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Rylee Adamson #1
Priceless
“My name is Rylee and I am a Tracker.”
When children go missing, and the Humans have no leads, I’m the one they call. I am their last hope in bringing home the lost ones. I salvage what they cannot.
I’m on the FBI’s wanted list.
I have a werewolf for a pet, a Witch of a best friend, and have no need for anyone else in my life.
But when a salvage starts to spin out of control, help comes from a most unexpected direction. One that is dangerously dark, brooding, and doesn’t know a thing about the supernatural.
One whose kisses set me on fire.
When children go missing, and the Humans have no leads, I’m the one they call. I am their last hope in bringing home the lost ones. I salvage what they cannot.
I’m on the FBI’s wanted list.
I have a werewolf for a pet, a Witch of a best friend, and have no need for anyone else in my life.
But when a salvage starts to spin out of control, help comes from a most unexpected direction. One that is dangerously dark, brooding, and doesn’t know a thing about the supernatural.
One whose kisses set me on fire.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2012
4051 people are currently reading
10150 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Mayer
149 books7,081 followersA long time ago, in a galaxy far away, I was born into a family of Star Wars nuts. I have a lot of siblings (somewhere I lost count but I think there was more than could be numbered on one hand) and being one of the young padawans I was subjected to Star Wars marathons, on a regular basis. If you've read any of my books you'll see there is often a reference to said movies as a small homage to my upbringing. May the force be with you and all that jazz.
I started writing when I realized I didn't want to grow up not believing in magic, or not believing in creatures everyone else said didn't exist. That being said, I have never seen a fairy, unicorn or dragon. I had a neighbour who swore they fed the leprechauns in their garden, but I never caught the little buggers no matter how long I lay in wait. (And consequently had to help the neighbours plant new flowers to replace those I killed waiting for the leprechauns to show their faces.)
Along the way, I found my husband who is the rock that keeps me from floating away into my dreams, and we have a little boy who is the centre of our world. Living on a farm keeps us busy (as if the writing wasn't enough) and I have more than my share of stories about wrestling with cows, helping birth calves and ending up in the creek during the process, falling in the mud (we'll call it mud but we all know that on a farm, mud is rarely mud) and chasing escaped livestock in the hopes the four legged convicts don't make it to the highway.
I've taken up archery, and the goal is to move into horseback archery in time (you know, when I can hit the target on a consistent basis) and when no one is looking, I love to bake (this doesn't happen often as it's hard to keep the sweet treats in stock with two boys in the house.)
As to what's coming next for me? More stories (since those never stop inside my head, I might as well share them with all of you!) and more adventures. Pretty much, when the fancy strikes, I'll jump on it. Leap before you look I'm sure that motto was created for me.
Or was that . . . think big and dream bigger, ready, set, pull the trigger . . . yeah. That one is a good one too. But only if you have a gun. And are hunting elephants. Which is not cool because of so many reasons. Let's stick with the first one with an addendum.
Leap before you look and let your dreams carry you on their wings. And that, my friends, is me in a nutshell.
I started writing when I realized I didn't want to grow up not believing in magic, or not believing in creatures everyone else said didn't exist. That being said, I have never seen a fairy, unicorn or dragon. I had a neighbour who swore they fed the leprechauns in their garden, but I never caught the little buggers no matter how long I lay in wait. (And consequently had to help the neighbours plant new flowers to replace those I killed waiting for the leprechauns to show their faces.)
Along the way, I found my husband who is the rock that keeps me from floating away into my dreams, and we have a little boy who is the centre of our world. Living on a farm keeps us busy (as if the writing wasn't enough) and I have more than my share of stories about wrestling with cows, helping birth calves and ending up in the creek during the process, falling in the mud (we'll call it mud but we all know that on a farm, mud is rarely mud) and chasing escaped livestock in the hopes the four legged convicts don't make it to the highway.
I've taken up archery, and the goal is to move into horseback archery in time (you know, when I can hit the target on a consistent basis) and when no one is looking, I love to bake (this doesn't happen often as it's hard to keep the sweet treats in stock with two boys in the house.)
As to what's coming next for me? More stories (since those never stop inside my head, I might as well share them with all of you!) and more adventures. Pretty much, when the fancy strikes, I'll jump on it. Leap before you look I'm sure that motto was created for me.
Or was that . . . think big and dream bigger, ready, set, pull the trigger . . . yeah. That one is a good one too. But only if you have a gun. And are hunting elephants. Which is not cool because of so many reasons. Let's stick with the first one with an addendum.
Leap before you look and let your dreams carry you on their wings. And that, my friends, is me in a nutshell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,267 reviews
June 11, 2021
OMG
What a ride, what a journey and I am left eager for more!
My only question is "Why on earth has this series been on my TBR pile for ever and I've only just decided to read them?"
Bring on book 2: Immune
April 16, 2018
BR with my MacHalo Freaks starting August 1, 2015.
DNF at 22%
► This book is so crappy it doesn't even deserve a crappy review.
► The female lead is an unlikable bitch.
+
► The male lead is an unlikable idiot.
+
► The relationship between the female and male leads is ridiculous.
+
► I didn't give a damn about the story.
=
DNF at 22%
► This book is so crappy it doesn't even deserve a crappy review.
► The female lead is an unlikable bitch.
+
► The male lead is an unlikable idiot.
+
► The relationship between the female and male leads is ridiculous.
+
► I didn't give a damn about the story.
=
June 20, 2013
There are hints of a good story within "Priceless", but the book is badly in need of more editing. As it stands, I found it painful to read.
It clunks along. Apart from the grammatical errors (lay should be laid), the text needs to be tighter. Would you use "all the way out here, so far away from home"? I wouldn't; "What are you doing here?" is sufficient. This over-explaining and over-describing of things blights the book.
This is a pity, as there's a good story in here somewhere, but it isn't worth wading through the prose to find it.
"Good job, you did it, you finally snuck up on me. But what are you doing all the way out here, so far away from home?" I lay my blade on the bed and folded my arms across my chest, doing my best imitation of a scolding mother and repeated my question. "Alex, what are you doing so far from home?"
It clunks along. Apart from the grammatical errors (lay should be laid), the text needs to be tighter. Would you use "all the way out here, so far away from home"? I wouldn't; "What are you doing here?" is sufficient. This over-explaining and over-describing of things blights the book.
This is a pity, as there's a good story in here somewhere, but it isn't worth wading through the prose to find it.
June 13, 2015
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
✓Chick with a sword on the cover. ✓A werewolf sidekick. ✓A $0.99 price tag. ✓By a Canadian author—SOLD. One of my favourite Urban Fantasy series was discovered the same way, so I decided to go for it. PRICELESS did not disappoint with its colourful secondary characters, unique slant on the typical P.I. spiel, and a heroine with boatloads of untapped gifts. I enjoyed my first trip down Shannon Mayer’s rabbit hole mine shaft, and I will for sure be one-clicking IMMUNE in the near future (YAY! It’s on sale too).
This novel had several paranormal elements that I’ve seen before such as the Tracker talent, and an Arcane division within the FBI angle, along with a few new-to-me spins including creative shifter limitations, and Rylee’s Immune ability. The author straight away sets to work weaving together an attractive tale of supes, magical rules, and plot threads. This was definitely a lively book, but the heavy influx of information, and extensive cast debuts were a good fit for the pacing, and added to this story’s curve appeal.
Rylee was my kind of heroine, in that she already has a knack for blades, hockey player fight moves, and has been developing her powers for several years. I love a burgeoning protagonist, but sometimes it’s a relief to walk into a series with a lead that’s already got their shit together. No doubt, Adamson still has much to learn, however she has a sturdy foundation to build upon, so it will be interesting to see how her personality, and skill level evolves from here. I’m hoping that Mayer will rev up the humour as the installments get further along too.
Every strong female protagonist needs an able-bodied man to back her up, and although O’Shea didn’t immediately fit those shoes, his character growth began shortly after his first entrance, and didn’t let-up until the cliff hanger ending. He has charm; I’ll give him that, with his excited grins over finding himself knee deep in otherworldly chaos, and his foresight to practice swordsmanship. Alex was a hit with his Golden Retriever-esque qualities, and flair for lightening up even the most deadly situation. Adversely, Milly has some atoning to do.
PRICELESS was (hopefully) the start of a beautiful RYLEE ADAMSON relationship.
✓Chick with a sword on the cover. ✓A werewolf sidekick. ✓A $0.99 price tag. ✓By a Canadian author—SOLD. One of my favourite Urban Fantasy series was discovered the same way, so I decided to go for it. PRICELESS did not disappoint with its colourful secondary characters, unique slant on the typical P.I. spiel, and a heroine with boatloads of untapped gifts. I enjoyed my first trip down Shannon Mayer’s rabbit hole mine shaft, and I will for sure be one-clicking IMMUNE in the near future (YAY! It’s on sale too).
This novel had several paranormal elements that I’ve seen before such as the Tracker talent, and an Arcane division within the FBI angle, along with a few new-to-me spins including creative shifter limitations, and Rylee’s Immune ability. The author straight away sets to work weaving together an attractive tale of supes, magical rules, and plot threads. This was definitely a lively book, but the heavy influx of information, and extensive cast debuts were a good fit for the pacing, and added to this story’s curve appeal.
Rylee was my kind of heroine, in that she already has a knack for blades, hockey player fight moves, and has been developing her powers for several years. I love a burgeoning protagonist, but sometimes it’s a relief to walk into a series with a lead that’s already got their shit together. No doubt, Adamson still has much to learn, however she has a sturdy foundation to build upon, so it will be interesting to see how her personality, and skill level evolves from here. I’m hoping that Mayer will rev up the humour as the installments get further along too.
Every strong female protagonist needs an able-bodied man to back her up, and although O’Shea didn’t immediately fit those shoes, his character growth began shortly after his first entrance, and didn’t let-up until the cliff hanger ending. He has charm; I’ll give him that, with his excited grins over finding himself knee deep in otherworldly chaos, and his foresight to practice swordsmanship. Alex was a hit with his Golden Retriever-esque qualities, and flair for lightening up even the most deadly situation. Adversely, Milly has some atoning to do.
PRICELESS was (hopefully) the start of a beautiful RYLEE ADAMSON relationship.
April 16, 2013
3.5
It's been awhile since I've actually been able to get into an urban fantasy novel-I keep on buying the continuing volumes on the series I still find of interest but yet can't get around to reading them. It was kind of normal for me that when I got this in my rec. queue in amazon-at a great price of .99¢-I went ahead and bought it; can't seem to rid myself of the habit even if I just KNOW that it'll stay unread on my ever growing list of books. Color me surprised when I gave it a try and actually managed to stay interested enough in the story and the characters (my favorite is Alex-the werewolf w/the personality of a golden retriever-no Alpha here folks, yet I loved him for that same reason. And then there's Doran the daywalker, definitely want to know more about him.)
Because of her sister's strange disappearance and subsequent death, Rylee, a Tracker and an Immune, now uses her abilities to seek out and save any missing child no matter where they are whether in this world or the one hidden beyond the Veil. Armed with her blades, a loyal werewolf, and a stalking FBI agent intent on putting her in jail for murder, Rylee has her work cut out for her. That is if the Harpies, Alex's pack, or her attraction to said FBI agent don't do her in first. I'm glad I took the chance w/this, definitely had a good time reading it.
It's been awhile since I've actually been able to get into an urban fantasy novel-I keep on buying the continuing volumes on the series I still find of interest but yet can't get around to reading them. It was kind of normal for me that when I got this in my rec. queue in amazon-at a great price of .99¢-I went ahead and bought it; can't seem to rid myself of the habit even if I just KNOW that it'll stay unread on my ever growing list of books. Color me surprised when I gave it a try and actually managed to stay interested enough in the story and the characters (my favorite is Alex-the werewolf w/the personality of a golden retriever-no Alpha here folks, yet I loved him for that same reason. And then there's Doran the daywalker, definitely want to know more about him.)
Because of her sister's strange disappearance and subsequent death, Rylee, a Tracker and an Immune, now uses her abilities to seek out and save any missing child no matter where they are whether in this world or the one hidden beyond the Veil. Armed with her blades, a loyal werewolf, and a stalking FBI agent intent on putting her in jail for murder, Rylee has her work cut out for her. That is if the Harpies, Alex's pack, or her attraction to said FBI agent don't do her in first. I'm glad I took the chance w/this, definitely had a good time reading it.
August 12, 2017
Great start to an Urban Fanasy. They say Paranormal Romance on the cover and it does have hints of that, and might detour into that in the future, but this one seemed more Urban Fantasy to me. Which I liked. Rylee is are kick ass heroine. She tracks down kidnapped kids and brings them home, alive or dead. She has a submissive pet werewolf, who is caught in a half man half wolf form. He has the mind of a child and you can't help but love him. He is the comic relief and the innocence in Rylee's life. She is being harassed by an agent from the FBI who thinks she killed her sister 10 years ago and is obsessed with the case. Her "mom" figure is losing her mind and her "sister" figure has cut all ties from them to join a coven, which has been her dream. Her life is a mess, but Rylee has work to do. Kids come first.
So far this a great series. The characters all seem very flushed out with their own voices. It is fast pace and sometimes you just want to yell at Rylee. She just has such a big heart. I can't wait to read the second book!
So far this a great series. The characters all seem very flushed out with their own voices. It is fast pace and sometimes you just want to yell at Rylee. She just has such a big heart. I can't wait to read the second book!
September 11, 2016
A story with a lot of potential but fell completely flat for me.
http://anotherlookbookreviews.blogspo...
Priceless: A Sexy Urban Fantasy Mystery had so much potential but the story fell completely flat for me. I have so many complaints about the book I don't know where to start. How about I start with what I did like.
I will give the author credit for a great imagination and taking the urban legend of a werewolf into a whole new direction. I will admit to constantly imagining the voice of Alex, the werewolf to sound like Scooby Doo. Alex seemed like a lovable character and a sweet sidekick but that is not to say I didn't have issues with his backstory. I don't think I ever got a grasp on why the werewolf pack was after him or why the alphas of his pack would bother with such a minor submissive male. Why did they set an entire pack to kill a meek and mild werewolf and why did they come and go only when the story needed a diversion?
I think Alex was also placed in the story as comic relief but I never giggled and the humour was forced. Here is an example:
"You going to go all Ice Queen on me now?"
Alex barked from the back. "Icy Queenie!"
Good grief. Alex's excitement and apparent happiness was infectious, and it took all I had not to laugh out loud.
I don't get what was so funny? That's because it really wasn't. I got tired of reading that it was time to laugh out loud or smile. It was like reading along with sit-com laugh track inserted into the story. "Cue - laugh here."
The title is listed on Goodreads as Priceless: A Sexy Urban Fantasy Mystery. I think I completely missed the sexy part. What sexy? I think that there was one kiss in the entire story. Completely boring on the sexy front.
Where do I start with the inconsistencies. There is a plethora of inconsistencies. Honestly, I was almost going to not finish the book because I was getting frustrated with the inconsistencies and matters that just didn't make sense.
Lets start with a small one to demonstrate. At 15% in the book, Rylee conveniently has a "friend" who is eighteen years old and not only is he the best computer hacker in town, he is the best hacker period. Kyle is fresh out of high school and has his house completely bugged with cameras, recorders, computers and multiple laptops. (there is no mention of parents so I am not sure if the 18 yr old owns his own house) Kyle has the ability to hack into police files and FBI databases but when he goes to print off a 300 page document, it takes over two hours because he has a prehistoric printer. WHAT?
Rylee is a "Tracker" and is also "Immune". From what I gathered about the Immune is that she is resistance to magic or from ever being turned into a werewolf. All good stuff but the Immune seems to only work when it benefits the story. Other times it is frequently forgotten about.
Rylee and Alex are trapped in her cellar. There is smoke and fire all around them. There has been a murder. Rylee's friend, Milly the witch has just rescued her from the cellar. What happens next? Oh well, Rylee makes a spaghetti dinner while apparently the fire department and police are all over her property. I thought it was weird that the author bothered to mention that Milly's white pant suit was splattered with flecks of spaghetti sauce. WHAT? What about the smoke and soot from rescuing Rylee and Alex from the cellar fire? Why is the house not filled with smoke or needed to be aired out? Why don't the police and firemen have a hundred questions for her? After-all a cop was shot in the head on her property. I guess that all doesn't matter but the dinner certainly couldn't be missed. There was so much wrong with these events I was sure I had missed something major.
The story ends on a mild cliffhanger but since it was the age old, tired misunderstanding between the main protagonists I dismissed it. I was put off and bored by the this first book, I will not be reaching for the next.
http://anotherlookbookreviews.blogspo...
Priceless: A Sexy Urban Fantasy Mystery had so much potential but the story fell completely flat for me. I have so many complaints about the book I don't know where to start. How about I start with what I did like.
I will give the author credit for a great imagination and taking the urban legend of a werewolf into a whole new direction. I will admit to constantly imagining the voice of Alex, the werewolf to sound like Scooby Doo. Alex seemed like a lovable character and a sweet sidekick but that is not to say I didn't have issues with his backstory. I don't think I ever got a grasp on why the werewolf pack was after him or why the alphas of his pack would bother with such a minor submissive male. Why did they set an entire pack to kill a meek and mild werewolf and why did they come and go only when the story needed a diversion?
I think Alex was also placed in the story as comic relief but I never giggled and the humour was forced. Here is an example:
"You going to go all Ice Queen on me now?"
Alex barked from the back. "Icy Queenie!"
Good grief. Alex's excitement and apparent happiness was infectious, and it took all I had not to laugh out loud.
I don't get what was so funny? That's because it really wasn't. I got tired of reading that it was time to laugh out loud or smile. It was like reading along with sit-com laugh track inserted into the story. "Cue - laugh here."
The title is listed on Goodreads as Priceless: A Sexy Urban Fantasy Mystery. I think I completely missed the sexy part. What sexy? I think that there was one kiss in the entire story. Completely boring on the sexy front.
Where do I start with the inconsistencies. There is a plethora of inconsistencies. Honestly, I was almost going to not finish the book because I was getting frustrated with the inconsistencies and matters that just didn't make sense.
Lets start with a small one to demonstrate. At 15% in the book, Rylee conveniently has a "friend" who is eighteen years old and not only is he the best computer hacker in town, he is the best hacker period. Kyle is fresh out of high school and has his house completely bugged with cameras, recorders, computers and multiple laptops. (there is no mention of parents so I am not sure if the 18 yr old owns his own house) Kyle has the ability to hack into police files and FBI databases but when he goes to print off a 300 page document, it takes over two hours because he has a prehistoric printer. WHAT?
Rylee is a "Tracker" and is also "Immune". From what I gathered about the Immune is that she is resistance to magic or from ever being turned into a werewolf. All good stuff but the Immune seems to only work when it benefits the story. Other times it is frequently forgotten about.
Rylee and Alex are trapped in her cellar. There is smoke and fire all around them. There has been a murder. Rylee's friend, Milly the witch has just rescued her from the cellar. What happens next? Oh well, Rylee makes a spaghetti dinner while apparently the fire department and police are all over her property. I thought it was weird that the author bothered to mention that Milly's white pant suit was splattered with flecks of spaghetti sauce. WHAT? What about the smoke and soot from rescuing Rylee and Alex from the cellar fire? Why is the house not filled with smoke or needed to be aired out? Why don't the police and firemen have a hundred questions for her? After-all a cop was shot in the head on her property. I guess that all doesn't matter but the dinner certainly couldn't be missed. There was so much wrong with these events I was sure I had missed something major.
The story ends on a mild cliffhanger but since it was the age old, tired misunderstanding between the main protagonists I dismissed it. I was put off and bored by the this first book, I will not be reaching for the next.
November 3, 2015
3.5 (the GR rating is too low though so, 4 stars :P ).
Wow, this was a really surprising read! I didn't even want to start it, I've been pretty disappointed by the last few books I've read and I thought I wanted something else. I'm so glad I didn't listen to my own advice!
It was fast-paced, I didn't have time to get bored or even try to skim, everything that happened was important, one way or another. And I really like this, not wasting time on pages that are useless.
I loved the characters, I liked their chemistry. And I love that the main char (Rylee), she made me laugh and feel and want to read more. A pretty nice plot also and the overall plot seems to be quite interesting (for now at least).
I feel great potential in this series!
Wow, this was a really surprising read! I didn't even want to start it, I've been pretty disappointed by the last few books I've read and I thought I wanted something else. I'm so glad I didn't listen to my own advice!
It was fast-paced, I didn't have time to get bored or even try to skim, everything that happened was important, one way or another. And I really like this, not wasting time on pages that are useless.
I loved the characters, I liked their chemistry. And I love that the main char (Rylee), she made me laugh and feel and want to read more. A pretty nice plot also and the overall plot seems to be quite interesting (for now at least).
I feel great potential in this series!
January 28, 2013
I debated giving this novel a single star - something I typically reserve for DNF books - because it was such a hot mess of inconsistencies. However, the author has a very, very good imagination and some unique and intriguing worldbuilding, which I enjoyed, so I bumped it up to a 2-star rating.
First, the good. The worldbuilding and imagination are GREAT. The author's conception of werewolves, for one, is fantastic; the idea of non-alpha werewolves being stuck in a monstrous shape and also of being stuck mentally somewhere between human and canid/lupine is something I haven't seen explored elsewhere, and it made for an interesting twist. Some of the other creatures - the ogres and trolls and the like - were also vividly described and interestingly portrayed, albeit a little overly grotesquely in one case. The harpies were badass, and Eve holds promise as a sidekick. The concept underlying Rylee herself - that she can sense the location and emotional state of just about any human - is also an intriguing one.
And then there's the fact that Rylee is also an Immune, someone for whom werewolf bites and magical spells simply don't matter. Also a very cool idea, and one with a lot of potential.
Potential that is, sadly, wasted by the almost painful inconsistency in this novel.
Yep, Rylee's an Immune, and magic doesn't stick to her...right up until the moment when it becomes really convenient for a lust spell to stick, making her throw herself at her sworn enemy. And then she's immune again...right up until it's time for her to get spelled into being submissive to and horny for a Big Baddie, primarily so that said sworn enemy-slash-new-crush can snap her out of it.
Yeah.
If you removed the ostensible sexy/romance parts of this novel, it would actually be a pretty enjoyable, fast, brain-candy read. However, it seems like someone told the author at some point that only SEXY urban/contemporary paranormal/fantasy sells, and so now the FBI agent who despises our Tracker heroine and thinks she's a cold-blooded kidnapper, blackmailer, and murderer finds her sexy after one kiss...and said Tracker starts thinking that the man who's hunted her and hated her for 10 years is a sex god. It really, really doesn't add up, and completely pulls you out of what might otherwise be a good story. It feels horribly tacked-on and inconsistent, and it's a shame the author felt the need to put that in - and to explain half the attraction with random spells. Much better to have thrown the two together through the action of the novel, which DID work in context, and to let them develop a working trust and partnership, rather than completely baffling insta-lust.
Alternating from Rylee's first-person narrative to third-person from the agent was also distracting and largely unnecessary. Once again, ripped right out of the story and the immediacy of the narrative.
The book also could've used an editor or proofreader. Unfortunately, there are a lot of homophone errors, "too" in place of "to," apostrophe glitches, and other basic errors that ripped me out of the story. Picky, perhaps, but just not something I can overlook when it's repeated that often.
The novel also would've benefited from some actual conclusion/summary - it's clearly a setup for another novel in a series, at the end, and there's a distinct lack of tying up loose ends. I don't mind leaving some cliffhangers and openings for a new book, but I do rather mind not finding out certain details to give THIS book a sense of completion - for instance, why the FBI had swords and scabbards picked out just for Rylee when they were ostensibly trying to arrest her at the time. There weren't TOO-too many of these loose ends, but just enough to make the ending unsatisfying for me.
All in all? The author has a great imagination and a fun premise to work with. I just really wish she hadn't introduced a ton of inconsistencies in her worldbuilding in order to force an unrealistic sexual attraction between her main characters. The novel would've been more fun, engaging, and generally tolerable if she'd built on the antagonistic relationship she set up, rather than trying to force sexy-fun-times on the characters.
First, the good. The worldbuilding and imagination are GREAT. The author's conception of werewolves, for one, is fantastic; the idea of non-alpha werewolves being stuck in a monstrous shape and also of being stuck mentally somewhere between human and canid/lupine is something I haven't seen explored elsewhere, and it made for an interesting twist. Some of the other creatures - the ogres and trolls and the like - were also vividly described and interestingly portrayed, albeit a little overly grotesquely in one case. The harpies were badass, and Eve holds promise as a sidekick. The concept underlying Rylee herself - that she can sense the location and emotional state of just about any human - is also an intriguing one.
And then there's the fact that Rylee is also an Immune, someone for whom werewolf bites and magical spells simply don't matter. Also a very cool idea, and one with a lot of potential.
Potential that is, sadly, wasted by the almost painful inconsistency in this novel.
Yep, Rylee's an Immune, and magic doesn't stick to her...right up until the moment when it becomes really convenient for a lust spell to stick, making her throw herself at her sworn enemy. And then she's immune again...right up until it's time for her to get spelled into being submissive to and horny for a Big Baddie, primarily so that said sworn enemy-slash-new-crush can snap her out of it.
Yeah.
If you removed the ostensible sexy/romance parts of this novel, it would actually be a pretty enjoyable, fast, brain-candy read. However, it seems like someone told the author at some point that only SEXY urban/contemporary paranormal/fantasy sells, and so now the FBI agent who despises our Tracker heroine and thinks she's a cold-blooded kidnapper, blackmailer, and murderer finds her sexy after one kiss...and said Tracker starts thinking that the man who's hunted her and hated her for 10 years is a sex god. It really, really doesn't add up, and completely pulls you out of what might otherwise be a good story. It feels horribly tacked-on and inconsistent, and it's a shame the author felt the need to put that in - and to explain half the attraction with random spells. Much better to have thrown the two together through the action of the novel, which DID work in context, and to let them develop a working trust and partnership, rather than completely baffling insta-lust.
Alternating from Rylee's first-person narrative to third-person from the agent was also distracting and largely unnecessary. Once again, ripped right out of the story and the immediacy of the narrative.
The book also could've used an editor or proofreader. Unfortunately, there are a lot of homophone errors, "too" in place of "to," apostrophe glitches, and other basic errors that ripped me out of the story. Picky, perhaps, but just not something I can overlook when it's repeated that often.
The novel also would've benefited from some actual conclusion/summary - it's clearly a setup for another novel in a series, at the end, and there's a distinct lack of tying up loose ends. I don't mind leaving some cliffhangers and openings for a new book, but I do rather mind not finding out certain details to give THIS book a sense of completion - for instance, why the FBI had swords and scabbards picked out just for Rylee when they were ostensibly trying to arrest her at the time. There weren't TOO-too many of these loose ends, but just enough to make the ending unsatisfying for me.
All in all? The author has a great imagination and a fun premise to work with. I just really wish she hadn't introduced a ton of inconsistencies in her worldbuilding in order to force an unrealistic sexual attraction between her main characters. The novel would've been more fun, engaging, and generally tolerable if she'd built on the antagonistic relationship she set up, rather than trying to force sexy-fun-times on the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2012
First, author spelled 'Ativan,' 'Adavan.' It is a common enough miss-spelling, but should have been caught on edit easily.
Second, the word choices in the book were sometimes uncomfortable, jolting me out of my involvement in the story.
Third, this is described as a 'sexy urban fantasy,' but I didn't find it so. There was some trampiness and a spell that caused attraction and perhaps a little genuine attraction, but very little about it was sexy.
Fourth, I don't really understand the title, as it doesn't seem to relate to anything in the story.
The characters were somewhat interesting and the plot was okay, it just could have been done better.
Second, the word choices in the book were sometimes uncomfortable, jolting me out of my involvement in the story.
Third, this is described as a 'sexy urban fantasy,' but I didn't find it so. There was some trampiness and a spell that caused attraction and perhaps a little genuine attraction, but very little about it was sexy.
Fourth, I don't really understand the title, as it doesn't seem to relate to anything in the story.
The characters were somewhat interesting and the plot was okay, it just could have been done better.
April 16, 2021
[DNF at 50%...] This book had a couple of interesting paranormal elements, but nothing that drove the story in any meaningful way. The love story was odd from the beginning and didn't line up with my thoughts on how actual adults behave when considering romantic intentions with one another. And to cap it all off, the dialogue was very simplistic and forced, as though written as a rough draft to get the basic ideas across but without any finesse. I really wish I'd enjoyed it more.
October 31, 2017
Curious 3.5 stars.
It took me a while to get into this one, mostly because I didn‘t really like the characters. Rylee did grow on me after a while, she is a little badass so that was totally to be expected. I am a sucker for those.
I had bigger problems with O‘Shea who has a few paragraphs in his POV, his position in the beginning was awful in my opinion. To treat a sixteen year old girl that just lost her sister like that, without having evidence or simply anything but a feeling, that something is different and then go and harass her like that? How should I respect that? Even if his cause was a dead child, to act that way is simply ridiculous. It will be hard for him to redeem himself for me in the next books.
The other characters were either to dull or simply unsympathetic like Rylees supposed BFF Milly, who turned out to be a little bitch. I am all for loyalty so she has lost my interest forever.
Really interesting was the character of Rylees foster parent Giselle, but unfortunately we don‘t get see a lot of her. I hope and think this will change in future books. I found it sad how little time she was given in the book, given her rather bad situation.
The story itself was fastpaced, full of action and interesting and exactly what I went for, when I picked up this book: a decent urban fantasy. It isn‘t really original or contains unexpected twists, but it does its job in this genre. A few of the authors ideas were really good, Rylee beings a Tracker and Immune for example.
A submissive stuck in his monster form werewolf should create a lightness with his werewolf farts I wasn‘t feeling. I mostly found him ridiculous or annoying and had a hard time getting a grasp on this creature. But I love the fact that he is a stray and as we see later on in the book Rylee has a heart for strays. That always speaks to me - be it with anomaly or lost mythological creatures.
Furthermore the „sexy“ vibes we should get between Rylee and the FBI agent were horrible. Simply horrible. Everyone that knows me, knows I am a sucker for romance, I NEED at least a little romance in my books. But lord, this one was bad. I think the author wanted a kind of enemys to lovers tropic, but it was so bad. First of, I hated the male lead, second how they are attracted to each other is simply stupid. I just couldn‘t relate to at all.
I had fun and it was a decent first book an series I definitely plan to continue, nevertheless the flaws and most important: the shitty romance part. I am curious what happens in the next book.
It took me a while to get into this one, mostly because I didn‘t really like the characters. Rylee did grow on me after a while, she is a little badass so that was totally to be expected. I am a sucker for those.
I had bigger problems with O‘Shea who has a few paragraphs in his POV, his position in the beginning was awful in my opinion. To treat a sixteen year old girl that just lost her sister like that, without having evidence or simply anything but a feeling, that something is different and then go and harass her like that? How should I respect that? Even if his cause was a dead child, to act that way is simply ridiculous. It will be hard for him to redeem himself for me in the next books.
The other characters were either to dull or simply unsympathetic like Rylees supposed BFF Milly, who turned out to be a little bitch. I am all for loyalty so she has lost my interest forever.
Really interesting was the character of Rylees foster parent Giselle, but unfortunately we don‘t get see a lot of her. I hope and think this will change in future books. I found it sad how little time she was given in the book, given her rather bad situation.
The story itself was fastpaced, full of action and interesting and exactly what I went for, when I picked up this book: a decent urban fantasy. It isn‘t really original or contains unexpected twists, but it does its job in this genre. A few of the authors ideas were really good, Rylee beings a Tracker and Immune for example.
A submissive stuck in his monster form werewolf should create a lightness with his werewolf farts I wasn‘t feeling. I mostly found him ridiculous or annoying and had a hard time getting a grasp on this creature. But I love the fact that he is a stray and as we see later on in the book Rylee has a heart for strays. That always speaks to me - be it with anomaly or lost mythological creatures.
Furthermore the „sexy“ vibes we should get between Rylee and the FBI agent were horrible. Simply horrible. Everyone that knows me, knows I am a sucker for romance, I NEED at least a little romance in my books. But lord, this one was bad. I think the author wanted a kind of enemys to lovers tropic, but it was so bad. First of, I hated the male lead, second how they are attracted to each other is simply stupid. I just couldn‘t relate to at all.
I had fun and it was a decent first book an series I definitely plan to continue, nevertheless the flaws and most important: the shitty romance part. I am curious what happens in the next book.
October 7, 2015
Buddy Read with the MacHalo Ladies
Not horrible, not great. It was a simple book, so easy to read, there's that to its advantage. It felt YA and like a video game. As if the heroine was progressing through levels like Mario, jumping over those little mushroom people, getting the coins to grow in strength, or getting knocked down smaller. I have hope for the series, because It didn't wow me, but I didn't make me want to burn down a barn. I'm grateful for a small thing like that, no barn burnings, so I'm giving it 3 stars, even if it may be more like 2 stars. I'm just happy it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. AND THERE WERE UNICORNS. That's totally where the last star is coming from.
Not horrible, not great. It was a simple book, so easy to read, there's that to its advantage. It felt YA and like a video game. As if the heroine was progressing through levels like Mario, jumping over those little mushroom people, getting the coins to grow in strength, or getting knocked down smaller. I have hope for the series, because It didn't wow me, but I didn't make me want to burn down a barn. I'm grateful for a small thing like that, no barn burnings, so I'm giving it 3 stars, even if it may be more like 2 stars. I'm just happy it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. AND THERE WERE UNICORNS. That's totally where the last star is coming from.
July 28, 2016
توانایی اصلی شخصیت اصلی، بسیار شبیه به کارآگاه سری کتاب های نایت ساید بود. توانایی پیدا کردن اشخاص. از این نوع ماجراها که دنیای واقعی و ماورا با هم توش وجود داره خیلی خوشم میاد.
خوب بود. ولی حیف که بقیه ی سری رو نخریدم .
خوب بود. ولی حیف که بقیه ی سری رو نخریدم .
February 1, 2017
O'Shae and Milly hooking up at the end ruined it for me. I really enjoyed this but the ending made me mad so giving it 3 instead of 4 stars. I'll read the next one and see how that one goes because I still enjoyed the story.
July 28, 2015
This was a monthly McHalo buddy read. I jumped the gun and started it early because, well, you aren't the boss of me!
Ahem. Actually, I was floundering for something to read and I was in the mood for a PNR so I figured I'd try this one.
Unfortunately, the writing was... well, let's just say it wasn't up my alley and leave it at that. I don't think the author had any idea what a "warrant" was, what constitutes harassment on the part of an FBI agent, or what FBI agents even do. I assure you, they do not have time to wander around chasing a cold case for years on end. As for the rest, the heroine was not quite a Mary Sue but was still too close for comfort, and the chemistry between the two leads was almost laughable. I definitely got a "because the plot says so" vibe from all of this. Rylee didn't so much "track" anything as get blown about by the whims of plot-fate until she sort of stumbled onto the place she really should have been halfway through the book. And then at the end of the book, well...
I mean I'm assuming the author did this because she's setting up future books, but I sort of feel like even in the first book, I should get some sort of bone thrown my way, you know? Some sort of mini-answer, not just, "Hey, I'm going to rescue this girl. I don't know who these people were or why they needed that girl specifically, or why they targeted me, or even necessarily what their ultimate purpose was in but oh, look, hey, kid's alive! Book's over." Honestly, it felt like a prequel.
But for all of my griping this had a few good points and a lot of my issues could be hammered out if the author gets better (or at least gets better editors and/or beta readers) over the course of books. I was intrigued by the world building (I dug the idea that vampires and werewolves weren't as all-powerful as the other PNR/UF books say and I really liked werewolf Alex) and given some time to hammer out some of the author's tendencies to tell-not-show, this could have had some potential, so out of curiosity I read a bunch of reviews from later books to see what happens later, whether this series gets better or if the writing gets a little more... shall we say "polished"? The result? Nay nay. Not doing it. Not for me.
At the end of the book, during the big climactic battle scene, I found myself skimming, putting the book down, checking my Farmville account (which I haven't played with in over a year), and basically doing anything I could think of not to have to continue. I saw raves on this series, but even some of the raves referenced the issues I had with this one still continuing in future books. I might have given it another book or so because there is potential here -- hell, I wasn't all that impressed with the first Kate Daniels book the first time I read it, but damned if I'm not thrilled I stuck with that series -- but... well... life's too sort to read a series I'm not that into, slight potential or not, and I tend to be impatient with sloppy writing, so I'll say goodbye to this one now.
August 4, 2015
8/4/15: I tried. I really did. I made it to 40% but I was just so bored. DNF it is.
7/31/15: $0.99 on Amazon Kindle. Perfect timing for the upcoming Mac Halo BR starting on 8/1/15!!!
7/31/15: $0.99 on Amazon Kindle. Perfect timing for the upcoming Mac Halo BR starting on 8/1/15!!!
April 23, 2014
So happy to discover a new-to-me series to get into. It's not like I don't already have several with kickass female leads, but if the trope is done well I can read them all the time.
As I said in my status update, this book was sitting on my Kindle for ages. I've recently decided to make an effort to actually read those books I pick up when they're on sale (and then forget about) and, lucky me, I've found two great authors with series and backlists that I'm excited to delve into. :)
The story starts with Rylee Adamson meeting with the parents of a missing girl. We quickly find out that Rylee lost her sister in a similar way ten years before. We find out soon after the meeting that Rylee's been hounded for an entire decade by Agent O'Shea. He believes she murdered her sister and his suspicion is further piqued by her chosen profession of finding lost children. She's incredibly successful at it (although some of those children are not found in time and are sadly returned for closure alone) and that also leads to suspicions. How is she able to find these kids when the FBI can't?
Rylee's a "tracker". She can connect to the kids so she knows whether or not they're still alive and can sense some detail of what they're going through. She has to use other means to find their location, however. This is where her fun and flaky allies and acquaintances come in. The characters are entertaining and the mythology is fresh.
I'm going to start the second book right away and I hope it holds up. After this series opener, though, I'm optimistic.
As I said in my status update, this book was sitting on my Kindle for ages. I've recently decided to make an effort to actually read those books I pick up when they're on sale (and then forget about) and, lucky me, I've found two great authors with series and backlists that I'm excited to delve into. :)
The story starts with Rylee Adamson meeting with the parents of a missing girl. We quickly find out that Rylee lost her sister in a similar way ten years before. We find out soon after the meeting that Rylee's been hounded for an entire decade by Agent O'Shea. He believes she murdered her sister and his suspicion is further piqued by her chosen profession of finding lost children. She's incredibly successful at it (although some of those children are not found in time and are sadly returned for closure alone) and that also leads to suspicions. How is she able to find these kids when the FBI can't?
Rylee's a "tracker". She can connect to the kids so she knows whether or not they're still alive and can sense some detail of what they're going through. She has to use other means to find their location, however. This is where her fun and flaky allies and acquaintances come in. The characters are entertaining and the mythology is fresh.
I'm going to start the second book right away and I hope it holds up. After this series opener, though, I'm optimistic.
August 17, 2015
I read it. I finished it. I was not impressed.
Buddy Read with the MacHalo Freaks. They'll be the death of me.
Full review to come. Maybe.
Buddy Read with the MacHalo Freaks. They'll be the death of me.
Full review to come. Maybe.
March 13, 2013
I was attracted to this book based on the premise, that Rylee has some sort of psychic ability that allows her to track people and she uses that ability to find missing children. Initially I was drawn right into the story, however, as it progressed, I got more and more confused over the inconsistencies in the world building. For example, I liked the author's take on werewolves initially, but then got frustrated over all of the dangling threads. Why was the pack after Alex? Why did they just show up occasionally to harass him, but then pull back and leave him alone? In regards to Rylee, she's a tracker and also immune to magic, yet at a key point in the story, all of sudden, she's not immune to it, because that would be inconvenient for the plot. She's also somehow got all kinds of martial arts and weapons skills with absolutely no hint of how they were acquired. I could go on, but don't want to be too spoilery. In the early parts of the book, these questions are okay, because you figure they will be answered later. However, by the end of the book, I was left scratching my head in confusion, as none of my questions were answered and nothing in the book really made sense. The writing was competent throughout, mercifully free of the glaring grammatical errors so often found in self-pubbed books, and until the logical and worldbuilding inconsistencies got to be too much for me to ignore, I was enjoying the book. I just wished it held together better.
April 7, 2021
“My name is Rylee and I am a Tracker.”
Nice idea. Unfortunately the heroine does not track a thing in the first 20% of the book. She just drives around, visits random people and keeps telling herself, what a kick-ass bitch she is.
I am guessing the introduction of a bunch of people with various, amazing skill sets is intended as a set-up for the rest of the series. Those characters are mostly clichees. Enter the young, paranoid hacker, living in a wired dump, sourrounded by CCTV and swilling root beer. Et cetera.
I am sorry, I am not feeling it. I don't like the main character, I am not connecting with the story at all. I keep finding other, more interesting things to do, just to avoid reading another chapter of this book. I am out. DNF at 21%.
Nice idea. Unfortunately the heroine does not track a thing in the first 20% of the book. She just drives around, visits random people and keeps telling herself, what a kick-ass bitch she is.
I am guessing the introduction of a bunch of people with various, amazing skill sets is intended as a set-up for the rest of the series. Those characters are mostly clichees. Enter the young, paranoid hacker, living in a wired dump, sourrounded by CCTV and swilling root beer. Et cetera.
I am sorry, I am not feeling it. I don't like the main character, I am not connecting with the story at all. I keep finding other, more interesting things to do, just to avoid reading another chapter of this book. I am out. DNF at 21%.
July 9, 2025
If you liked the original charmed you will like these books. They are very easy to follow. Riley is a supernatural that uses her powers to find missing children, but there’s so much more to it. I did read the two novellas first. So coming into book 1 I was already invested in the characters. They’re very entertaining and fast paced. One thing I’d like to point out about Shannon Mayer that I REALLY APPRECIATE is she makes her FMCs respectable mature ages. So Riley is in her 50’s but because she’s supernatural she appears in her lates 20’s/30’s. So many authors write about 17-19year olds and they aren’t always relatable.
January 20, 2016
https://celebrityreaders.wordpress.co...
Holy hell, this chemistry is the bomb! All of it, every character has it with each other. They all mesh so well together it is insane! Have you ever read White Plume Mountain by Paul Kidd? I know right, I’m referencing a different book in a review. The chemistry has similar tones is all I’m trying to say. Moving on…
This girl is one tough chic. Who can handle being best friends with a witch, a seer and take care of the cutest little werewolf you ever laid eyes on? Seriously, I want one. My daughter would love him. When you have pets on books I love you more. Keep that in mind. And the interaction between her and the harpy was pretty cool.
I received this book on a loan from Platypire Reviews Blind Date with A Book. Check out their page if you are interested in participating: https://www.facebook.com/platypire?fr... They usually post them on Fridays, which is today actually. So……what are you waiting for?
Holy hell, this chemistry is the bomb! All of it, every character has it with each other. They all mesh so well together it is insane! Have you ever read White Plume Mountain by Paul Kidd? I know right, I’m referencing a different book in a review. The chemistry has similar tones is all I’m trying to say. Moving on…
This girl is one tough chic. Who can handle being best friends with a witch, a seer and take care of the cutest little werewolf you ever laid eyes on? Seriously, I want one. My daughter would love him. When you have pets on books I love you more. Keep that in mind. And the interaction between her and the harpy was pretty cool.
I received this book on a loan from Platypire Reviews Blind Date with A Book. Check out their page if you are interested in participating: https://www.facebook.com/platypire?fr... They usually post them on Fridays, which is today actually. So……what are you waiting for?
November 12, 2019
I'm so glad I don't have to wait for the other books. I'm hooked.
Read
March 7, 2021
نه اینکه کتاب بدی باشی. نه واقعا. دوستت داشتم و دوست دارم جلدهای بعدی رو هم بخونم اما ایکاش مثلا دو سه سال زودتر باهات آشنا میشدم. اون موقع دیگه رسما تاج سرم میشدی. حالا دیگه بریم ببینیم جلدهای بعدی چه میکنند.
نه اینکه کتاب بدی باشی. نه واقعا. دوستت داشتم و دوست دارم جلدهای بعدی رو هم بخونم اما ایکاش مثلا دو سه سال زودتر باهات آشنا میشدم. اون موقع دیگه رسما تاج سرم میشدی. حالا دیگه بریم ببینیم جلدهای بعدی چه میکنند.
August 12, 2013
You know those books where once you hit the last word you end up wondering “That’s it? I’m done? What?”
This was one of those books. I read it in four hours without stopping. It was thrilling and kept me flipping the pages. When I reached the end I literally kept wondering how I finished so fast. When I looked up, it was dark outside! This book sucked me in so much that I didn’t even notice the time going by.
Rylee is amazing. She’s strong, clear-headed and yet she knows when to ask for help. Not once was I frustrated with her or mad at her for doing what she did. I really connected with her and loved reading about her.
O’Shea (I can’t call him Liam after being in Rylee’s head for so long) was awesome to read as well. Though he was a bit of a pain at first, I liked him from the get-go. I knew—from the glimpses I got in his head—that I was going to really like him too. And when his eyes finally opened to the world around him, I was thrilled. He really was the perfect partner.
And the secondary characters were freaking amazing as well. Though there weren’t many “secondary” things about them. Without Milly, Alex, and Giselle this story would not have been what it is. I couldn’t quite connect with Milly as much as I could with the other characters, but at the end she redeemed herself (yay!) and I was happy to see that she was truly Rylee’s friend. Alex was adorable and I can’t wait to see what the author has planned for Giselle.
And can we talk about all of the fantasy aspects of it? Unicorns, trolls, ogres, harpies and more! I loved it. It’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy novel with so many mythical creatures that every time Rylee encountered one I smiled like crazy! (Except when they were trying to kill her—that was bad. Lol) I absolutely loved that this wasn’t one of those books that are exclusive to one creature or another—it had creatures galore! But that doesn’t meant that Rylee is overpowered, oh no! Rylee can kick ass and that’s what makes her so amazing.
This story had a lot of action, it seemed like Rylee was going from one place to another; from one problem to another; from one adversary to another. It kept me quicklydevouring going through the book and loving every second of it. The attraction between O’Shea and Rylee wasn’t bad either ;)
I can’t wait to see what Rylee is going to do in the next books, especially with the loose ends that were left for us and the cliffhanger! Most times I don’t like cliffhangers, but I’ll make an exception for this book since I was already going to read the next one even before it happened.
I definitely recommend this book for everyone who loves fantasy, action, magic, attraction between the two main characters, and lots of mythical creatures!
This was one of those books. I read it in four hours without stopping. It was thrilling and kept me flipping the pages. When I reached the end I literally kept wondering how I finished so fast. When I looked up, it was dark outside! This book sucked me in so much that I didn’t even notice the time going by.
Rylee is amazing. She’s strong, clear-headed and yet she knows when to ask for help. Not once was I frustrated with her or mad at her for doing what she did. I really connected with her and loved reading about her.
O’Shea (I can’t call him Liam after being in Rylee’s head for so long) was awesome to read as well. Though he was a bit of a pain at first, I liked him from the get-go. I knew—from the glimpses I got in his head—that I was going to really like him too. And when his eyes finally opened to the world around him, I was thrilled. He really was the perfect partner.
And the secondary characters were freaking amazing as well. Though there weren’t many “secondary” things about them. Without Milly, Alex, and Giselle this story would not have been what it is. I couldn’t quite connect with Milly as much as I could with the other characters, but at the end she redeemed herself (yay!) and I was happy to see that she was truly Rylee’s friend. Alex was adorable and I can’t wait to see what the author has planned for Giselle.
And can we talk about all of the fantasy aspects of it? Unicorns, trolls, ogres, harpies and more! I loved it. It’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy novel with so many mythical creatures that every time Rylee encountered one I smiled like crazy! (Except when they were trying to kill her—that was bad. Lol) I absolutely loved that this wasn’t one of those books that are exclusive to one creature or another—it had creatures galore! But that doesn’t meant that Rylee is overpowered, oh no! Rylee can kick ass and that’s what makes her so amazing.
This story had a lot of action, it seemed like Rylee was going from one place to another; from one problem to another; from one adversary to another. It kept me quickly
I can’t wait to see what Rylee is going to do in the next books, especially with the loose ends that were left for us and the cliffhanger! Most times I don’t like cliffhangers, but I’ll make an exception for this book since I was already going to read the next one even before it happened.
I definitely recommend this book for everyone who loves fantasy, action, magic, attraction between the two main characters, and lots of mythical creatures!
January 5, 2017
What's wrong with this is basically... the everything. I can't think of anything good about it.
Wait. I lied. There was two things: it's very, very short and it was action from start to finish.
You might be thinking that isn't bad. An action packed UF! Wow!
You should know, however, that 95% of the events in the book had nothing to do with the plot of the book. She's a tracker who tracks kids. She's given a kid to track but, right from the beginning, we learn this kid isn't in the "real world" so she goes to tell her computer savvy friend to find likely spots for where she is. And after that, it's just basically killing time until her friend calls her back.
The entire book is just one long time killer.
It could've still been interesting but for, well, the fact that this author is a HUGE believer in deus ex machina and conveniences. She doesn't get out of anything on her own. Every, single, freakin' time someone either saves her or there's a convenience that means it became way easier than the author told us it would be.
She also has a destiny, of which we are told by like 10 different characters. Over and over. And tri-colored eyes. Because two different colors are SO last year.
But on the subject of conveniences/ deus ex machina, this author is like... golden. Every would-be author should read this book to learn what not to do. It is the worst case of this I've ever read. Example:
Three harpies swoop to kill her. We're told they're ubber strong and she and her witchy friend barely managed to kill on a year ago. She literally kills the first in the first swing of the sword. It was a "lucky" hit. She gets in her car. She's in the middle of a desert but no problem. There just so happens to be a large herd of Unicorns, the natural enemies of harpies, that swoop in to save her from the second and she learns a special word to save her from the third.
She needs climbing gear to go down this mine so she and the guy goes out. Nonsense action, they come back, oh look -- the police following them are helpfully killed by harpy 3, the magical word works, and WOW! all the climbing gear and shit she needs is magically in the police vehicles! How convenient is that?!
It's like that the entire book. Utter bullshit from start to finish.
Wait. I lied. There was two things: it's very, very short and it was action from start to finish.
You might be thinking that isn't bad. An action packed UF! Wow!
You should know, however, that 95% of the events in the book had nothing to do with the plot of the book. She's a tracker who tracks kids. She's given a kid to track but, right from the beginning, we learn this kid isn't in the "real world" so she goes to tell her computer savvy friend to find likely spots for where she is. And after that, it's just basically killing time until her friend calls her back.
The entire book is just one long time killer.
It could've still been interesting but for, well, the fact that this author is a HUGE believer in deus ex machina and conveniences. She doesn't get out of anything on her own. Every, single, freakin' time someone either saves her or there's a convenience that means it became way easier than the author told us it would be.
She also has a destiny, of which we are told by like 10 different characters. Over and over. And tri-colored eyes. Because two different colors are SO last year.
But on the subject of conveniences/ deus ex machina, this author is like... golden. Every would-be author should read this book to learn what not to do. It is the worst case of this I've ever read. Example:
Three harpies swoop to kill her. We're told they're ubber strong and she and her witchy friend barely managed to kill on a year ago. She literally kills the first in the first swing of the sword. It was a "lucky" hit. She gets in her car. She's in the middle of a desert but no problem. There just so happens to be a large herd of Unicorns, the natural enemies of harpies, that swoop in to save her from the second and she learns a special word to save her from the third.
She needs climbing gear to go down this mine so she and the guy goes out. Nonsense action, they come back, oh look -- the police following them are helpfully killed by harpy 3, the magical word works, and WOW! all the climbing gear and shit she needs is magically in the police vehicles! How convenient is that?!
It's like that the entire book. Utter bullshit from start to finish.
February 2, 2017
*Source* Purchase/Amazon
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
Priceless is the first installment in author Shannon Meyer's Rylee Adamson series. This story is set mostly in North Dakota, although there is a fair amount of time spent in New Mexico as well. In the series opener, Meyer's introduces readers to Rylee Adamson, a heroine who has a reputation for being stubborn as they come, but has never quit a job once she starts it. She is a person who is able to locate a child no matter how close, or far away they have been taken. Rylee has been searching for kids for 10 years. She has good reason behind her job.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
Priceless is the first installment in author Shannon Meyer's Rylee Adamson series. This story is set mostly in North Dakota, although there is a fair amount of time spent in New Mexico as well. In the series opener, Meyer's introduces readers to Rylee Adamson, a heroine who has a reputation for being stubborn as they come, but has never quit a job once she starts it. She is a person who is able to locate a child no matter how close, or far away they have been taken. Rylee has been searching for kids for 10 years. She has good reason behind her job.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
October 21, 2013
Amazon kept recommending me this author on my list of books to read. Today I decided to give it the usual college try.
It will not win any contest for originality or world-building, but it's a nice read that allows for a few hours of peaceful reading. There's action, there's drama, and a hint of possible romance. On the negative side, there are a few inconsistencies. There's also some expected facts for s UF, but it's not necessarily bad. If it were a romance, we would call it brain candy. How do we define this kind of book in UF? :)
I was interested enough to go buy the sequel.
It will not win any contest for originality or world-building, but it's a nice read that allows for a few hours of peaceful reading. There's action, there's drama, and a hint of possible romance. On the negative side, there are a few inconsistencies. There's also some expected facts for s UF, but it's not necessarily bad. If it were a romance, we would call it brain candy. How do we define this kind of book in UF? :)
I was interested enough to go buy the sequel.
August 21, 2021
Alex is a crack up. Lol
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