Colorworld

Colorworld #1

by Rachel E. Kelly

Wen knows what love looks like. Since her mom died over a year ago, she’s seen it every day on her orphaned younger brother’s face. Wen’s made good on her promise to her mom that she’d take care of Ezra, even quitting her carefree party-girl ways to become a hard-working college student so she can provide for him.
Wen knows what love feels like, too. Because when she touches people, she feels what they do. "Uniquely perceptive" is what her mom called it, and Wen’s not going to argue; she doesn’t know any different.
But an energy therapy study changes not only what Wen knows about her unusual gift; it also changes her. Now, instead of feeling emotions, her touch brings death to others. No one is safe around her, especially Ezra.
Wen turns to energy healers for help. And that’s where she meets him: Mr. Tenacious and Audacious, Gabe Dumas. He knows about love, too; he speaks it in ways Wen has never experienced. And he’s never even touched her.
With her heart unravelling, Wen discovers a world only she can see. It may offer hope for her condition… or it may be better left hidden. *Intended for 16 and up

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy

352 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2013

About the author

I dig philosophy, lore, fairy tales, authentic romance, and the occult. I have longed to read something that artfully combines all 5, and since I haven't found it, I decided to write a story of my own. Colorworld is the culmination of all these loves of mine, and it's my passion to make it something everyone can read and get something out of. Stories are meant to entertain, yes, but the best stories are the ones that do that AND make you question yourself. And since I hold all other literary works to this standard, it is also the standard I hold myself to when writing.
The Colorworld series is a story that opens your eyes to the beauty of that everydayness we all know so well while weaving in that wee bit of fantasy we all long for.

For sample writing, visit colorworldbooks.com

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating 4.5 stars. I marked it down because there were a few glaring errors, such as heroine instead of heroin and two instead of to. Also, I'm not a huge fan of first person present tense POV, but I feel that Rachel Kelly actually pulled it off rather well.

Wow! I was first drawn in by this gorgeous cover as I passed by the table at Ohio Comic-Con and I'm a book addict so I decided to check it out. When asked to describe her book, Rachel Kelly asked me if I had watched the show "Heroes," which I had through the first couple seasons before it started to get kinda crappy. She went on to explain that she tried to make superpowers more realistic and plausible in the real world. I would say that she certainly achieved that goal.

Typically I'm not a fan of insta-love, but when your main character can literally feel every emotion of the people around her, and the love interest has a habit of honestly projecting everything he feels...well, it seems a bit more natural that they would fall in love.

This book was very descriptive and I spent the past couple nights falling asleep while reading because I just wanted to keep going. I'm very glad I went with her package deal to buy all three books. I'll start book two, Teleworld, later today, and then I'll have to wait until Lumaworld comes in the mail, which I'm hoping should be soon since it was released a couple weeks ago.

[Bradley Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this 4 stars instead of 5 stars because I just finished Teleworld and wanted some way to indicate that Teleworld was EVEN BETTER!

There are so many moments in Colorworld when I would just reread the dialogue just to hear Wendy and Ezra go at it with each other. Every time Ezra, Wendy's younger brother, is around, it's worth reading a few times.

I love great conversation and this book is full of it.

I never saw the twist coming and did not put the book down once I hit 80% of the way through. I forgot all about getting to sleep and just kept reading until I was out of pages. I love that things got wrapped up nicely for the end of the 1st book and had enough questions to really look forward to Book 2!

It sounds cliche to say that it was the best of both worlds, but really, for a book that has a sequel coming, it's incredibly hard to leave the reader satisfied at what they just finished AND create a real sense of anticipation for the next installment!

Really well done, exciting, some really cool moments for Wendy and Gabe when they are locked up. Every minute of it felt believable, despite being centered around topics that are either brand new or still "under review".

You hear people say: "I don't like fish" or "I don't like vegetables". Usually, that's because whoever is cooking them has been terrible and they've never had a good experience with them. That's what I'd say to anyone who claims not to like sci-fi. I'd simply say: "Well, then you've never read Colorworld."

So glad Teleworld is already out and can't wait until Lumaworld!!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard for me to focus on the book and not think about the author, since I know her. However, I really got into this book and, despite my critical view, ended up loving it. I am looking forward to the next one!

[Melonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It started out a little predictable but I knew there was somewhere unique it was going and it definitely took me there. I enjoyed Teleworld even more than this one so keep reading!

[Bibliophile Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes…Rachel E. Kelly broke the bar when she penned this amazing novel!

The story of Wendy and Ezra opens slowly like a flower to the morning sun…It felt as though it was written to be read slowly, stoking the fires until it rages out of control.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and normally if it’s to slow I skim or get lost…not the case with Color World. The interaction with each character gives you depth into their world; allowing you to get to know each of them on a personal level (Yes…I know they’re not real but you get my meaning).

Wendy’s story is complicated on many levels and I was happy with the ending and the promise of the next book, knowing that her story will unravel before our eyes more fully giving us an even better idea of what is going on in her life and hopefully what happened in her past.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I felt like I was part of the story and the plot was really interesting.

[Jideobi Siphen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly a comic book, yet still a book worth reviewing for what inspiration it takes from comics. Colorworld, written by Rachel E. Kelly, is about a girl named Wendy whose life was never the same after her mom died over a year ago. A tragic moment in the lives of the now orphaned Wendy and her younger brother Ezra. Wen’s made good on her promise to her mom that she’d take care of Ezra, even quitting her carefree party-girl ways to become a hard-working college student so she can provide for him. Now that could be any orphan out there in the world, but what makes Wen so special? When she touches people, she feels what they do. "Uniquely perceptive" is what her mom called it, and Wen’s not going to argue; she doesn’t know any different. And the big twist is that an energy therapy study changes not only what Wen knows about her unusual gift; it also changes her. Now, instead of feeling emotions, her touch brings death to others. No one is safe around her, especially Ezra.

colorworld art1Now before I get into the story I have to say that it is impressive what this book takes from familiar concepts from comics and turns it into something unique. The minute you read what Wen's power manifests into, your first reaction is probably to scream "Rogue!". Yet it goes well beyond the handicap that comes with such an ability, unless you want to call it a curse. In general why you want to read Colorworld is because of the sheer creativity put into giving this world life. A world where powers no matter how small or useless could be unlocked and used for practical situations. It's too easy to give the most generic abilities to regular people, but it takes a better writer to be able to take something that seems like it can be overlooked and apply it in a way that makes a person feel special.

What is commendable about Colorworld is the fact that it is a sci-fi/romance story and yet I could still find myself engaged till the very end. Sure it was a bit hard to get through the descriptive nature of Gabriel's physique considering we are following a love struck girl's thoughts, though for the tone of the story it was something you could not overlook just because everything Wen sees and feels is a part of her power. Not once does Colorworld get lost in anything that distracts from the beauty and astonishment that you should feel when it comes to what Wen is capable of. Your sense of wonder carries you from page to page as there was nothing you could have predicted from a world that unlike any you've seen before.

Wen is definitely a character that you come to like because everything you need to know about her is on the surface. For someone whose life has been turned upside down she has no problem being upfront with how she feels or showing that to those who have pushed themselves into her life. The rage at Pneumatikon for messing with her gifts, her love for Ezra, hesitation with Gabe, and her vulnerability around Kaylen who treats her like a genuine friend. Such a wide variety of emotions are felt through Wen, and through her we have a clear understanding of how the other characters feel when in her range. It makes for the perfect dynamic between her and this cast of very different people who make it hard for Wen to ever stick to one emotion or tell if it is really her's shes feeling. Going back to what Wen is capable of, that much shapes all of who she is as an individual. Her powers grow with her and you can't help but notice that you are growing with her because of the perspective. Rachel E. Kelly wants you to to understand everything Wen senses, and that engages you in a way you never would have expected when picking up this book initially. Sure it somewhat makes her power a plot device to some extent, though because of the endless potential that comes with what Wen can do you are left with a lot of anticipation for things to happen that we know would not be possible to address in just this book alone.

The plot and concept as stated above had a lot of creativity put into it in terms of the direction that this story takes as things progress. There obviously is an end that Rachel E. Kelly wants from this story and it seems like it's all about the journey to that point. Everything that Wen and those closest to her will have to go through before Wen gets the answers she needs about her powers. About her family, about Colorworld, and about preparing for a world that would not know how to handle these abilities that should not be possible to acquire.

Colorworld is worth picking up when it captivates you if you are someone who likes to believe in the impossible. It goes to those places with keeping one foot on reality. I don't know what's in store for this series through the next three books following, but Rachel E. Kelly gives you more than enough reason to see what this world and Colorworld have to offer.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is technically for the Colorworld Illustrated Edition, which is not an option on Goodreads. I would have added it but I can't find a ISBN for it...so this'll do.

I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!! If it says anything about these books, I read them in January and I'm reading them AGAIN and it's only September. The closest I come to frequent re-reads is Jane Austen and Shakespeare, which I do almost once a year.

The emotions and character development of Colorworld is absolutely fabulous. I am completely in love with Wendy and Gabriel, and I adore Ezra. There is so much depth to this story, and Colorworld is an amazing series opener, and having read every book so far, I can say that it only gets better from here.

The Illustrated Editions actually do add quite a bit to the story, because the illustrated pages show off some of the important and pivotal moments of each book. And the unique nature of having a different artist for each book in the series means that each book has a special style.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about these books. Rachel E. Kelly is an amazingly talented individual and I am so blessed to have met her and been able to enter the intense and beautiful world she has created with the Colorworld series.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally don't like sci-fi or romance, but this book contained both of those aspects without being overwhelming. Since I don't normally read sci-fi and I'm unfamiliar with energy therapy, I had to re-read certain parts of the book, but it wasn't anything that was too overwhelming or far-reaching. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series with anticipation. Rachel Kelly has offered characters that are real and has worked to draw her readers into their lives. The only downside was that at times the book seemed to move slowly, but this was probably necessary in order to give the characters a proper back-story and build to the main plot. Although the length worried me in the beginning, it was a quick read. I was able to finish it in a few days, which was somewhat disappointing considering the next book won't be published for some time.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was beautifully written, the characters are well thought out and have traits that make them unique within the story. I love the way Rachel Kelly handles the attraction between Wen and Gabe; it is powerful without being unnecessarily detailed. The relationship Wen has with her brother Ezra is dynamic and sweet. The mystery surrounding Wen's growing and deadly power is intriguing. Overall, a very good read, I am glad I was able to enter this world and hope to return to it when the next book is released.

[Bookwyrm Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a well thought out premise, engaging characters, an immersive world, action, and adventure, but the pacing is driven by the romance. The slow to get anywhere, often denied or neglected, romance. Not the best choice. You can actually feel the lack of momentum. If you can get past that, though, it's well worth reading.

[Steve Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Colorworld is a great story exploring a young girl's inner turmoil of coming to grips with her newly found powers as well as learning to understand her own emotions. This book kept me intrigued with many plot twists and cliffhanger moments. I am truly looking forward to the next book in the Colorworld series.

[Damien Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up the book when they were in Aiken, SC at a con. I enjoyed the book and wished I picked up the other three at the time but you can understand with the way things are with books now a days I was a little wary of picking anything beyond the first book. It was different than other books of this nature and that's not a bad thing.

[Emily Braunewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has such a cool premise, and Rachel has a very immersive, detailed writing style that I very much enjoyed. I also have to note that, for anyone who leans toward audiobooks (or is an anime fan), Cherami Leigh was nothing short of brilliant in her narration.

I struggled though, as other reviewers have mentioned, with the romance that completely overtook the plot early on. Wen becomes infatuated on sight with Gabriel, an old-fashioned, hyper-intelligent, tall-dark-and-handsome man (whose Latin heritage we are reminded of every few pages).

Generally, the insta-love was really difficult for me to get behind. With one look, the trajectory of the book goes from a young woman who kills people by touching them grappling with these violent new powers, all while trying to protect her little brother, to a love-sick girl who desperately wants to figure out a way to touch this one man. I mean, Wen is quite literally expressing her love to him within, what, one-two weeks of them meeting? 90% of Wen's inner monologue for the rest of the book is then bouncing back and forth between "this is the only human being I will ever love and I need him to survive" and "I want nothing to do with this relationship, because I can't touch him". I wanted to know more about Kaylen, Ezra, even the other people at the compound, but all we really got was her obsession with this guy she's known under a month. I understand that she can feel others emotions and that she, you know, "touched his soul", but I couldn't find any reason why they should be so intensely enamored with one another so quickly, other than finding each other mutually hot.

That brings me to the love interest himself, who made the insta-love plot all the more challenging for me. First and foremost, glaringly, he is 27 years old. Wen is 19. Some might find that a reasonable age gap, but personally, seeing that a nearly 30 year old man fell "in love" with a girl barely of age after seeing her wake up from a mini coma, once? Definitely soured the relationship for me. His intentions also never felt clear to me - the betrayal to Louise seemed super unnecessary, and he is described as curious and intuitive, but then tries pretty hard to convince Wen to touch her with her death hands.

Overall, I really wanted to love this book, and I do dig the premise beneath the romance. I actually intend on reading the next one, in the hopes that it will get more into the sci-fi adventure vibes I was hoping for in this first book. I just wish there had been more development for the relationship, and then more balance between the love story and the rest of the plot.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. The concept behind this book is incredible, and it drew me in immediately. Using energy manipulation to generate superpowers is a very general This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it certainly won’t be the last as this is the first book in a series.

The characters is this book are all really intriguing. I absolutely love Wendy and Ezra’s relationship - they make a great brother/sister team. The villains are just the right amount of creepy to be unsettling, even when you don’t know who the true villain is. There is most definitely a love interest in this book, and whew - what a love interest he is.

Beyond the sci-fi aspects of the book, I would say it is part mystery and part suspense. There are several points in the book that I was on the edge of my seat, and I never wanted to put it down. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

[Awesome Indies Book Awards · Rating 4 out of 5]

AIBA Book of the Day: 1 February, 2022: 068/41734

Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include COLORWORLD by RACHEL E. KELLY in the library of Awesome Indies' Badge of Approval recipients.


Original Awesome Indies' Assessment (4 stars):

Colorworld is a new adult paranormal romance about a girl who, after a seemingly innocuous treatment for allergies, discovers that her skin is deadly. People die if she touches them. As you can imagine, this is a pretty life-altering development that throws up many challenges. Wendy wants to get rid of the curse, and the only people who look like they can help her are the people that caused the ‘ability’ to rise in the first place. She goes to a private facility where she meets Gabe. Wendy is also highly empathetic. She can feel other people’s emotions, so she gets to know Gabe in a fairly deep way in a short period of time. The prospect of a relationship with no touching seems like a dead end so, despite being as enamoured with him as he is with her, she rebuffs his advances, and so begins the romance.
Apart from the beginning and the end, there is little action, and some fans of the paranormal may find it a little slow because of it. It’s primarily a romance, so the story focuses on how Gabe and Wendy work things out. This is set against the backdrop of a ‘mentor’, Louise, that neither of them trust, along with the frustration of finding that she either can’t help Wendy or doesn‘t want to. As the end of the book draws near, it becomes clear that Louise has a hidden agenda, one that does not want Wendy to lose her deadly ‘ability.’
In terms of action, the best part of this book is the ending. The pace picks up, the stakes rise and the evil witch is revealed. The rest of the book goes deeply into Wendy’s character, her feelings for Gabe and her discovery and experience of the colorworld, the energetic world that only she can see. Her empathetic ability also allows us to get a good character study of Gabe, who is a delightful character.
The prose is unpretentious and reads smoothly, and the descriptions of the colorworld and of how Wendy experiences Gabe’s emotions are highly evocative. Overall it’s a well-crafted book with a unique premise and a lot of potential for sequels. My only criticism is that the middle of the book could be tightened up, because aspects of Wendy’s introspection sometimes seem to go over similar ground and the descriptions of her feeling’s for Gabe are a little repetitive. One’s capacity for such things is highly subjective, and young romance readers will probably enjoy every bit of it. I also felt that this large middle section could have done with a little more tension to keep the reader eagerly flicking pages. The book was sometimes too easy to set down. All up though, it’s a solid work that sets the scene for some interesting sequels.
3.5 stars. (Rounded to 4)

Second Review (4 Stars)

Colour world is a refreshing paranormal romance about intelligent and witty characters. It follows Wendy, a nineteen year old gifted with enhanced senses who is struggling to provide for herself and younger brother. After undergoing hypnosis to earn some extra cash, she discovers that her senses have not only improved exponentially; but she has also evolved lethal skin and can now kill people just by touching them. Needless to say, this changes her life dramatically; she moves to a top secret compound and is introduced to techniques of 'hypno-touch therapy' to learn to control her abilities. On this journey, she falls for the rather dashing, ever-honest Gabe.

Wendy's exploration of her enhanced senses coupled with an emotion radar, death touch and ability to see another plane of existence make for an engaging story. The Colourworld and techniques of 'hypno-touch' had a well-explained internal logic that I wanted to know more about. Ms Kelly has expanded on the esoteric ideas of coloured auras and energy manipulation healing techniques like reiki to make Wendy's powers seem plausible even in today's world.

Her relationship with Gabe was beautifully crafted with all of the intensity and frustration that comes with two lovers not being able to touch. I found their banter very entertaining and definitely fell a little bit in love with Gabe. His seduction technique of broadcasting his emotions loudly at Wendy so she became completely immersed in them was an ingenious way of creating intimacy. At times, however, I felt that these scenes were overlong and too frequent, and I found myself impatient for answers about Wendy's powers and family.

It was very refreshing to read about such witty, intelligent and believable characters. Wendy's priorities were realistic and she was very pragmatic even in the face of her sudden supernatural abilities. Too often in paranormal novels a character simply ups and leaves their real world responsibilities without a second thought. Her brother Ezra was a great comic relief and played an active role in the plot rather than just being her 'responsibility' to be escaped.

I had been hoping for more information on how to control her powers by the end of the book. I feel the majority of the plot was regarding Wendy's relationship to Gabe and exploring her abilities, not actually learning control of them. The ending satisfactorily ties up the action and hints at answers to come. In general it's a great read.

Four stars

[Rex Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of four books (of which there are a planned seven) in this series. It deals with the a woman's coming to understand the nature of a mutant power that has manifested in her body- when she touches someone, they die. While the book needs an additional edit, I enjoy the writer has created a strong realistic female protagonist without resorting to either man bashing or crafting a male archetype with breasts. A good read for someone who wants a superhero book without the tights

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted at Fanboy Comics .

College sophomore Wendy Whitley thought life was hard enough with caring for her fifteen-year-old brother Ezra, trying to make enough money to cover all the bills, and staying on top of her college courses. Having diabetes, an allergy to tree nuts, and the ability to sense emotions through skin contact didn’t even make her top ten worries list. When Wendy learns about a food allergy research study through mysterious Pneumatikon, it sounds like a dream come true. She thinks that life energy manipulation is a crock, but at $500 payment per session, what does she have to lose? However, when Wendy wakes up from a session with the frightening ability to kill people with her touch, she must decide how to protect those she loves most and learn how to control a new talent. As she explores more about her new skills and her own history, it seems more and more clear that her acceptance into Pneumatikon’s research study was no accident, and the reasons behind Wendy’s death touch may be more sinister than she can imagine.

When I was seventeen my parents re-wrote their wills, and I was faced with the important decision of whether or not I would become my younger siblings' legal guardian if the unthinkable occurred, and we lost both parents. (Spoiler: it didn’t.) What does this have to do with Rachel E. Kelly’s Colorworld? I found Wendy’s mindset and thought patterns extremely easy to relate with overall. Her life is dominated by worry about her younger brother, guilt over her mother’s death from cancer the previous year, and concerns about how to make every dollar stretch as far as possible. She’s struggling with the realization that she recklessly charged into past situations expecting her mother to fix everything, but her parental safety net is suddenly gone. Wendy, known as “Wen” to friends (well, those she still has) and family (at this point Ezra), also uses her emotion-sensing ability as an excuse to create a wall around herself, so she has a scant support network outside of her younger brother, the same person she wants to protect. I could understand her wariness when a barely known uncle reaches out to offer help and her extreme panic when her “emodar” turns into something akin to Rogue’s abilities in The X-Men. Throughout the story, it becomes clear that Wen’s default behavior is self-sacrifice fueled by a desire to shield those she loves from danger and hardships. I probably identify a little too closely with her, although I’ve never dealt with any sort of extrasensory issues!

The supporting characters are also well fleshed out, although I didn’t self-identify as strongly with them. Kelly grasps the concept that the protagonists live in a world of actual individuals, and even the antagonists possess depths beyond mustache-twirling baddie. I particularly love the warm bond between Wen and Ezra, and the way they support each other through everything is very sweet. Gabriel, Wen’s love interest, strikes me as a rather exhausting man due to his intensity, stark honesty, and love of pushing buttons, but he also is willing to accept Wen’s boundaries and respects her needs. The remaining cast is similarly dynamic, including an innocuous-seeming mastermind, a not-just-a-pouty-little rich girl, and an uncle who holds a lot of the answers to Wen’s past.

Colorworld contains two interlinked plots: Wen’s development of a deadly ability and its ramifications and a love story between Wen and Gabriel. I loved the straight speculative fiction/super power angle of the plot, but the love story fell a little flat for me. My biggest problem with the Wen/Gabriel romance is the compressed time frame; he first sees Wendy at Pneumatikon after her death touch surfaces and instantly feels attracted to her and actively pursues Wen when they meet again. Admittedly, Wen’s emodar skills allow her to sense Gabriel’s feelings in Technicolor detail, but the concept of a new relationship progressing to engagement within three or four weeks creeps me out a little. (To be fair, Kelly does have Wen mention her discomfort with how fast things are going in the beginning.) I just don’t fully comprehend why Gabriel is so fixated on Wendy . . . which brings me to the age difference. The novel clearly states that Gabriel is twenty-seven years old while Wendy’s implied age is between eighteen and twenty. My jaded late thirties’ mind feels a little uncomfortable with a twenty-seven year old chasing a college girl and creates all types of unhealthy scenarios. At the same time, I can’t deny that Wen’s biggest need in the novel is human connection, which Gabriel provides. Even when they cannot touch skin to skin he supports her and provides stability when her world is rapidly changing.

I may be dissecting the romantic angle and hedging about the latter half of Colorworld’s plot, but I definitely think this is a book worth picking up. The idea of super powers through New Age healing techniques is incredibly unique, and I’m keen to see Wendy continue to grow. I’m eager to see where the other books in the series take me!


4.5 Mysterious Hidden Compounds out of 5

[Laurie Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Wendy is one of those characters that I want to slap some sense into. Her self doubt and fear was irritating me, like she couldn't have any good in her life. The whole concept of manipulating life forces is different, and I like how Wendy describes it.

[Misha Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great premise. I thought it was really more a 4.5, but rounded up because I had so much trouble putting it down. The story was unique and kept me asking questions, which is great. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Rebecca Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love the idea of this story. I hated putting it down. There are some small editing errors but for the most part not distracting. The cover is beautiful. My copy was signed by the author. I adore the world she has created and can't wait to dive in again.

[read by kam · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNFed for now. I really enjoyed it, will come back to it when I'm in the mood for a realistic fantasy. As for actual quality: quite a few grammatical errors, but I am reading an illustrated edition I purchased years ago at a con. Your copy may not have them!

[Celina Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took a hot second in order for me to get really invested into the story and connect with the characters, but once I was in it got interesting. A fun little read for sure. I probably will read the next book.

Overall, pretty good for a science fiction/romance

[ML Schatz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Omitting the grammatical and spelling errors, I felt bored reading most chapters. As a personal preference I like to have more action in my reading and this didn’t deliver as I expected. That being said, the action parts were good. Would have liked to see more.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my fave books. The writing is fantastic. The author brings to life this world that Wendy lives in and I believe it's real. I love the dynamics between characters. I love the romance and sci fi. It's a great combo.

[Clarissa Fielders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this before I realized it’s a series of 9 books… RIP. But it was SO good.
- Can’t wait for Wen and Gabe’s wedding.
- Can’t wait til she can figure out how to smoosh him.

Also, fuuuuuuck Louise, bro.

Prediction: Regina is her real mom. Hello.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It has a really interesting world and some fascinating characters. The author spent a lot of time on the romance, which is sweet.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Not this spinach"

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for excellent writing and well drawn characters.


I wanted to love this story; I really did. Unfortunately, while the author had many excellent ideas, the book fell short as a story overall. About 50% through I felt like I was just slogging through as a chore because I had already invested too much to quit. That and I rarely abandon a book I start even if it is truly bad.
That sad part is that this book was not bad at all.

The Good:
The writer has a tremendous gift for writing. Her prose was excellent and her descriptions were stunningly vivid. I especially loved Wen’s sensory descriptions and those of the color world. The novel was well crafted and well edited without the usual mistakes that I often see in self published works.
The ideas presented were intriguing and the first part of the book had me hooked. I was very interested in Wendy and her brother at first. I especially liked that Wendy was not a teenager but unfortunately once she got to Xavier’s school for the gifted the Pneumatikon compound she started acting like one. Her voice always seemed much younger than she was presented in the beginning. Then we meet Gabriel who is supposed to be a 27 year old man. He seemed much more like a seventeen year old boy than 27.
The energy fields and manipulating them to enhance or create supernatural abilities was very interesting. I kept wondering why they didn’t find people with more serious but manageable illnesses like Wendy’s diabetes? In this age of medicine there are tons of potentially life threatening illnesses that people live with because of modern medicine. If the more seriously ill produced stronger abilities it seemed like they would have sought those people out. Just a minor thing though. The idea itself was original and interesting. Wendy’s description of the life fields once she could see them was absolutely fascinating!
The Bad
The biggest problem was the plot. There really wasn’t much of one. Almost nothing really happens for much of the book and I was bored most of the time. The author did a really good job of avoiding most of the huge plot holes many of these types of stories have. I really can’t fault any of the developments in the story or in character except that there was simply far too much dialog without much plot advancement.
The love story could have been tragically interesting – after all Wendy can’t touch Gabriel because it would kill him and being an empath she knows how he feels about her from the moment they meet. That could have been interesting to play out. It just wasn’t.
For example, late in the book, Wendy and Gabriel are being held captive and they spend page after agonizing page talking about their relationship. Worse, they are talking about making a commitment as in marriage which just seemed bizarre to me. I literally skimmed through that section. I would tap my Kindle to turn the page, read a few lines and see they were STILL talking about it and groan and repeat.
Things picked up a little toward the end when we discover some of the secrets of her history when Wendy meets back up with her brother and her mysterious uncle. At that point, there is some explanation as to why Wendy is so much more advanced than all the other ‘mutants’ we meet. Finding out that she had a gifted father and mother assuaged my unease over her being so astonishingly gifted.
Lastly, I felt that the character of Kaylen was wasted. She was an interesting person – at least what we see of her but in the end she never really advanced the plot and her story seemed to be wrapped up a little too suddenly and neatly. We find out that she has a tremendous talent for telekinesis but it is never actually used in the story. I was left feeling unsatisfied.
A few new mysteries are dangled at the end to entice us to read the sequel but it wasn’t enough for me.
My final take:
I won’t be buying the sequel but I hope to see more from this author in the future. She has an amazing imagination and is a very talented writer.

[Alisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

New Words: Panoply and Termagant and Dilatory

So far I have read the first three books. I had thought there were only three. If I had known there would be a fourth, I may not have read them at all. This review is to the first three, which I will include on all three books here on goodreads.

As all of the reviews I have seen of these books are GLOWING, I think I may be the first person who does not know the author who has read them. If the author reads my review let me say your ideas are RAD and I kept reading BECAUSE of them. However, please use an editor, or a better one, in the future.

OK, here goes:

The idea of kinks in the energy field of someone being smoothed and people manifesting abilities is so fascinating. The first book is fairly quick on the uptake, but then slows substantially for more than half of the book-- then picks up very quickly at the end in a rushed manner. I think the first book could have easily been half its size. Potentially, the entire three books should have fit into one book.

Wendy, the main character, COULD have been rad. But she very easily fell into the trap of "I really just need all my thoughts to be about a boy" and that was incredibly annoying to me. I would have read the book without a love interest at all. And it probably would have been a better book. The author did not do a good job of keeping the main character focused on real life. The character development for the guy, Gabriel, was confusing at times because he was wonderful wonderful wonderful (i get it already), but then in the second book Wendy decides he is manipulative and controlling and as a reader I guess you are just supposed to roll with it? The transition from infatuation to complicated actual relationship was not well done. She speaks in absolutes of how Gabriel is all of sudden, which are completely counter to everything we have learned about his character up until this point. Its sloppy.

Additionally, in the second book there is this:

"Stupid, Wendy. I was the one who instigated it even though I knew where it would lead. My gosh, it's like I forgot how riled up he got by the pool. It's like I forgot how completely easily men can be ruled by sexual urges. I, of all people, have a very clear knowledge of this fact. You wind them up and they WILL go somewhere." UM, rape culture anyone? Nope, men are not ruled by sexual urges. Please do not include that idea in your book. Everyone has choice. Girls do not need to be taught to be responsible for the sexual actions of boys and men.

oh, and this:

"She obviously drew a lot of inspiration from her Hispanic roots but still managed to make the colors understated enough to be refined." wow. So, the full spectrum of another culture isn't refined? yikes.

There are also random instances of "here's what Wendy is wearing and how she is accessorizing" which are just wasted sentences.

That is the main story of these books for me. They could have been so much more. It is very frustrating to see that as a reader, that the good interesting parts are rushed and poorly developed while "souls making love" is pages and pages and pages. I think the author is much too smart for the way the balance sheet of fluff vs. substance is actually panning out, and that is such a disappointment.