for a review. Secondly I would like them to know that I thoroughly enjoyed it and that I have bought part 2 off amazon.**
What I loved most about this book was that there is no shortage of new boy crushes for a reader like me to get attached to and in this book they come in all shapes and sizes; bad boy vampires, warrior wolves and many more.
This is an alternating Point of view book but the other points of view are non-frequent since the book is very much centred on main character Infinity. Infinity at first comes across as a spoiled bratty musical performer with very few problems in life but as the story develops she actually turns into a character I enjoyed reading about. As a whole world of problems arise that she didn’t think existed she has to try to learn things for herself. But she is taken away by a guy to meet his family in time to leave us with plenty of suspense.
Secondary characters include Infinity’s mother Kara, werewolves Torch and Boulder, best friends Zoe and Diego and vampire Alik. In short there are a lot and I’m not wanting to comment on a few of them as they weren’t in the book for very much. I will however comment on Kara, Zoe and Diego as there was quite a lot of info on them. Kara is the adoptive mother of Infinity and she remains throughout the book to be holding back some of her mysteries and I do hope to get to the bottom of those mysteries. Zoe and Diego are Infinity’s best friends throughout the film; they share witty banter and made me smile more than a few times, in a book like this when there is a lot of stuff happening these two characters were the bits that made me giggle.
The storyline was very good but I thought towards the end of the book the pacing got to be a bit too much although it has left me wanting more and I will be reading the next in the series very soon.
5 stars I loved this book. Can’t wait to read book 2
***I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review***
Infinity (Valkyries: Soaring Raven #1) is an adult paranormal romance/thriller that take place in the year 2101. Where the main character “Infinity” is an “impatient self-absorbed”, superficial, partying drug addled brat on the road to self discovery. She has no idea what she is or the world that she truly lives in.
While Infinity is supposed to be a strong woman at the age of 22, self reliant as a famous singer, this character comes off as an insecure pisspot taking no responsibility for her own actions. Even though she is self proclaimed party girl she still wants to be viewed as a no nonsense business woman which doesn’t ring true. Her main response to any thing she doesn’t like is “hell to the no” which after the third time of hearing it just became annoying.
Venez has a wide assortment of characters to choose from, valkyries, shifters (wolf & tiger) vampires, witches & Immortals, and she puts her own unique spin on them. The idea of valkyries is original and interesting but not much was explained as to the true nature of the paranormal creature. There is mention of the Old Norse mythology and a few tid bits dropped here and there but nothing substantial. So much time was devoted to the main character and her sexual frustration that the rest was waylaid until the last 3rd of the book.
This is not a YA saga, more of an adult fantasy. Massive sex talk and profanity run rampant at points bordering in some places on the tip of erotic
The overall theme and plot of the book is well written and interesting, definitely strong enough to pull you into the second book “Infinity Unleashed.”
Special attention does need to be made to the cover art which beautifully captures the essence of “Infinity”.
A good start to a new series that left me wanting MUCH more! And not just more of the story, but more details. I was left…wanting and there were quite a few questions lingering in my mind. All-in-all it’s a fun, exciting and funny paranormal packed read that fans of the genre should take the time to look into.
Infinity is a beautiful, talented young woman that has a bad reputation and does not fight to prove it wrong. It’s not that she does not care, but why fight it? She’s highly stressed and deals with it the way she knows how. She’s also a bit confused. Things are coming out of the woodwork, more like facts that she’s never known and people that she’s never knew of. She finds out many truths and comes to realize all is not at all what it seems to be. She also finds herself very strongly attracted to not just one man, but three and never having felt like this before. She’s unsure how to deal with it.
So much is going on in her life, including her two best friends missing. She’s told many different things about the why’s, the who’s and where’s, but is clueless as to who she can trust. That includes her own family. Poor Infinity has it the furthest from easy that one would expect being such a big star. Now what to do with all of these new events?
A 3.5 rounded to a 4 rating for me. It has the means to be a really great series and I plan to keep my eyes alert for this author and the next in the series. I REALLY need to know where things end up for Infinity and if there’s any one in her life she can truly count on. I also would love to know who she chooses to be with among the three men that seem to get her all hot and bothered :)
'Infinity' proved to be a fast-paced, gripping paranormal read. I was immediately hooked in by the opening few chapters with the mystery surrounding Infinity's heritage and what this meant for her future. Her character starts off strong and full of diva attitude. Teamed with her entertaining sidekicks, I was immediately amused and entertained.
Approximately a fifth of the way through, Infinity's mysterious heritage begins to unravel. Cue hotties from all walks of supernatural life. This changes the focus and creates a shift in plot and character development. The descriptive narrative is, on the whole, engaging and very visual, and the characters effectively come to life. There were times that I was frustrated by Infinity's behaviour and reactions; she's young and head strong. While these characteristics were flaws of sorts, they helped to provide a more realistic female protagonist. There were times that I became a little confused by the plot development. I had to stop and think to make sense of a few things. Despite these blips, I was still engaged and caught up with the action.
I am most definitely championing Boulder. The inclusion of the numerous, sexy alphas creates a lovely level of steam, just at the right heat level to be described as 'new adult'. Be aware, Sedona Venez's weaves together several impressive twists and a cliff-hanger that will have you jumping up and down in disbelief!
Disclosure: A copy of the ebook was provided for free in exchange for an HONEST and not necessarily positive review.
I would have loved this book if it weren't for the pacing and the main character. I felt like some scenes were dragged on for an unnecessarily long time (like the limo scene where we meet Infinity's best friends) and I especially didn't like where the story ended because if you recount all the events that have happened throughout the entire novel, not much has happened (at least not much compared to your typical paranormal novels). As for the main character, I don't hate Infinity, but I'm not a huge fan of her either. I like that she's doing what she's doing for a good cause, but her stubbornness in certain parts really annoy me (especially the approaching end where her stubbornness affects the fate of her friends). I know that she's not the first protagonist who's stubborn and who's stubbornness has affected others, but I feel like her stubbornness is that of a child and not just someone who's sticking to their guns with logic. This novel isn't horrible (trust me, I've read novels that are a hundred times worst), but I wouldn't be the first to recommend reading it. But it's not too bad of a read if you need something to pass the time.
I don't understand anything anymore. How can something be this bad? How can someone be so blind to think this is worth someone's time and money?
NOTHING FUCKING HAPPENS, the 'characters' are all shit, the mood is non-existent as is the world-building and did I say that there's no plot? Because there isn't.
I think this is supposed to be about a singer who's the daughter of a werewolf and a Valkyrie who's supposed to bring the end of all otherworldly creatures one day, so everyone's kind of keeping an eye on her- and her in the dark. But what it ended up being is a boring mess of shit stains pretending to be humans speaking dialogue not even a 5 years old would write standing around in rooms talking about sex- and sometimes nearly getting killed by vampires, who seem to be a normal thing in this world, with an amnesiac protagonist who forgets SHE WAS JUST ATTACKED BY A FUCKING VAMPIRE and laughs in her mom's face when she tells her magic is real. Also there is the dreaded 'true love' shit where fate chose some random rapist to own you- in fact, it's not 'true love' it's 'true mate', because even this author realized there is no love involved, just sexual assault and 'you're mine now my pretty'.
I hate this. I really do. It's disgusting and an insult to my person, a waste of my time and money. Infinity's virginity is mentioned every 5 pages like you're as amnesiac as she is and every conversation goes on forever. A truly horrid scene has some of the secondary shit stains (I will never call them characters for as long as I live) do a sketch to tell the reader Infinity's race in minute detail and it KEEPS GOING FOR 3 PAGES. Another has the foster mom go to the dad and ask he protects his daughter- about 15 pages. And let's not mention everything with Zoe, who should've tossed out the window as soon as the book began.
This happens in the future (2100 or so) and except some drugs, there was nothing futuristic about it at all. In fact, as much as Infinity is supposed to be a singer, she never does anything remotely related to that ever. The closest to anything celebrity related is all the parties she goes to.
I hated all the shit stains- and had no idea how any of the relationships were supposed to work. A tendency this book has is to introduce a character, imply that Infinity dislikes them, then show us that it's just a thing they do and that in fact they're very close. This is how the book opens; Infinity is outside in the cold with her mom, begging her to go back inside and imaging the headlines of the next newspaper mentioning her death. She then goes on for pages on end, mocking everything her mom says to her, telling her her shit's stupid and that they need to go back inside. Like, I thought this was an Angelfall kind of mother/daughter relationship, but then as the chapter ends Infinity says 'god I love this woman'.
This doesn't work, because after that it makes me doubt every antagonist that shows up later. There's a guy who arrives, tells her the only reason he ever accepted her invite of a concert together is because he thought he would get in her pants, and then he tries to kill her and gives her the choice of dying or becoming his fucktoy- right before he tries to rape her- and I was honestly wondering if her wasn't supposed to be a love interest, too.
Because this book's got lots, and if you think I'm fucked by even wondering if an author would make a rapist a love interest, thinking again. There's Mason, who's Infinity manager- and a bad one at that. Her mom tells her to fire him, but Infinity says he's 'family', and the word 'brother' is mentioned a few times... right before you have Mason clearly crushing on her and Infinity ogling him every time he's here- oh and he wants to rape her too. Then there's a Viking she meets in her dreams, who recognizes her werewolfness and claims her as his mate by pushing her to the ground and either raping her or masturbating her. Boulder is the closest to a normal person, but his dialogue is 100% innuendo and DTFness, meaning he has no personality whatsoever, but hey, that's better than a rapist at least.
Then everyone dies at the end and I was happy except for the fact that the villain literally tells Infinity that her mom and another guy will survive being shot- like I know the bitch is as dumb as a flower pot with the memory of a goldfish but you don't! You just don't tell your enemy this kind of thing "Hey it's cool you don't have any Styrofoam around here, I'm super allergic. Also I see you haven't realized you can transform into a bush."
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
The premise for Infinity sounded great. You wouldn't even know it was a fantastical paranormal story unless you checked the book out on Goodreads and read reviews. It isn't until the prologue with one of the main characters, Kara, that you realize it isn't just a contemporary romance. There are shape-shifters, vampires, Immortals, Valkyries. A whole world of paranormal creatures. And a whole world of trouble.
Like I said, the premise sounded great. But with little in the way of plot and one of the worst heroines with an ugly personality, Infinity fell short of that expectation.
If there'd been more that had to do with the paranormal aspects, and less to do with Infinity, the main character, I would have been more inclined to want to finish this story. I did anyway, because it really did grab my attention and I was reading it for review. After that intriguing prologue, I was left wondering about the fantasy element, and I was interested in seeing how everything came together and why Infinity was so important.
But then my interest started to drop...
There were a few reasons why I didn't care for this story that much, and the main character was appropriately the number one problem I had with Infinity. First and foremost, if I hate a character, especially the main character, I'm going to end up hating the book. Or, at least, not liking it enough to even grab the sequel. Yeah, that happened. So, anyway, Infinity is this spoiled, drugged-up superstar singer who is blatantly oblivious to all that goes on around her, and who acts like a child when she doesn't get her way. Those stupid, childish antics lead to a disaster that could have been avoided had she not felt the need to remind Torch, her security leader, that she's the boss. Her moods are so up and down that it's difficult to even understand her reasoning and understand how she's feeling about certain characters and certain situations. And the idea that all the men in the story want to help Infinity lose her virginity was so ridiculous, especially since her bitchy and superior personality is a major turn-off. There was just no real depth to Infinity, and no real character growth.
Yeah, I hated Infinity. She's supposed to be this savior, someone to stop another war from starting between the vampires and werewolves. Yet, she's got an awful personality and she's sorely unprepared thanks to her mom's secrets. But I did like Kara and Torch. :)
***
What really confused me about the story was the synopsis. It's poorly misleading. There is no love triangle; there isn't really any romance in the story at all. And when Boulder shows up, the only guy who has been able to make this virgin's blood boil, she finds out he's her true mate. One of them, that is. I get instant attraction, instant lust. But I'm still not entirely convinced that this isn't going to end up insta-love. Anyway, Torch doesn't even show up until 80% into Infinity. His and Boulder's security team doesn't even get called in to "babysit" the superstar until way past the halfway point. And that is where there is finally some action. Before, Infinity had had a little skirmish with a rogue vampire named Alik. But that's it for the action, and I think I was a little disappointed about that because the prologue set the book with enough suspense and interest to keep me reading. And yet, nothing happens until Infinity acts like a child and has a run-in with Alik again. A run-in that results in death, destruction, and gives Infinity a sense of distrust with everyone around her.
After that, secrets finally come to light. We finally get to know why she's so important, who her father is, and what she is. Infinity finally understands what's really going on around her with the different councils of shape-shifters. And with steely resolve and a strength that was missing throughout the book, she makes a decision. Her own decision. It didn't make me like her any better, but it did make me see that maybe, just maybe there's room for her character to grow and develop. To blossom into a kickass heroine who will fulfill her duty and save the day.
That's a big maybe.
***
It wasn't even just the main character that had me rolling my eyes and wanting to throw the book (well, my laptop, but that would never happen!) against the wall. It was interesting, but over the course of the pages, I felt myself growing bored because nothing was happening. The plot consisted of Infinity and her need to lose her virginity. It did have some interesting plot points that, I'm sure, will be more developed in the second book. But with my dislike of the main character, and my attention waning, it was hard to keep going. I wanted to see how it all ended, and I wanted my questions and the mysteries answered. But by the end, I already knew everything, thanks to some chapters in her mom's POV, and when Infinity finds out the secrets, it took away the mystery. In paranormal stories, as well as with fantasy ones, I want action. I want mystery. I want to get lost in a new world. It needs to be fresh and exciting, and it needs to make me want to stay in that world and not leave it. Infinity didn't do it for me.
I didn't hate Infinity; I thought it was okay. It was entertaining, to say the least. I was really excited for this book, and it sounded like something I'd really enjoy. I'm a paranormal and fantasy junkie, and the synopsis grabbed my attention the first time I read it. But even a pretty cover and an intriguing blurb can lead me astray.
What a wonderful book. I love the characters and how well they get along, it's almost like I'm there laughing and joking with Infinity and her two besties. The lore that is in this book is absolutely beautiful, the songs connected with the ravens is brilliant. I already downloaded book two. Thanks, loved it.
REVIEW Ever wonder why stories with supernatural being seem to be all the rage nowadays? Ever wonder why vampires and werewolves just can't seem to get along, no matter what universe they are in? Ever wonder if the explosion of supernatural beings battling it out under humans' unaware noses is a social commentary on something larger? This story won't answer any of these questions, but it will help you wonder...
LONG STORY SHORT... Vampires + werewolves + lies + immortal beings + tiger shifters + fae + ravens + singing superstar + lust + visions + a whole bunch more = one heck of a story! In this fairly original story tucked within a genre that is being done to undeath, we find Infinity, a superstar singer with quite a reputation for partying and getting into trouble. Well, she's quite a bit more than that, but she doesn't know it yet...
Love, "true mates", lust, other-worldly beings using creatures as pawns...there are so many commentary directions this work could take that it makes my fingers itch just wanting to type. Let's just say this is quite a roller coaster ride that made me want to scream, blush (there are some rather *cough* steamy scenes - this is definitely NSFW and 18+), and punch something at the unfairness of everything that happens. Whirlwind plot, good characters - this is a good read.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this work a 3.
LONG STORY The Good We've seen a plethora of vampire/werewolf stories lately....but how many of those stories include a rich singer, tiger shifters, fae, creepish ravens, and immortals amusing themselves with the mess that mortals have made?
One.
Here we find Infinity. She's a rather spoiled young lady who has gathered fame and fortune due to her awesome singing abilities. She's also a woman biting her thumb at The Collective - a group of beings who is bent on stopping some concerts she's doing for charity. She's also a woman who is not quite human, carries secrets of her own about being able to see future events, bizarre dreams that just may be visions, and might just be the fulfillment of a prophecy.
But for now she's just concerned about her concert, and her crazy mother, and annoying adopted half-brother who seems to be bent on controlling everything about her. If she only knew...
Gotta stop...I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to book critique - Venez has here created a unique book that is a rather, for lack of a better word, ticklish read on more than a few levels. We are seeing vampire/werewolf stories being done to undeath, and yet here is something new, something intriguing in its own right.
There are familiar elements which orient current readers to something about this world. Spoiled singers with a massive reputation for partying and not giving a flying f*** what the world things (I could name at least 3 right off the top of my head that I see in my newsfeed constantly). Overbearing parents who seem to know more than they are letting on. Pesky siblings. Best friends who help you keep going. This book has all of this.
It also has strong characters, an interesting plot line, and is written in an engaging style that drew me in like a fly to a mid-summer lamp. Let's also just say this is a "chick flick" of a book (/wink).
The Bugly (bad/ugly) Um, I've got a few quibbles here:
1) The chapters vary between points of view of many of the characters. This is not inherently a problem - I've seen this done extremely well. Unfortunately, I found myself confused about whose eyes I was peeking through at any given moment. Usually by the 2nd or 3rd page of a chapter I had it figured out, but it bugged me that several times it was not obvious within the first couple of lines.
2) Humans are smarter than this work would seem to let on. It makes it sound like there is this huge vast thing happening right under humans' noses. Um....given the extent of some things, I like to think humans are smarter than this book lets on. I'd like to think that humans would at least have an inkling that something odd is going on...
3) There is this huge major thing called the "Fire and Ash" war that happened. It was supposedly between every kind of being on the planet. Humans would definitely known about the other worldly creatures walking amongst them after some of the scenes from this war.
4) This book really needs a chart in the back that shows who is what: species, rank, position in the Council, etc. I was getting really confused about who was what and where and why.
Infinity is a singer, a super star, rich and influential – and burned out. After getting hooked badly on the cure-all-pills Rejuvenators and a very public break down, she’s pulling herself back into the limelight with grand concert – a concert that is aimed at bringing down the predatory Collective Corporation that exploits people with its pills
A collective run by vampires, who are not happy. But that is the tip of the iceberg. Unknown to Infinity, she is the keystone in the master plans of many supernatural factions and she’s suddenly very much on their radar;
This book comes with a lot of potential.
We have a world with vampires controlling a vast pharmaceutical empire with deeply nefarious goals. We have complicated issues of class and exploitation. We have a hyper-rich, powerful singer both enjoying vast wealth but also being discounted for her attempts of philanthrophy. We have not just numerous supernatural beings, but each of these groups is split into factions with a myriad of goals – all of which with crafty cover stories for the greater human society. Underneath it all we have strong hints of dark powers and a central protagonist pulling herself out of addiction and with great big powers and secrets to be revealed
It has immense potential. Immortals and gods and vampires and wereanimals and Valkyries and ravens and big corporations and magic and so much more. Immense potential indeed
People who have read a lot of my reviews will realise that when I start a review talking about potential, I’m going to now say how it completely failed to deliver that potential
And oh, yes did this book fail to reach that
First of all, there’s our introduction to the supernatural elements of the show. Or lack thereof, because the main character we follow, Infinity, is rather indifferent about the whole thing. She has scary prophetic dreams with being that call themselves various wonderful things and she doesn’t do anything about them. Her mother tells her that werewolves and vampires exist…. And she has no follow up questions. Really, it’s like “VAMPIRES ARE REAL!” “Really?! Hey, it’s really cold, let’s go inside.”
I am less than impressed with her reaction to the supernatural – and the fact we’re following a protagonist who shows little interest in and has little involvement with the supernatural factions driving this world we never really delve into much of anything. Worse, her indifference doesn’t man everyone is indifferent to her – she is involved in all of this plotting as an object to be obtained
Because we do get some viewpoints from the various supernatural elements in the world – wereanimals, vampires et al and it’s clear they’re involved in some very heavy politics and competition with multiple factions on every side plotting to do various nefarious things – all of which tends to involve one element. Infinity
Or, rather, having sex with Infinity. While it’s clear they are plotting various political shenanigans, it’s far far far far more clear that these plot will be realised by having sex with Infinity or are threatened by their want to have sex with Infinity, or are distracted by their wish to have sex with Infinity or generally just want to have sex with Infinity
Like the werewolves who are seeking acceptance in their pack which is threatened by their aging population needing officialdom in order to find partners – whose quest is threatened and their prejudices challenged by the Pack’s two leaders having a passionate desire to have sex with Infinity
Or the vampire rogue who is plotting no doubt many kinds of intricate cunning plans but the main one we see is his wish to have sex with Infinity
Or the weretiger whose family is finally making a play for power while occupying a complicated and privileged position in the supernatural world that promises for lots of complicated politics. Maybe. Of course their plan involves their guy having sex with Infinity.
Or there’s the rock star who is… actually, he’s a complete and utter nobody but he’s dropped in because there weren’t nearly enough men in this book who wanted to have sex with Infinity. Apparently.
About the only ones who don’t want to have sex with Infinity are actual relatives who want to protect/preserve/use her for nefarious schemes that are just not all that clear which just goes further to making Infinity a weak, helpless pawn to be fought over by just about every other (almost entirely male) faction in the book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Infinity thinks she is just like every other diva rock star, and after taking a 6 month long break, she is planning her next big concert. During her time off, her dreams have become more vivid. She’s dreaming of valkyries, vampires, wolf-shifters, and other immortal beings. She knows these kinds of monsters exist, but is not sure why she would be dreaming about them? She is after all a human, not a monster.
Infinity soon finds out that everything she believed about herself is untrue. The night of her big concert all hell breaks loose, and she’s introduced to her new security team. Right away she can feel the pull between her and the head of her security team. The sexy man they call “Boulder”. She realizes he is a wolf-shifter and cannot figure out why she would be so attracted to him? After all, he is a monster.
Being told she cannot go to the after party, she sneaks out of her dressing room into the parking garage. There’s an army of vampires waiting to attack. Infinity fights like she has never fought before remembering moves Kara has taught her. But there are too many of them for her to fight off by herself. As she is about to give up, she hears this loud growl and bullets ring out into the air. Boulder and his team have arrived.
Torch gets Infinity out of there and has taken her home. There she learns that she is a one-of-a-kind hi-bred valkyrie-wolf shifter and is wanted by every immortal out there. Some want her dead, some want to mate with her for her power, but there is one who she is destined to be with. Infinity is trying to understand how her mother (Kara) could’ve kept all of this from her? In the mean time, the house becomes under attack by the tiger-shifters. Kara has put Infinity in her room thinking that would keep her safe. However, she forgot that Mason was also a tiger-shifter and Infinity would not hesitate to let him in.
Mason shows up in her room, explaining that she’s his life mate and she must go with him. Infinity doesn't believe him because of the rejection he gave her when she tried to give herself to him years ago. Mason grabs Infinity and placing a gun to her, walks her out of her room, taking her down the stairs. Infinity can see Kara and Torch fighting the tiger-shifters, and once they spot Mason and her they try to stop them. However Mason has them shot. Dragging an hysterical Infinity from the house, he throws her in the car, and is giving orders to burn the house to the ground.
By the time Boulder and the rest of the team show up the house is engulfed in flames. Thinking that his mate, Infinity is still inside, he tries to run into the burning structure. He stops as Torch and Kara emerge from the flames. He’s told that Infinity was taken by Mason but they have no idea where they have gone.
Mason and his team drive up to an air strip and force Infinity onto a plane. Mason can no longer take hearing her defy him. So he leans over and drugs her. In no time at all Infinity has passed out. Boulder, Kara and Torch are all looking for where she could have been taken? Will they find her before Mason tries to mate with her?
I give this one 5 bombs. If you love the fantasy world as I do, then you will love this book. It is full of all things we think don't exist. The story lines between the characters are awesome! You can feel the lust, love, and hate between them all. It makes you take sides, pulling for Infinity and Boulder to finally come together, hoping that Mason actually gets what is coming to him, and wondering how a mother could keep so much from her daughter. I couldn't put it down until I was finished with it. It leaves you wanting more.
"It's true what they say . . . Thou shall not fuck with the Immortals . . . Ever"
~~~
"So you have a darkside. I have one too. That doesn't make us bad people or unlovable It just means we need balance, stability, and acceptance. The scales must be even for us to function."
~~~
My Thoughts:
Its odd when I've read previous views about this book either people really dislike the book or absolutely love it. The amount of dislikes almost swayed my wanting to read this but since I had received a ARC for an honest review I decided to read the story anyways.
So theres Infinity who is pretty much a self-absorbed superstar who gets whatever she desires. She's your typical mess of a singer who was addicted to drugs and partied too hard after her mental breakdown she jumped right back into business. I have a love hate relationship with Infinity, I hated how self absorbed she was its drove me crazy she acted too much of a diva but then again she's a singer/star so I'm not surprised. As for what I liked about her was that she was confident, sassy, and bold. I liked that when she was in trouble she was ready to kick ass.
~~~
He smiled. "Death will look so good on you."
Death? Nope, not today. I could do this. I could beat him. Sometimes in my soul knew this.
"Not today. This superstar is going to Fuck. You. Up. Bloodsucker." I had nothing to lose and everything to gain-My survival."
~~~
My favorite characters had to be the best friends Zoey and Diego, they are great sidekicks. I love how loyal, outgoing, funny and friendly they are. I loved how they would talk to each other.
~~~
"Okay, can you at least warn a girl before you unleash a bevy of hot, young Viking warriors? The whole lot of them walking around just all tall and buffed and giving off some weird animal vibe. Whew! Just Whew" She (Zoey) started fanning herself."
~~~
I'm pretty sure this is the first New Adult/Adult book that is paranormal which was another thing that interested me. I mean, it has nearly every mythical creature in it, including Viking (Which was another thing that almost turned me off before reading and then loved it when I was actually reading it).
Overall the story was pretty great. I loved the writing style and the storyline was quite good. There was quite a bit of conflict to keep me interested. But there was a lot of random stuff that didn't quite fit and made it harder to understand. Sometimes I felt like the story dragged in places where it shouldn't, I was just as confused as the superstar of what was going on. I wished the chapters a bit shorter they were like 20 pages long. I mean I received the PDF copy and it took awhile to get through just one chapter. Filled with suspense and at the end left with a cliffhanger. I must know what happens next to know what the heck is going on.
~~~
I'm just adding this because I couldn't help but crack up when I saw this in the book:
" Will you stop defending that crazy ass bird." Picking up a pebble I threw it. "Bitch!" Gunnr croaked, holding the note while flapping its wings with triumph. "I get it. You hate me. But guess what, bitch bird? I hate you too."
Mom quirked a brow with amused smirk. "Hate?"
"Uh, yes! Remember when it tried to peck my eyes out?
"Yes. But Gunnr apologized and was adequately punished for playing too aggressively."
It was confirmed my mother was out of her damn mind. "Oh, fuck that. The only reason Gunnr didn't succeed was because I finally stood up to her bullying ass by head butting her like a soccer ball." I held up two of my fingers, looking at her between them. "Goal, Bitch. Goal."
Infinity thinks she is just like every other diva rock star. After taking a 6 month long break, she is planning her next big concert. During her time off her dreams have become more vivid. Dreaming of valkyries, vampires, wolf-shifter and other immortal begins. She knows these kinds of monsters exists but not sure why she would be dreaming about them, she is after all human not a monster. Infinity soon finds out that everything she believed about herself is not true. The night of her big concert all hell breaks loose. She is introduced to her new security team. Right away she can feel the pull between her and one of the head of the team, the sexy man they call Boulder. She realizes he is a wolf-shifter and can not figure out why she would be so attracted to him, he is after all a monster.
Being told she can not go to the after party, she sneaks out of her dressing room into the parking garage. There is an army of vampires waiting to attack. Infinity fights like she has never fought before remember moves Kara has taught her. But there are too many of them for her to fight off by herself, as she is about to give up, she hears this loud growl and bullets ring out into the air. Boulder and his team have arrived. Torch get Infinity out of there and has taken her home.
Where she learns that she is a one of kind hi-bred valkyrie-wolf shifter and is wanted by every immortal out there. Some want her dead, some want to mate with her for her power, but there is one is destined to be with. Infinity is trying to understand how her mother (Kara) could of keep all of this from her, in the mean time, the house becomes under attack by the tiger-shifters. Kara has put Infinity in her room thinking that would keep her safe. However she forgot that Mason was also a tiger-shifter and Infinity would not hesitate to let him in.
Mason shows up in her room, explaining that she is his life mate and she must go with him. Infinity doesn't believe him because of the rejection he gave her when she tried to give herself to him years ago. Mason grabs Infinity and placing a gun to her, walks her out of her room. Taking her down the stairs, Infinity can see Kara and Torch fighting the tiger-shifters attacking the house. Once they spot Mason and her they try to stop them. However Mason has them shot. Dragging a hysterical Infinity from the house, he throws her in the car. Giving orders to burn the house to the ground. By the time Boulder and the rest of the team show up the house is engulfed in flames. Thinking that his mate, Infinity is inside, he is trying to run into the burning structure. He stops as Torch and Kara emerge from the flames. He is told that Infinity was taken by Mason but they have no idea where he has gone.
Mason and his team drive up to an air strip, forcing Infinity onto the plane. Mason can no longer take hearing her defy him. So he leans over and shoots her up full of a drug. In no time at all Infinity has passed out.
Boulder, Kara and Torch are all looking for where she could have been taken. Will they find her before Mason tries to mate with her ?
I give this one 5 stars. If you love the fantasy world as I do, then you will love this book. It is full of all things we think don't exist. The story lines between the characters is awesome, you can feel the lust, love and hate between them all. It makes you take sides between them, pulling for Infinity and Boulder to finally come together. Hoping that Mason actually gets what is coming to him, and wondering how a mother could keep so much from her daughter. I couldn't put it down until I was finished with it. It leaves you wanting more.
*Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I really wanted to enjoy this book but there were a couple of things that let me down. The blurb of this book left me desperate to read this novel and although I did enjoy this book some things ruined it for me. Despite the little things I did enjoy this book as a whole. I really wanted to enjoy this novel but it seemed to be lacking in certain places. The underlying tension and the secrets that are kept during this book draws the reader in. The pace of this novel was very mixed there were points in the book were the paced was extremely fast and interesting and then there were other parts were everything slowed down. Sedona Venez was good at captivating her readers despite the problems they had with the book they still wanted to finish it to see what will happen to the characters. The author has created an original plot with a unique paranormal world in the centre of it.
Infinity is a superstar and after battling with her demons and isolating herself from the world she is back and ready to stand up for what she believes in. With her best friends and her family by her side she is ready to fight back but what will it cost her. Although there were many aspects of this book which drew me in there were a few issues I had with this novel. The main problem I had with this book was the many pointless conversations which took place. During this book there were main conversations between characters that had no point to them and did not move the story along, in fact they slowed the pace of the book down. An example of this is a conversation between Infinity, Zoe and Diego which took place in a car and last nearly half of a chapter. Throughout the whole exchange all they spoke about was how good people looked and sex which did not move the storyline on at all. I could not see the point of the conversation as I did not even feel as if I knew the characters better after it was over. Throughout the duration of this book the reader is constantly left feeling as if they have missed something. Despite all the problems I had with this novel there were parts that I did enjoy hence the in between rating. The author has given her readers a unique paranormal world which has them hooked from the beginning and makes this book worth reading. Sedona Venez also created a group of original and unforgettable characters.
Infinity is a character who throughout the course of the book brought out mixed feelings from the reader. She often comes across as a self-centred woman who only thinks of herself which made it difficult for the reader to connect with her. Many of the characters in this book made it very difficult for the reader to connect with them due to there often selfish actions. The one character who could have saved this novel was Boulder but unlike in most Paranormal Romances the leading male was not introduced until over half way through the book. This allowed the reader barely anytime to get to understand him as a character and witness his relationship with Infinity develop. There were many parts of this book which left the reader incredibly frustrated but as a whole this first instalment in the Valkyries: Soaring Ravens series left the reader interested and wanting to find out what will happen next.
Overall I really wanted to enjoy this book but a couple of things really let me down. Despite these small things Sedona Venez is a great writer who has written the perfect start to a series which leaves the reader desperate to read more. I would recommend lovers of paranormal romances give this book a try as it is worth the read.
Infinity is NOTHING at all what I expected. I expected a romantic paranormal story with little elements of mythology mixed in. But instead I have a completely smexy book that was undeinably intricate and well well written. I was confused at times, but that didn't stop me from liking this book.
Instead of my usual rundown, I'm just going to list things I liked and things I didn't like. Why? Because that's what I feel like doing with this review. No reason other than that. Sometimes I like to change it up a little. :)
Things I liked: - Two smexily attractive werewolf guys. Seriously. Those two...YES. ;)
- Creepy but cool vampire dude.
- The writing. Sedona Venez wrote this story well. I loved how it was in Infinity's POV, but there were also chapters in third person from various other characters' POVs and they each had their own voice. Goodness knows there is NO. POINT. In alternating POVs or changing POVs or whatever if they all sound the same regardless. Might as well just stick with Character #1 and keep the book nice. But Sedona didn't have that problem! So I should stop ranting about it. Ha.
- Surprise factor. I had no idea x was going to y instead of z doing..something. And I KNOW that made no sense, but the point here is that I was surprised. So yay!
- The ravens. I just thought they were really, really cool. And funny.
- DIEGO! Ha, that boy.
- I just want to say that I'm Team Werewolf. Boulder and Torch all the way, my friends. Now, choose between the two? I don't think my brain can handle that.
Things I did NOT like: - Infinity. I just thought she was extremely self-centered and ignorant and...yeah. Her character wasn't unbearable or anything, I just wasn't a fan.
- I have a teensy problem with the world building. It's just, I THINK I get how their world works, now that I've finished the book, but it took me waaaay too long to even remotely have a grasp of it. Don't get me wrong, explanations start at the very beginning, but they all didn't add up and start to make sense to me until far into the book.
- The fact that my werewolf boys don't ACTUALLY show up until over half way through the book. They do have little moments before then, but it's nothing too substantial.
- Random kissy scenes/talking scenes. I know what you're thinking--How can kissy scenes be bad?!?!?! But I'm not saying they were bad. They were actually entertaining. But they were also random. We'd be talking about something, and then out of nowhere the topic of sex would come up or Infinity would start making out with someone...
And...that's it. So count it up, my friends.
Things I liked: 7 Things I did NOT like: 4
Yep, that looks right. Because I really did like this book! And I am most DEFINITELY going to be all over that sequel. I actually have a strong suspicion that I'll like that one better than the first, now that the stage has been set and the story's going.
So should you read this book? I think so. Even if you don't LOVE this book, it's just the first in the series and I truly think the books are going to get better. As I said, the stage has been set now--and I believe things are only going to get better from here.
Goodness, with that ending I am DYING to get my hands on book 2! AHH!
“Three that will change your life forever. One that will awaken the darkness within you. One that will feed your lust for vengeance. One that will struggle with the darkness within you. All will fight their need to claim and love you.”
Infinity is a superstar singer, who is trying to take back control; of her mind, her life and her career. As fate has it, taking back control isn’t as easy as Infinity would like to believe it is. She had a very public meltdown and was addicted to drugs, but now she is coming back all guns blazing. She is strong-willed, focused, determined, rebellious and stubborn. She is definitely stubborn; a flaw that comes with a heavy price to pay, both emotionally and physically.
Rejuvinators, the drugs she became addicted to, have destroyed the lives of many. People with money and power have no problem getting access to them, others less fortunate sell their blood, but there are others again who are left behind, the forgotten ones. Infinity is trying to turn it all around; putting on a huge concert, with all the money raised going to help these forgotten people. Unfortunately, there are those who want her to fail; The Collective Corporation. The “Others” – vampires, shifters, werewolves, Valkyries, witches, they all have their own plans and schemes in place, some for a very long time. Things start to get dangerous.
“Trouble. Trouble is coming.”
I loved the funny, light-hearted side to the book; the loving, caring, open, sister-like relationship between Infinity and her mother, Kara and the friendship between Infinity, Zoe and Diego.
“Do you know how painful it is for me to hear that my mother is having more sex than me?” She snorted loudly “Baby, you’re a virgin, that means by default I’m having more sex than you.”
Infinity, that girl seemed to have some sort of magnetic pull for hot men because she had them all lusting after her… Mason, Alik, Kir-J, Torch and Boulder. Vampires, tigers and werewolves OH MY! Boulder… Boulder… Boulder… or should I say “Big Red” … Yum YUM! I will gladly be in mortal danger any day, if HE is who comes to by my bodyguard!
“What is mine I. Protect. Cherish. And Love. Forever.”
I found this a little hard to get into at first and a little confusing at times. But I did, eventually, get into a rhythm and from half way point I was hooked had to keep reading. I felt that the suspense and drama of the story was kept a little too much to the last third/quarter of the book, which left me feel so-so about it for a while, but I suppose that leads itself to build suspense for the next instalment in the series.
So many questions, so many possible answers… Infinity Valkyries: Soaring Raven, carried me right to the cusp of the story and teased me with what is to come in the next instalment. I really want to see what happens next and who Infinity ends up with! (I call dibbs on Boulder if she doesn’t claim him)
With unknown forces working behind the scenes, Infinity is sure something awful is about to be unleashed, but can she force herself to accept it? Can she force herself to confront the truth behind her dreams and nightmares? Is she strong enough to be what it is she truly was meant to be?
I give Infinity Valkyries: Soaring Raven 3.5 Stars
"Courage, character and commitment are all that we truly possess."
***I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review***