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The Palace Saga #1
Life in the Palace
“We need to talk,” Tal said. Then I knew it was going to go badly. ‘We need to talk’ is the conversational equivalent of walking into your basement without turning on the light, on a dark and stormy night, when a known psychopath is on the loose. You might as well cut to the chase and slit your own throat.
Chloe Diaz assumed three things: that when Tal said that she was one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance, it was code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo;’ that the gorgeous Seth Wilks would never be her soul mate and that she’d never have to choose between them. Chloe was wrong.
Now the future of the world is in her hands, but what if price is too great to pay?
Chloe Diaz assumed three things: that when Tal said that she was one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance, it was code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo;’ that the gorgeous Seth Wilks would never be her soul mate and that she’d never have to choose between them. Chloe was wrong.
Now the future of the world is in her hands, but what if price is too great to pay?
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 18, 2014
30 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Green
5 books16 followersIn high school, I was in the in-crowd. In college, I became religious. Talk about going from one end of the social spectrum to the other. My high school friends thought aliens had taken control of my body. I put up with the bemused looks and did what I felt I had to. Fast forward over a decade and they're still waiting for me to grow out of it.
At the same time that I got sick of people thinking that being religious was synonymous with having a full frontal lobotomy (or voting Republican,) I noticed something was lacking in the books I was reading. The mainstream media has a fairly narrow depiction of religious people; (usually blowing up the plane, killing the abortion doctor or opposing gay marriage.) While faith based literature paints a picture so rosy, it's hard to live up to. I was on a mission to show what life really looks like inside faith communities without sounding like a late night infomercial. (For a limited time only, this attractive steak knife set comes free with every order of Salvation.)
The Palace Saga is the result. The real scoop on what it means to live a life of faith, with no hard sell, all wrapped up in one snarky, sassy package (with a healthy side serving of romance).
At the same time that I got sick of people thinking that being religious was synonymous with having a full frontal lobotomy (or voting Republican,) I noticed something was lacking in the books I was reading. The mainstream media has a fairly narrow depiction of religious people; (usually blowing up the plane, killing the abortion doctor or opposing gay marriage.) While faith based literature paints a picture so rosy, it's hard to live up to. I was on a mission to show what life really looks like inside faith communities without sounding like a late night infomercial. (For a limited time only, this attractive steak knife set comes free with every order of Salvation.)
The Palace Saga is the result. The real scoop on what it means to live a life of faith, with no hard sell, all wrapped up in one snarky, sassy package (with a healthy side serving of romance).
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 14, 2014
I still have mixed feelings about the book. The 'People' seemed so cult-like, and the story was Twilighty. Full review soon.
Originally posted at Sporadic Reads
* I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
The synopsis of the book was kind of vague. I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started reading the book. I just thought it was kind of intriguing, and the cover has a tiger on it, so I got curious and signed up for the Read & Review Program in Goodreads.
The story was told in Chloe Diaz' perspective, while she navigates her new life in college. She was originally from El Paso, Texas, but decided to attend college in Montreal, Canada. She was attending summer classes and was paired up with Tal as her study partner. Tal is a very religious girl. She found her quite weird, but Chloe was the kind of person who is open and friendly, and she was sincerely interested in Tal to be her friend.
One of their classmates, Josh, started chatting up Chloe and invited her to join them for drinks that night. That's where she met Seth, his brother. Now, I wouldn't say it was instant love, but more, they were attracted to each other. Chloe found him always talking to her, asking her questions about her life, getting to know her better, and she did love those moments. For weeks, that went on, until Seth finally confessed that he wants her to be his girlfriend.
That's where it all felt a bit Twilighty. I think it didn't help that the book, Twilight, was mentioned in the earlier part of the book, and she even mentioned that she wasn't Kristen Stewart who gets Rob Patterson in the end. Take note : Yes, Rob Patterson was mentioned a few times. I think the author meant Pattinson. Basically, she thought Seth was a Rob.
In my opinion, it was still too early in their relationship to actually claim each other as their soul mate. They both believe that each other's The One. Maybe it does happen to some people, but it really felt like Edward's undying love for Bella and vice versa. But Chloe isn't totally like Bella. She knows where her priorities lie. She doesn't believe that Seth defines who she is, she's got her own strengths and she's pretty likable.
So how does the paranormal part come into the book? Well, that's Tal and her gang. They belong to a religion called the People, and they serve He Who Knows. They exist in both the physical world and the Palace. Your Palace-self is your real self. As part of the People, they dedicate their lives for the Service. They battle the evils the threaten the balance of the universe. If they don't fight, the world ends, basically. As Chloe got to know Tal and her friends, she found herself fascinated by the People, and she wants to be one of them. But becoming the People means you have to finish a Quest. It can take a few months up to years to finish one in order for your soul to enter through the front door of the Palace.
Honestly, the aspects of their religion was still a bit confusing for me. Sometimes it felt kind of cult-like. They call non-People "Other", and there was a part in the story where they discriminated against non-People. Chloe is an Other. And apparently, Seth is a non-practicing People. Bottom line, an Other cannot be with the People. Will Chloe make the ultimate sacrifice and break up with Seth? Or will she stick by him, be happy, and love each other. Forever?
Overall, it was a really good book (I found out that it's FREE on Amazon), and I will continue reading book 2, To Call Your Name, because I am quite curious about what happens to Chloe and her friends. It was quite a cliffhanger, and it did make me want to grab the next book!
Originally posted at Sporadic Reads
* I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
The synopsis of the book was kind of vague. I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started reading the book. I just thought it was kind of intriguing, and the cover has a tiger on it, so I got curious and signed up for the Read & Review Program in Goodreads.
The story was told in Chloe Diaz' perspective, while she navigates her new life in college. She was originally from El Paso, Texas, but decided to attend college in Montreal, Canada. She was attending summer classes and was paired up with Tal as her study partner. Tal is a very religious girl. She found her quite weird, but Chloe was the kind of person who is open and friendly, and she was sincerely interested in Tal to be her friend.
One of their classmates, Josh, started chatting up Chloe and invited her to join them for drinks that night. That's where she met Seth, his brother. Now, I wouldn't say it was instant love, but more, they were attracted to each other. Chloe found him always talking to her, asking her questions about her life, getting to know her better, and she did love those moments. For weeks, that went on, until Seth finally confessed that he wants her to be his girlfriend.
That's where it all felt a bit Twilighty. I think it didn't help that the book, Twilight, was mentioned in the earlier part of the book, and she even mentioned that she wasn't Kristen Stewart who gets Rob Patterson in the end. Take note : Yes, Rob Patterson was mentioned a few times. I think the author meant Pattinson. Basically, she thought Seth was a Rob.
In my opinion, it was still too early in their relationship to actually claim each other as their soul mate. They both believe that each other's The One. Maybe it does happen to some people, but it really felt like Edward's undying love for Bella and vice versa. But Chloe isn't totally like Bella. She knows where her priorities lie. She doesn't believe that Seth defines who she is, she's got her own strengths and she's pretty likable.
So how does the paranormal part come into the book? Well, that's Tal and her gang. They belong to a religion called the People, and they serve He Who Knows. They exist in both the physical world and the Palace. Your Palace-self is your real self. As part of the People, they dedicate their lives for the Service. They battle the evils the threaten the balance of the universe. If they don't fight, the world ends, basically. As Chloe got to know Tal and her friends, she found herself fascinated by the People, and she wants to be one of them. But becoming the People means you have to finish a Quest. It can take a few months up to years to finish one in order for your soul to enter through the front door of the Palace.
Honestly, the aspects of their religion was still a bit confusing for me. Sometimes it felt kind of cult-like. They call non-People "Other", and there was a part in the story where they discriminated against non-People. Chloe is an Other. And apparently, Seth is a non-practicing People. Bottom line, an Other cannot be with the People. Will Chloe make the ultimate sacrifice and break up with Seth? Or will she stick by him, be happy, and love each other. Forever?
Overall, it was a really good book (I found out that it's FREE on Amazon), and I will continue reading book 2, To Call Your Name, because I am quite curious about what happens to Chloe and her friends. It was quite a cliffhanger, and it did make me want to grab the next book!
July 8, 2014
First off, I actually can't believe I finished this book. I don't want to hear, let alone read swear words, and this book, unfortunately, has too much of that.
Secondly, the religious allegory is a difficult one to accept for me on so many levels not the least of which is that God is no respecter of persons and so the premise that only a certain group, "The People", can reach "salvation" while everyone one else, "The Others", can't was jarring and, I believe, lessened the enjoyment and the believability of the story. I don't want to write a theological treatise in this goodreads review, so I won't, but suffice it to say that for me, the "religion" of the world in this book was unbelievable and therefore was an obstacle to enjoying the book. Thirdly, I'm not sure that the female protagonist was all that likable. The author attempts to show positive qualities or things that she does or is, but I'm not sure it was strong enough to sway me, the reader, into believing. There was potential to do that, but here is also another place the book falls short because when the author had the chance to convince me that Chloe had substance, she didn't; therefore, the relationship with Seth is also unbelievable. Lastly, dysfunctional living and confusion about any kind of a moral law in one's life to live by was another element that was off putting to me. So much focus was given to dysfunctional life choices for characters in the story, that I felt that the author was working too hard to comment on "how we should be tolerant of people's choices," and yet because the religious allegory would imply that all dysfunction should be fought against as it is the "Interloper's" influencing or tempting People to battle with these dysfunctional practices, it set up a double standard throughout the book, that basically, I was uncomfortable with. It's okay to smoke and drink and take drugs, and sleep around, and get pregnant out of wedlock, and be homosexual etc… as long as you are just an "OTHER", or a lost "People." And the righteous People were the only ones held to or who were required to battle against the "Interloper." But there was no continuity here in the storyline either as it applied to Seth. Where is his accountability for his choices? All responsibility for his "destruction" is owned by Chloe. That doesn't sit well with me either. I read the author's blurb as she describes her motivation for writing this story and I respect that. All I am saying is that because of the double standard set up throughout the book requiring the choices of People vs. Others, that I was disappointed.
Secondly, the religious allegory is a difficult one to accept for me on so many levels not the least of which is that God is no respecter of persons and so the premise that only a certain group, "The People", can reach "salvation" while everyone one else, "The Others", can't was jarring and, I believe, lessened the enjoyment and the believability of the story. I don't want to write a theological treatise in this goodreads review, so I won't, but suffice it to say that for me, the "religion" of the world in this book was unbelievable and therefore was an obstacle to enjoying the book. Thirdly, I'm not sure that the female protagonist was all that likable. The author attempts to show positive qualities or things that she does or is, but I'm not sure it was strong enough to sway me, the reader, into believing. There was potential to do that, but here is also another place the book falls short because when the author had the chance to convince me that Chloe had substance, she didn't; therefore, the relationship with Seth is also unbelievable. Lastly, dysfunctional living and confusion about any kind of a moral law in one's life to live by was another element that was off putting to me. So much focus was given to dysfunctional life choices for characters in the story, that I felt that the author was working too hard to comment on "how we should be tolerant of people's choices," and yet because the religious allegory would imply that all dysfunction should be fought against as it is the "Interloper's" influencing or tempting People to battle with these dysfunctional practices, it set up a double standard throughout the book, that basically, I was uncomfortable with. It's okay to smoke and drink and take drugs, and sleep around, and get pregnant out of wedlock, and be homosexual etc… as long as you are just an "OTHER", or a lost "People." And the righteous People were the only ones held to or who were required to battle against the "Interloper." But there was no continuity here in the storyline either as it applied to Seth. Where is his accountability for his choices? All responsibility for his "destruction" is owned by Chloe. That doesn't sit well with me either. I read the author's blurb as she describes her motivation for writing this story and I respect that. All I am saying is that because of the double standard set up throughout the book requiring the choices of People vs. Others, that I was disappointed.
May 21, 2014
I read somewhere that the author wanted to show religious people as good normal people. Sounds nice, right? But I don't think making a more scifi book where they are literally battling demons that no one else can see and it literally kills those born into the church to fall in love with someone who was born outside of the church, not to mention all the sleeping around outside of marriage that goes on. It was one odd book from beginning to end.
May 14, 2014
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. When I saw the cover and read the blurb, for whatever reason, I just didn’t get a big religious vibe from it. I assumed I was going to be getting into some sort of adventure and I assumed that they would be in India because the name Tal sounded Indian to me and because of that association, I assumed the ‘Palace’ part was the Taj Mahal or something like it. I mean, there is a tiger on the cover. I was wrong about the whole “it’s set in India!” part. It’s not. It’s actually set in Montreal. And Tal isn’t Indian. Actually, she’s not even Middle Eastern. Turns out Tal, along with characters named Noy, Jov, and Dava, are actually quite Caucasian. This threw me off. A lot.
The huge part of the plot, besides the romance aspect, is Chloe befriending Tal who happens to be of The People. The People is a religion and apparently it’s as easy to tell if a person has even a slight trace of that heritage if you look at their name, much like how we assume people might have a Jewish heritage by their name.
Though on one hand, I admire that the author made some sort of religious stereotype for her own made-up religion, I also feel, as a reader, that I haven’t been invited in on the inside joke. I feel exactly like Chloe. How was I supposed to know that the name Seth Wilks was obviously of the People? Before Seth, my only other point of reference had been names like Tal Perr, and later, Sven Ivers. None of the three exactly have names that have a similar ring to them.
As a person of non-faith, it never bothered me that religion played a huge part in the book. It was rather interesting to read it from the view of a skeptic, which I don’t think I’ve ever had the chance of reading any book from that point of view before and followed them on their journey of inner self-discovery and on the fence of taking that little leap of faith and joining a religion. If I do end up reading a religious book, the character is already steeped in whatever religion they’re in and we have to follow their struggle as they question God and their existence on Earth. Not so much with this. The People is a religion that is very much like Catholicism or Jewish, in the sense that they push people to marry other People and not anyone outside of the religion. I thought it was very smart to anchor the fictional religion with religions that readers could easily relate to and identify with.
The religion itself was a bit complicated to understand. I didn’t quite get it at first, but the more I read, the more it started to make sense. I’m still not sure if I quite understand all of it yet, but by the time I ended the book, I felt like I understood enough of the mechanics. Or at the very least, I felt like I understood as much of it as Chloe did.
One of the problems I actually had with the book was the matter of the romance. Everything happened so easily for them. I felt like they never argued and that they were the dream couple; nothing could touch them. “Average girl” manages to score super hot guy. It’s a cliche in all YA novels it seems, and Seth was pretty much 100% perfect. The only flaw I could tell that he had was the fact that he smoked. But besides that, he was the perfect doting boyfriend. I actually didn’t get too interested in them as a couple until about the last four chapters or so when trouble in paradise started to brew.
Another problem I had was during the first person POV. The majority of the book is from Chloe’s first person POV. The majority of the story is written in past tense, you know, “I said/he said.” But then there are portions of the book where it suddenly switches to “I say/he says.” I’m also not a fan of reading a character’s inner inner thoughts when reading first person. It seems awkward since first person, you’re already reading said character’s thoughts and feelings and then they switch to even more internal thoughts.
Totally not necessary to go into thought-ception. There were also some punctuation errors littered throughout, but unless you’re a grammar Nazi, a reader should be able to look past them all. I want to think most of the punctuation errors happened when it came to dialogue and overall, none of the sentences read awkward or sound choppy, but rather smooth. I think if the book was passed through once more by a careful proofreader or even a couple of great beta readers, most of the problems would be taken care of.
Despite some of the problems I had with the book, I actually found myself interested in what was going to happen next at the end of the book. I’m left wondering: Will Chloe become one of The People?
Recommendations
I think this book would be perfect for anyone looking for something different in their romance or even in their YA reading. The author does a great job of not pushing any sort of religion (fictional or real) down the reader’s throat. If I felt like I was being lectured about the greatness of any sort of religion and made to feel like I’m sinning for not even considering joining, I wouldn’t have finished the book. There is adventure in this book, so if you’re looking for an adventure/romance, this might be for you. I feel like Book 2 might have more adventure packed into it, but it’s only a feeling.
Last Words
I’m actually left with a lot of questions at the end of book, but I can’t really say my questions aloud for fear of spoiling. But the author does a great job of hooking the reader into wanting to get Book 2. The battle between Good and Evil is just starting.
The huge part of the plot, besides the romance aspect, is Chloe befriending Tal who happens to be of The People. The People is a religion and apparently it’s as easy to tell if a person has even a slight trace of that heritage if you look at their name, much like how we assume people might have a Jewish heritage by their name.
“Chloe, my name’s Seth Wilks, did you think I was Irish?”
“What?”
“Come on Chlo, of course I’m one of the People. I’m Seth, my brother’s Josh, my whole family are a bunch of unreasonable overachievers. It’s obvious. Just like with a name like Diaz, you’re clearly not Asian.” He thought it was funny.
Though on one hand, I admire that the author made some sort of religious stereotype for her own made-up religion, I also feel, as a reader, that I haven’t been invited in on the inside joke. I feel exactly like Chloe. How was I supposed to know that the name Seth Wilks was obviously of the People? Before Seth, my only other point of reference had been names like Tal Perr, and later, Sven Ivers. None of the three exactly have names that have a similar ring to them.
As a person of non-faith, it never bothered me that religion played a huge part in the book. It was rather interesting to read it from the view of a skeptic, which I don’t think I’ve ever had the chance of reading any book from that point of view before and followed them on their journey of inner self-discovery and on the fence of taking that little leap of faith and joining a religion. If I do end up reading a religious book, the character is already steeped in whatever religion they’re in and we have to follow their struggle as they question God and their existence on Earth. Not so much with this. The People is a religion that is very much like Catholicism or Jewish, in the sense that they push people to marry other People and not anyone outside of the religion. I thought it was very smart to anchor the fictional religion with religions that readers could easily relate to and identify with.
The religion itself was a bit complicated to understand. I didn’t quite get it at first, but the more I read, the more it started to make sense. I’m still not sure if I quite understand all of it yet, but by the time I ended the book, I felt like I understood enough of the mechanics. Or at the very least, I felt like I understood as much of it as Chloe did.
One of the problems I actually had with the book was the matter of the romance. Everything happened so easily for them. I felt like they never argued and that they were the dream couple; nothing could touch them. “Average girl” manages to score super hot guy. It’s a cliche in all YA novels it seems, and Seth was pretty much 100% perfect. The only flaw I could tell that he had was the fact that he smoked. But besides that, he was the perfect doting boyfriend. I actually didn’t get too interested in them as a couple until about the last four chapters or so when trouble in paradise started to brew.
Another problem I had was during the first person POV. The majority of the book is from Chloe’s first person POV. The majority of the story is written in past tense, you know, “I said/he said.” But then there are portions of the book where it suddenly switches to “I say/he says.” I’m also not a fan of reading a character’s inner inner thoughts when reading first person. It seems awkward since first person, you’re already reading said character’s thoughts and feelings and then they switch to even more internal thoughts.
I could feel my heart beating through my chest and there was too much saliva in my mouth. This has to be a dream. Any minute now I’m going to find myself naked in a room full of people.
Totally not necessary to go into thought-ception. There were also some punctuation errors littered throughout, but unless you’re a grammar Nazi, a reader should be able to look past them all. I want to think most of the punctuation errors happened when it came to dialogue and overall, none of the sentences read awkward or sound choppy, but rather smooth. I think if the book was passed through once more by a careful proofreader or even a couple of great beta readers, most of the problems would be taken care of.
Despite some of the problems I had with the book, I actually found myself interested in what was going to happen next at the end of the book. I’m left wondering: Will Chloe become one of The People?
Recommendations
I think this book would be perfect for anyone looking for something different in their romance or even in their YA reading. The author does a great job of not pushing any sort of religion (fictional or real) down the reader’s throat. If I felt like I was being lectured about the greatness of any sort of religion and made to feel like I’m sinning for not even considering joining, I wouldn’t have finished the book. There is adventure in this book, so if you’re looking for an adventure/romance, this might be for you. I feel like Book 2 might have more adventure packed into it, but it’s only a feeling.
Last Words
I’m actually left with a lot of questions at the end of book, but I can’t really say my questions aloud for fear of spoiling. But the author does a great job of hooking the reader into wanting to get Book 2. The battle between Good and Evil is just starting.
July 19, 2017
I'll be honest. I almost stopped reading this after the first few chapters. The thick, Twilight-style teen romance was overwhelming. Not my kind of thing at all. But I'd heard recommendations for the book (the whole series, really) that intrigued me, so I continued on. And I'm so glad I did. Most people have no idea what Judaism actually exists for. What Jews exist for. Even most Jews -- even most Orthodox Jews -- honestly haven't got a clue. This book provides a bit of an introduction to that reality, even if most of the readers will continue not to get that it's reality.
May 13, 2014
**I received a copy, as part of the blog tour, in exchange for an honest review**
Initial Thoughts: I honestly didn't think I was going to love this book - like it, sure - love it, didn't see it coming. I really had no idea what to expect with it because it sounded different, but ya know, sometimes different is good and it really worked well with this book. The author built a really unique world albeit strange but it was refreshing to read a book that was original and very well written as well.
The Characters: Chloe is taking summer classes at college in Canada before she even starts her freshman year. In one of her classes, she has a strange study partner (Tal) who acts weird sometimes. During her classes, she meets Seth who happens to be her soul mate. I really love the whole soul mate thing in books and Chloe and Seth were so lovable and funny, their connection felt real.
"You declared your undying love?" I asked suspiciously. He bit his lip and was uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "I might have," he said slowly. "Very undying or just like until you're thirty?"..."Pretty undying, at least until I'm forty."
Seth was a pretty amazing character. He was sweet, funny, understanding, smart, nice and friendly to everyone. And totally in love with Chloe but she's so sweet and strong it's hard not too. But who am I kidding! I'm in love with Seth too after reading this book! My favorite thing about Seth though, besides his love for Chloe, was how funny he was. Sarcastic characters always make stories better.
"I'm just assisting this young lady in finding a taxi," he (Seth) called back. "I don't think you'll find one next to her tonsils."
The Story: As I said above, Chloe is in college and meets Seth. But this is not a story about only college and falling in love. There is so much more than that and I'll be honest, I was quite confused in the beginning. Chloe's strange friend Tal, is part of...not a religion completely...but a way of life. They are the People who fight in The Palace and it's this really complicated system that gets explained much better in the book. But I was so confused to start off because everyone was saying "the People" or "an Other" or "so and so's a serf" and I was thinking "People! please get your crap together cause you're confusing the heck out of me!" Not to mention, I thought the People were kind of rude in the beginning. They sounded very dismissive of Others (which is everyone who is not part of The People) and that bothered me because they are the good guys and everything.
"There's no reason why not. She's an Other; it's not like she's going to start believing us. It might make it harder for him to hear, but I don't think she's a problem."
They got better(ish) as the story goes on but it's a very complex plot and I wish I could blurt out how everything connects but alas I can't. What I will say is though that Chloe gets pulled into all the mayhem and Palace stuff going on and so does Seth which I'll literally explain in a moment.
The Romance: Let me make this rule very clear, if you are part of the People, you can only date/marry within the People. I want to call BS on this because if it weren't for this rule, everything would be fine and dandy for my sweet Chloe and Seth. Seth is actually part of the People because he was born into it, but his family didn't really take it seriously unlike Tal and her family and friends do. But the rule still applies to him! There is also more behind it that I can't say so that I don't spoil anything...but Chloe and Seth really are soul mates and completely made for each other and this rule literally messes and throws everything out of place! I was crying at the end because everything seemed hopeless and my heart really broke for them!!
End Thoughts: The book ended with so much energy that I am seriously going to read the next book. I was so hooked to the story! It was unique and amazing and I really want to slap all the People and those stupid Guides at the end - they're not really stupid - they were just withholding key information that would have saved so. much. freaking. heartache! I will not forgive those people! Why is information never told in books? It's frustrating! But back to the point, the story was really well done and surprised me a lot. I enjoyed it immensely and really would recommend this book to everyone! 4.5 stars!!
Initial Thoughts: I honestly didn't think I was going to love this book - like it, sure - love it, didn't see it coming. I really had no idea what to expect with it because it sounded different, but ya know, sometimes different is good and it really worked well with this book. The author built a really unique world albeit strange but it was refreshing to read a book that was original and very well written as well.
The Characters: Chloe is taking summer classes at college in Canada before she even starts her freshman year. In one of her classes, she has a strange study partner (Tal) who acts weird sometimes. During her classes, she meets Seth who happens to be her soul mate. I really love the whole soul mate thing in books and Chloe and Seth were so lovable and funny, their connection felt real.
"You declared your undying love?" I asked suspiciously. He bit his lip and was uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "I might have," he said slowly. "Very undying or just like until you're thirty?"..."Pretty undying, at least until I'm forty."
Seth was a pretty amazing character. He was sweet, funny, understanding, smart, nice and friendly to everyone. And totally in love with Chloe but she's so sweet and strong it's hard not too. But who am I kidding! I'm in love with Seth too after reading this book! My favorite thing about Seth though, besides his love for Chloe, was how funny he was. Sarcastic characters always make stories better.
"I'm just assisting this young lady in finding a taxi," he (Seth) called back. "I don't think you'll find one next to her tonsils."
The Story: As I said above, Chloe is in college and meets Seth. But this is not a story about only college and falling in love. There is so much more than that and I'll be honest, I was quite confused in the beginning. Chloe's strange friend Tal, is part of...not a religion completely...but a way of life. They are the People who fight in The Palace and it's this really complicated system that gets explained much better in the book. But I was so confused to start off because everyone was saying "the People" or "an Other" or "so and so's a serf" and I was thinking "People! please get your crap together cause you're confusing the heck out of me!" Not to mention, I thought the People were kind of rude in the beginning. They sounded very dismissive of Others (which is everyone who is not part of The People) and that bothered me because they are the good guys and everything.
"There's no reason why not. She's an Other; it's not like she's going to start believing us. It might make it harder for him to hear, but I don't think she's a problem."
They got better(ish) as the story goes on but it's a very complex plot and I wish I could blurt out how everything connects but alas I can't. What I will say is though that Chloe gets pulled into all the mayhem and Palace stuff going on and so does Seth which I'll literally explain in a moment.
The Romance: Let me make this rule very clear, if you are part of the People, you can only date/marry within the People. I want to call BS on this because if it weren't for this rule, everything would be fine and dandy for my sweet Chloe and Seth. Seth is actually part of the People because he was born into it, but his family didn't really take it seriously unlike Tal and her family and friends do. But the rule still applies to him! There is also more behind it that I can't say so that I don't spoil anything...but Chloe and Seth really are soul mates and completely made for each other and this rule literally messes and throws everything out of place! I was crying at the end because everything seemed hopeless and my heart really broke for them!!
End Thoughts: The book ended with so much energy that I am seriously going to read the next book. I was so hooked to the story! It was unique and amazing and I really want to slap all the People and those stupid Guides at the end - they're not really stupid - they were just withholding key information that would have saved so. much. freaking. heartache! I will not forgive those people! Why is information never told in books? It's frustrating! But back to the point, the story was really well done and surprised me a lot. I enjoyed it immensely and really would recommend this book to everyone! 4.5 stars!!
May 15, 2014
I was given a copy of this book to review. All thoughts and opinions and writings are my own.
This is for all the Twilight References... When Chloe Meets Seth <3 <3 They have a HUGE hookup scene early in the book!!
Tal is called one of "The People". Chloe thought she was weird and a bit religious..
The People are:
This is just a general description, I found it took me awhile to actually understand The People, but they seem to be able to spiritually travel from Earth to Heaven. The chosen Avdiim go out to fight evil along with their Interlopers, which try and distract them from their goals while inside the body. Their are different types of the Adviim and they perform nice gestures to regular people to gain weapons and ammo. For Example: If some girl drops her books at school and the Avdiim picks them up, it would be considered a service and they could be rewarded with a knife. When they go to the Palace, they look different. God and Angels also reside in the Palace. An Adviim not practicing is called a Serf.
Chloe finds out that Seth along with Tal and her family are Avdiim. Chloe is very curious about the Adviim. She finds out something awful about Seth and has to make an important choice and figure out what real love is. She has to figure out what she wants and not mope around about her sister taking off on her.
It took me a long time to figure out what to write for this review because I made so many notes trying to understand the meaning or concept of the novel. Now after a long reflection I believe the Author Catherine Green, was sending out a message about True Love, in all the ways it can be expressed in a divine and moral way. What would we do when faced with pure love? Walk away or make the hard/right decisions? Would you give up your life for God and his purpose? These are the same questions we struggle with everyday.
"All paths lead to the Palace"
Chloe Diaz, from El Paso Texas, starts summer classes for college in Montreal, Canada in the aftermath of her sister, Stacy's disappearance. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz disapproved of Stacy's boyfriend Rob (a tattooed, Harley riding, high school dropout), so Stacy went on the lam with Rob to be together without the Diaz's disturbance. Chloe unable to handle her parents scrutiny randomly chose Canada, the farthest from home she could get, and left behind her best friend Spike aka Lauralee.
Chloe goes to College early in Canada and on advice from Spike meets some new friends. The only friend she has now is Tal who she met in her early summer classes. Josh asks her to come out to the legendary Chubby's to meet some people. One of those people winds up being Josh's brother Seth. Chloe falls instantly for Seth:
When the bar door opened and the most attractive man I'd ever seen in the flesh entered. His jaw could have been chiseled out of marble by Michelangelo. His dark, tousled hair brushed his sun kissed forehead, skirting the edge of deep green eyes. His skin was tanned to perfection, but not so much you'd suspect he'd put any effort into acquiring it. Slight stubble washed his cheeks, too long to be just the product of laziness, but not enough to be a full grown beard. A black t-shirt stretched over a well-defined body. His dark jeans had no belt.
This is for all the Twilight References... When Chloe Meets Seth <3 <3 They have a HUGE hookup scene early in the book!!
Tal is called one of "The People". Chloe thought she was weird and a bit religious..
The People are:
Avdiim were traditionally thought to live in the Palace, a higher spiritual plane linked to the physical world. Acts of service in the physical world are used to fuel a cosmic battle with in the Palace realm. A complex mythology maps the intricacies of the Palace. Adherents are understood to be combatants in the battle between connection and oblivion with in the Palace, as well as fighting their Interloper, a quasi-demonic force that resides in each of the Avdiim attempting to dominate. The calendar year is divided into different spheres of influence, the Days of Esau and the Days of Jacob; together with specific times of governance, a constant cycle of introspection and spiritual renewal defines this practice.-Wikipedia
This is just a general description, I found it took me awhile to actually understand The People, but they seem to be able to spiritually travel from Earth to Heaven. The chosen Avdiim go out to fight evil along with their Interlopers, which try and distract them from their goals while inside the body. Their are different types of the Adviim and they perform nice gestures to regular people to gain weapons and ammo. For Example: If some girl drops her books at school and the Avdiim picks them up, it would be considered a service and they could be rewarded with a knife. When they go to the Palace, they look different. God and Angels also reside in the Palace. An Adviim not practicing is called a Serf.
Chloe finds out that Seth along with Tal and her family are Avdiim. Chloe is very curious about the Adviim. She finds out something awful about Seth and has to make an important choice and figure out what real love is. She has to figure out what she wants and not mope around about her sister taking off on her.
It took me a long time to figure out what to write for this review because I made so many notes trying to understand the meaning or concept of the novel. Now after a long reflection I believe the Author Catherine Green, was sending out a message about True Love, in all the ways it can be expressed in a divine and moral way. What would we do when faced with pure love? Walk away or make the hard/right decisions? Would you give up your life for God and his purpose? These are the same questions we struggle with everyday.
April 13, 2014
I was sent a copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review. I've been able to do quite a few of these 'read for review' offers and so far I've been very lucky in the books that I've read.
This book tells the story of Chloe who arrives in Montreal for college during the summer. After some drama at home with her older sister she decided to go to college early in order to avoid the home situation. During her summer classes she gets paired up with Tal and Josh. Tal is a member of a religious group called The People and called into the Service. Chloe eventually meets Seth, Josh's brother, and enters into an intense romantic relationship with him.
There seemed to be two parts to this book. One concentrated on the relationship between Chloe and Seth. This was an incredibly overwhelming and intensive relationship and in no time at all they were declaring themselves to be soul mates and discussing spending the rest of their lives together and even at some point talking about their wedding and when they should do it. Although it was quite fast paced it never felt unnatural. At first, I felt that maybe Seth was just too good to be true, but as it turned out he was just that good and would give up everything for Chloe. This was one aspect of the book that I really enjoyed and really made the book for me.
The other part was more about the religious group. The first time we really got to hear anything about what was going on with them and any real details about what set them apart from other groups I ended up being so confused. For me, there was far too much information thrown at you all at once and I found it very difficult to follow and really get to grips with what they were all about and the many different aspects to them. I fell that maybe this information could have been introduced gradually and not all at once as it kind of spoiled my enjoyment of the book at that point. Another issue that I had with this aspect was that it took a long time to get to the point of this part of the story. It wasn't until about 3/4 of the way through that I finally understood what was really happening and what Chloe and Seth had to do with it. Still, by the end of the book I still wasn't very clear on everything and if I had to explain The People to someone I don't think I could. It seemed to be very complicated and maybe could have been simplified a little - but this is only my opinion.
Overall though, this was an easy book to read and mostly enjoyable. I loved the characters in the book - Chloe, Seth, Tal, Spike and the other people that we meet along the way. They were very well written and I really felt a lot of empathy for Chloe and Seth when she made her final decision about them.
Be warned though - this finishes quite suddenly almost as if it's the halfway point in the book - and if you enjoyed this one then you will want to read the next!
This book tells the story of Chloe who arrives in Montreal for college during the summer. After some drama at home with her older sister she decided to go to college early in order to avoid the home situation. During her summer classes she gets paired up with Tal and Josh. Tal is a member of a religious group called The People and called into the Service. Chloe eventually meets Seth, Josh's brother, and enters into an intense romantic relationship with him.
There seemed to be two parts to this book. One concentrated on the relationship between Chloe and Seth. This was an incredibly overwhelming and intensive relationship and in no time at all they were declaring themselves to be soul mates and discussing spending the rest of their lives together and even at some point talking about their wedding and when they should do it. Although it was quite fast paced it never felt unnatural. At first, I felt that maybe Seth was just too good to be true, but as it turned out he was just that good and would give up everything for Chloe. This was one aspect of the book that I really enjoyed and really made the book for me.
The other part was more about the religious group. The first time we really got to hear anything about what was going on with them and any real details about what set them apart from other groups I ended up being so confused. For me, there was far too much information thrown at you all at once and I found it very difficult to follow and really get to grips with what they were all about and the many different aspects to them. I fell that maybe this information could have been introduced gradually and not all at once as it kind of spoiled my enjoyment of the book at that point. Another issue that I had with this aspect was that it took a long time to get to the point of this part of the story. It wasn't until about 3/4 of the way through that I finally understood what was really happening and what Chloe and Seth had to do with it. Still, by the end of the book I still wasn't very clear on everything and if I had to explain The People to someone I don't think I could. It seemed to be very complicated and maybe could have been simplified a little - but this is only my opinion.
Overall though, this was an easy book to read and mostly enjoyable. I loved the characters in the book - Chloe, Seth, Tal, Spike and the other people that we meet along the way. They were very well written and I really felt a lot of empathy for Chloe and Seth when she made her final decision about them.
Be warned though - this finishes quite suddenly almost as if it's the halfway point in the book - and if you enjoyed this one then you will want to read the next!
May 20, 2014
Chloe Diaz is starting a new life in Montreal. She's discovering a whole new world, one that includes her classmate Tal and the very handsome Seth. Seth and Chloe are immediately drawn to each other, but Chloe also begins to find interest in Tal's background. Tal belongs to a group of believers known as "The People," and Chloe begins to learn more about them. The People are caught in an eternal battle on an entirely different spiritual plane, and they create ammunition and strength for the battle by being of service in the physical realm. Unfortunately for Chloe, the worlds of Tal's beliefs and her relationship with Seth become intertwined in ways Chloe could have never imagined, and things will never be the same.
So I found the concept of this book to be really interesting. However, I'm not sure the execution lived up to the idea. The relationship of Chloe and Seth was very quick, and while I don't particularly enjoy that kind of thing it made sense within the context of the book. The plot kind of stalled out after that though. Some of that was due to some of the necessary exposition with Tal and The People, and then setting up their relationship with Chloe and Seth. Things kind of drug from there though until very close to the end. When things really began to wrap up together, things got very exciting again. Maybe this is just due to my general dislike of schmaltzy romance? There is a lot of that in this book. Think Twilight levels of sudden soulmate-ness. I know a lot of people dig that though, so they may not feel like it drags as much as I did.
I did like Chloe though. She was a girl who did things her own way and for her own reasons. Even while being caught up in this sudden romance, she was very capable of making her own decisions that were best for her life. Seth is very much a dream guy who tons of girls will want to see more of. Tal and her group were even more interesting to me. I wanted even more explanation of what they did and why and how it all worked. I did think that Tal and friends did not come off looking very good with the way they handled the Chloe situation, but then no one really comes off looking the hero in all this. In the end, I'm not sure how I feel about this book. The ending felt very unsatisfying for me, but it certainly left me hanging. However this is a creative book with interesting concepts. I think people who enjoy romance and adventure will find things to like in this book.
Book provided for review.
So I found the concept of this book to be really interesting. However, I'm not sure the execution lived up to the idea. The relationship of Chloe and Seth was very quick, and while I don't particularly enjoy that kind of thing it made sense within the context of the book. The plot kind of stalled out after that though. Some of that was due to some of the necessary exposition with Tal and The People, and then setting up their relationship with Chloe and Seth. Things kind of drug from there though until very close to the end. When things really began to wrap up together, things got very exciting again. Maybe this is just due to my general dislike of schmaltzy romance? There is a lot of that in this book. Think Twilight levels of sudden soulmate-ness. I know a lot of people dig that though, so they may not feel like it drags as much as I did.
I did like Chloe though. She was a girl who did things her own way and for her own reasons. Even while being caught up in this sudden romance, she was very capable of making her own decisions that were best for her life. Seth is very much a dream guy who tons of girls will want to see more of. Tal and her group were even more interesting to me. I wanted even more explanation of what they did and why and how it all worked. I did think that Tal and friends did not come off looking very good with the way they handled the Chloe situation, but then no one really comes off looking the hero in all this. In the end, I'm not sure how I feel about this book. The ending felt very unsatisfying for me, but it certainly left me hanging. However this is a creative book with interesting concepts. I think people who enjoy romance and adventure will find things to like in this book.
Book provided for review.
March 27, 2014
I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. And this review may contain SPOILERS.
This was... different. Overall I liked it but there were too many things that kept me from really enjoying it.
Ok, first, what I did like:
1. Seth. He was a good boyfriend.
2. The religious aspect. It was something different. And unique in this case, if you can wrap your brain around it.
3. Chloe, at times.
4. The twist at the end.
5. The interloper concept.
My issues:
1. The romance. I think I missed the parts where they supposedly slept together?? Here I thought they’d only been making out, (cuz that's what I'd read!) then Chloe casually mentions how sleeping with Seth was amazing or something and I'm like, wha?? when did this happen? Maybe this is the author's way of keeping the book more YA appropriate which is fine but there is not even a hint that they pass first base! Also, it was "insta-love" which I usually don't mind as long as there's a reasonable explanation behind it, which in this case I don’t think there was.
2. The religious aspect. Okay I know I said this was something I "liked" and I have nothing against religious themes. In fact, I'm quite religious myself. But the religion in this story is really weird. Mostly because I didn’t understand it. And I didn't get why The People (I really dislike that name) couldn’t pair up with The Others(also dislike). And if it was such a big no-no, why wasn't there more of an effort to single out those People that didn't know who they were? Plus, the whole thing seemed like a no-win situation for everyone. It seemed that God was just sitting around watching his People and his Others struggle and fight. And for what exactly? I guess I didn’t get the whole concept of keeping a balance between good and evil and the sinkhole and why that required such a sacrifice from ONLY the People.
Also, I think I would have gotten more into the story if there wasn't so much fluff throughout. It felt really long and I look back now and think, wow, not much happened! I did a fair amount of skimming over conversations that felt like "fillers".
I did enjoy this book overall and I'm sure there will be others who'll enjoy it even more. I have a feeling there will be a lot of mixed reviews for this one so I recommend reading it for yourself!
This was... different. Overall I liked it but there were too many things that kept me from really enjoying it.
Ok, first, what I did like:
1. Seth. He was a good boyfriend.
2. The religious aspect. It was something different. And unique in this case, if you can wrap your brain around it.
3. Chloe, at times.
4. The twist at the end.
5. The interloper concept.
My issues:
1. The romance. I think I missed the parts where they supposedly slept together?? Here I thought they’d only been making out, (cuz that's what I'd read!) then Chloe casually mentions how sleeping with Seth was amazing or something and I'm like, wha?? when did this happen? Maybe this is the author's way of keeping the book more YA appropriate which is fine but there is not even a hint that they pass first base! Also, it was "insta-love" which I usually don't mind as long as there's a reasonable explanation behind it, which in this case I don’t think there was.
2. The religious aspect. Okay I know I said this was something I "liked" and I have nothing against religious themes. In fact, I'm quite religious myself. But the religion in this story is really weird. Mostly because I didn’t understand it. And I didn't get why The People (I really dislike that name) couldn’t pair up with The Others(also dislike). And if it was such a big no-no, why wasn't there more of an effort to single out those People that didn't know who they were? Plus, the whole thing seemed like a no-win situation for everyone. It seemed that God was just sitting around watching his People and his Others struggle and fight. And for what exactly? I guess I didn’t get the whole concept of keeping a balance between good and evil and the sinkhole and why that required such a sacrifice from ONLY the People.
Also, I think I would have gotten more into the story if there wasn't so much fluff throughout. It felt really long and I look back now and think, wow, not much happened! I did a fair amount of skimming over conversations that felt like "fillers".
I did enjoy this book overall and I'm sure there will be others who'll enjoy it even more. I have a feeling there will be a lot of mixed reviews for this one so I recommend reading it for yourself!
April 30, 2014
This is a strange one...
I wasn't too sure about the heavily religious theme but the synopsis intrigued me, I enjoyed the 10% sample, and with the book being free I thought I'd give it a whirl.
The writing's pretty decent, the story's fresh and I love the puzzle-piece development. There were a number of very likeable SIDE characters and the random chit-chats were fun.
The whole Palace/People/Other concept felt really well developed.
However...
As expected, I wasn't at all endeared by the religious-ness- it was kinda cultish and freaky. I struggled to get my head around its complexities and... how come every character in Montreal seemed to be People except for Chloe please? The 'them and us' thing irked me.
I started off really liking Chloe but the further I got, the more she grated on me. Especially when more and more characters were introduced to befriend her seemingly for no further purpose than to show how popular and likeable she is.
Way too many popular culture refs were crammed in. Twilight, Matrix, Buffy, Star Trek, Discworld...just an unnecessary constant stream. It quite often felt the author was trying too hard to connect with the young adult readers.
I was not at all taken with Seth. The moment he was described as very R-Pat, I pretty much signed him off. Seth is too perfect. Call me a cynic, but anyone so consistently nice would have me suspicious. He's one of these 'unattainable hotties that NO ONE can resist'...I'm sorry like but folk do have much more varied tastes than that. Plus, the utter lack of drama in his and Chloe's relationship= DULL.
Wasn't a fan of the insta- love. Undying love straight off, seriously? Then they go all weird and awkward before declaring they love each other again and each following time it's still a groundbreaking revelation. Hmm.
I didn't especially get the logic of Chloe's actions at the end. Although I did very much get teary over it, I do think she could have easily avoided that consequence if she engaged her brain and asked the RIGHT questions.
Still, decent read and I'm kinda interested to see what happens next following the cliffhanger ending.
I wasn't too sure about the heavily religious theme but the synopsis intrigued me, I enjoyed the 10% sample, and with the book being free I thought I'd give it a whirl.
The writing's pretty decent, the story's fresh and I love the puzzle-piece development. There were a number of very likeable SIDE characters and the random chit-chats were fun.
The whole Palace/People/Other concept felt really well developed.
However...
As expected, I wasn't at all endeared by the religious-ness- it was kinda cultish and freaky. I struggled to get my head around its complexities and... how come every character in Montreal seemed to be People except for Chloe please? The 'them and us' thing irked me.
I started off really liking Chloe but the further I got, the more she grated on me. Especially when more and more characters were introduced to befriend her seemingly for no further purpose than to show how popular and likeable she is.
Way too many popular culture refs were crammed in. Twilight, Matrix, Buffy, Star Trek, Discworld...just an unnecessary constant stream. It quite often felt the author was trying too hard to connect with the young adult readers.
I was not at all taken with Seth. The moment he was described as very R-Pat, I pretty much signed him off. Seth is too perfect. Call me a cynic, but anyone so consistently nice would have me suspicious. He's one of these 'unattainable hotties that NO ONE can resist'...I'm sorry like but folk do have much more varied tastes than that. Plus, the utter lack of drama in his and Chloe's relationship= DULL.
Wasn't a fan of the insta- love. Undying love straight off, seriously? Then they go all weird and awkward before declaring they love each other again and each following time it's still a groundbreaking revelation. Hmm.
I didn't especially get the logic of Chloe's actions at the end. Although I did very much get teary over it, I do think she could have easily avoided that consequence if she engaged her brain and asked the RIGHT questions.
Still, decent read and I'm kinda interested to see what happens next following the cliffhanger ending.
May 21, 2014
Chloe Diaz's perfect older sister, Stacy had done the unthinkable when she hopped on the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle and rode off into the sunset. Her parents were furious, and so Chloe became the repository of all her parents' displaced hopes and dreams. It is becoming truly exhausting, so as soon as she's able, Chloe leaves for college several months early.
Once she's enrolled in summer school, Chloe's life begins to change in ways she never expected. She's more than happy to leave the super heroic, save the world missions to her new study partner, Tal - who claims that as one of 'The People', she was sent from 'The Palace' to maintain the cosmic balance between good and evil. Chloe assumes that this is code for "I'm a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo."
Chloe was certain of three things in her life: first of all, boys who looked as gorgeously suave as Seth Wilks never even looked at her twice; second, they sure as heck never claimed she was their soul mate (as appealing as that particular thought might be); and third, there would never come a time in Chloe's life when she would have to choose between following her heart towards her own happiness, and following a much different path towards her destiny. Chloe was wrong; the time for her decision has come...
Now the future of the world is in her hands, but what if the price is too great to pay? Chloe learns that, in the Palace, destiny is not enough...
I must say that I enjoyed reading this book very much. This was a very intriguing and unusual premise; slightly darker and grittier than most readers might expect when they think of religious-themed fantasy, but I found the characters sympathetic and well-developed, the story was well-written and kept my attention engaged through to the end. I certainly want to read the next book in this series - To Call Your Name. I give Life in the Palace by Catherine Green an A!
Once she's enrolled in summer school, Chloe's life begins to change in ways she never expected. She's more than happy to leave the super heroic, save the world missions to her new study partner, Tal - who claims that as one of 'The People', she was sent from 'The Palace' to maintain the cosmic balance between good and evil. Chloe assumes that this is code for "I'm a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo."
Chloe was certain of three things in her life: first of all, boys who looked as gorgeously suave as Seth Wilks never even looked at her twice; second, they sure as heck never claimed she was their soul mate (as appealing as that particular thought might be); and third, there would never come a time in Chloe's life when she would have to choose between following her heart towards her own happiness, and following a much different path towards her destiny. Chloe was wrong; the time for her decision has come...
Now the future of the world is in her hands, but what if the price is too great to pay? Chloe learns that, in the Palace, destiny is not enough...
I must say that I enjoyed reading this book very much. This was a very intriguing and unusual premise; slightly darker and grittier than most readers might expect when they think of religious-themed fantasy, but I found the characters sympathetic and well-developed, the story was well-written and kept my attention engaged through to the end. I certainly want to read the next book in this series - To Call Your Name. I give Life in the Palace by Catherine Green an A!
September 30, 2014
**I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
Wow...I will start by saying this is a well written novel. It took a good six chapters to fully get into, but man did I enjoy this book.
The beginning had me a bit confused with everything, but as the story progressed on my understanding of the premise grew. The characters and storyline was well thought out.
I love the relationship between Chloe and Seth. The basis of an Other being with a People seems so realistic to thr society we live in today. Adding a college experience to the story just made it much more believable. The paranormal aspect lost me at first, but as Chloe started to see the Angels, see Tal fighting these animals and as she saw the Palace I began to understand.
The ending really sucked for me. I didn't expect for that to happen between them, but what sucked more was what the Guides were discussing. How uncool for no one to share the real truth with Chloe and make them both suffer.
Such a good cliffhanger that will keep a reader wanting more. My only question: where the heck did Seth disappear to?!
Outsanding novel!
Wow...I will start by saying this is a well written novel. It took a good six chapters to fully get into, but man did I enjoy this book.
The beginning had me a bit confused with everything, but as the story progressed on my understanding of the premise grew. The characters and storyline was well thought out.
I love the relationship between Chloe and Seth. The basis of an Other being with a People seems so realistic to thr society we live in today. Adding a college experience to the story just made it much more believable. The paranormal aspect lost me at first, but as Chloe started to see the Angels, see Tal fighting these animals and as she saw the Palace I began to understand.
The ending really sucked for me. I didn't expect for that to happen between them, but what sucked more was what the Guides were discussing. How uncool for no one to share the real truth with Chloe and make them both suffer.
Such a good cliffhanger that will keep a reader wanting more. My only question: where the heck did Seth disappear to?!
Outsanding novel!
April 2, 2014
I read this book because a free copy was given in exchange for an honest review. So here goes. First, I think Seth and Chloe were awesome. Their whirlwind romance is too damn perfect that in four months of being together I was surprised that there're no making out thingys mentioned or were they too noble as to not even attempt such kind of normalcy present in the modern era of dating? Be that as it may, you don't go about escaping your parents to another country and find a charming, handsome, single bachelor waiting to be boyfriend-ed by his brother's-classmate-who-had-dibs-on-her-first. It all too sounded surreal.
Second, I liked how the religion of the People portrayed their service in a superhero manner until they went crazy and racist about their kind dating Others. Tal was a cool chick but then she became narrow-minded about Chloe's relationship with Seth. Perhaps her and her group of friends' lack of dating experiences and their fanatic loyalty to their heritage brought the bad from hiding from their Interloper's facade. Sadly, the book was a cliffhanger. Can't wait to read the sequel.
October 3, 2016
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. When I received the book, I originally thought it was life in an actual palace with kings and queens etc. However, the Palace is really a spiritual realm where followers of the religion, called the people, fight monsters and beasts from destroying the Palace and the balance of life. On this book are two plots that in twine later in the book. The first plot is of Chloe Diaz and her relationship with Seth Wilks, which is a full on soul mate and true love romance (kinda cute in places). This plot line seemed to take up almost half the book and the second plot line, one with the People and their mission/religion is mentioned here and there, but is not fully introduced until later in the book. The prologue left me confused. After rereading it about four times, I was no closer to understanding it until I actually finished the book. The end, by the way, was a cliff hanger, but hey, I'm not one for spoilers ;).
Overall, this book had a very interesting concept of the People's religion and the love story is great, however, the book is vague in places and doesn't get to the point until farther along into the novel.
Overall, this book had a very interesting concept of the People's religion and the love story is great, however, the book is vague in places and doesn't get to the point until farther along into the novel.
October 8, 2014
Too much of nothing happening for me to finish reading. As a religious person, I was very interested in the religious aspect, but at 15% I got too bored to continue. The only thing to develop by then was romance. Keep in mind that Twilight bored me almost to tears, but I persevered because everyone else was raving. This book just seems to confuse most people. But if you're more interested in romance than mystery, danger, and all the other devices that would have kept me reading, go for it.
I don't usually post reviews for books I don't finish, but I make exceptions if I think a book isn't good for teens. My main concern is for parents not to give this to a young teenager. They have enough problems without feeling they can't be saved, and that's one of two things clear from other reviews. The second is that this book won't help religious people be viewed as normal because its religion is nothing like any other I've come across. Counting by a class in world religions, that's a lot. The second isn't a negative for reading, but it conflicts with the author's stated purpose for writing. I was provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I don't usually post reviews for books I don't finish, but I make exceptions if I think a book isn't good for teens. My main concern is for parents not to give this to a young teenager. They have enough problems without feeling they can't be saved, and that's one of two things clear from other reviews. The second is that this book won't help religious people be viewed as normal because its religion is nothing like any other I've come across. Counting by a class in world religions, that's a lot. The second isn't a negative for reading, but it conflicts with the author's stated purpose for writing. I was provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2015
After beginning to read this book I was reluctant to continue, however I am glad that I persisted with Life in the Palace despite my concerns as I did enjoy this novel.
Catherine Green created a new religion in this book, however neglected to explain it until a considerable length into the novel. Once I overcame my utter confusion over what Tal and her friends were talking about, I was able to appreciate the book. Green creates an intense relationship between Chloe and Seth, including soul mates and true love. Chloe and best friend Spike joke about the similarities between the relationship and that of other fictional characters Bella and Edward. They could not be more correct. The only thing saving this couple in my eyes is that Seth's not a vampire.
I recommend this book. Once I established an understanding of The Palace I was able to follow the narrative and engage with the characters and their stories.
Catherine Green created a new religion in this book, however neglected to explain it until a considerable length into the novel. Once I overcame my utter confusion over what Tal and her friends were talking about, I was able to appreciate the book. Green creates an intense relationship between Chloe and Seth, including soul mates and true love. Chloe and best friend Spike joke about the similarities between the relationship and that of other fictional characters Bella and Edward. They could not be more correct. The only thing saving this couple in my eyes is that Seth's not a vampire.
I recommend this book. Once I established an understanding of The Palace I was able to follow the narrative and engage with the characters and their stories.
March 27, 2018
An interesting take on the paranormal romance genre. I loved the characters, they felt real, it was easy to keep up with the assortment of background characters because they were given some sort of backstory and description that many books gloss over. The theme of "the world is not as it seems" is handled in an entirely new way and it's fascinating to see it through the eyes of the new character. While other books in the genre have unrealistic buy in to the acceptance of someone from the outside entering a "new world" Life in the Palace handled it from both the main character looking in and the dwellers of the Palace looking out at this person trying to enter their world. I hated the end because I wanted to know more! I am so happy to hear that there are more books in the series so the readers aren't left hanging!
February 21, 2014
This book introduces you to a whole host of characters that you want to meet in real life. Set in college in Canada, Chloe finds love in the rather dishy Seth and a whole parallel existence, the palace, through friends which she originally assumed were crazed religious weirdos. The action keeps you reading, while the budding love between Seth and Chloe makes you breathless. A great read, life in the palace will take you on an exciting journey to where life is not what it seems to be.
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June 25, 2014The first chapter or so seemed pretty good. It started to feel a little unbelievable when we get into the love between Seth and chloe. I felt like one minute she's ogling him and the next they're madly in love. Don't get me wrong, I love romances but it was so....fake? I'm not even sure what word I was looking for but that seems to sum it up for now. Maybe I'll get bored later and finish....or maybe not
April 13, 2016
I see the reviews are mixed on this book. I could see how both atheist and Christians are offended by this book. However, I loved, loved, loved it. It was a mix of things you could grasp an understanding of, with a really original way of approaching it. If your atheist, the book has a while religious vibe to you, but it's not necessarily Christian- fyi to Christians who would consider it blasphemy to read this.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would not be offended by it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would not be offended by it.
March 9, 2014
A fun book with interesting, well developed characters and a lot of funny lines. I really liked the interaction between the characters, and watching how Chloe develops throughout the year with her different friends. The action scenes are well-staged and help keep the book moving. The book comes through as a "ya fiction" with some depth.
March 31, 2014
I was going to give this 4 stars, but the last 2-3 pages threw me off, I am sorry but... it wasn't needed in my opinion.
Other than that, it was a good story which I really enjoyed.
Woudld like to read the next book soon :D
Other than that, it was a good story which I really enjoyed.
Woudld like to read the next book soon :D
March 19, 2014
A very different yet interesting book! I enjoyed the humor and the character growth in this story. I am looking forward to reading book 2.
November 13, 2014
Is a great book to read
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