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Immortal Aliens #1
Dawn of the Vie
Since their Arrival, immortal alien Vie rule the planet. Enslaved humans are their servants, entertainment, and food. Anemies—humans with various types of anemia—are exterminated. Their nutritionally deficient blood is useless to the Vie.
Or so it’s thought…
Alex, an Elite Vie, is part scientist, part Raid Specialist, and part drug addict. He knows Anemie blood is valuable—as a drug. Rather than blindly carrying out his boss’s kill order, he spares a few Anemies, not only for study, but also for his own private stock.
The more Anemie blood Alex drinks, the more he slips into delusion, and the more his double life threatens to crumble. But quitting Anemie blood is not an option. There’s no rehab for his condition.
When Alex tastes Justin’s blood, his hallucinations bleed into reality…
Anemie Justin knows he’s living past his expiration date. It becomes a guarantee when he’s bitten by Alex during a raid and infected with the Vie’s toxin. Alex adds insult to injury by promising Justin a second chance—a cure if he agrees to be a lab rat. And a mule…of his own blood.
The only leverage Justin has is a stake and a serious lack of self-preservation.
GAME ON.
Or so it’s thought…
Alex, an Elite Vie, is part scientist, part Raid Specialist, and part drug addict. He knows Anemie blood is valuable—as a drug. Rather than blindly carrying out his boss’s kill order, he spares a few Anemies, not only for study, but also for his own private stock.
The more Anemie blood Alex drinks, the more he slips into delusion, and the more his double life threatens to crumble. But quitting Anemie blood is not an option. There’s no rehab for his condition.
When Alex tastes Justin’s blood, his hallucinations bleed into reality…
Anemie Justin knows he’s living past his expiration date. It becomes a guarantee when he’s bitten by Alex during a raid and infected with the Vie’s toxin. Alex adds insult to injury by promising Justin a second chance—a cure if he agrees to be a lab rat. And a mule…of his own blood.
The only leverage Justin has is a stake and a serious lack of self-preservation.
GAME ON.
276 pages, ebook
First published July 10, 2013
About the author
Laura Diamond
15 books154 followersLaura Diamond is a board certified psychiatrist currently specializing in emergency psychiatry. She is also an author of all things young adult—both contemporary and paranormal. An avid fan of sci-fi, fantasy, and anything magical, she thrives on quirk, her lucid dreams, and coffee. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found sniffing books and drinking a latte at the bookstore or at home pondering renovations on her 225 year old fixer upper, all while obeying her feline overlords, of course.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 26, 2017
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley.
My Rating: 4.5 ☆☆☆☆
In one word: Amazing !
Detailed Review:
Alex: "Patience, then, is not a virtue of your kind."
Justin: "Just like mercy isn't one of yours."
First of all, I must say that I love the cover of the book and the little detailing at the beginning of each chapter.
The Dawn of the Vie takes you in to the distant future where the world is now under the control of Vie - the aliens from another galaxy. They live off human blood, like vampires. They invaded earth and enslaved humans and humanity. The world has now 3 races:
1. Vie - Ruler of the world
2. Humans - Slaves of Vie
3. Anemie - Inferior to the slaves and nothing more than living waste
For Vie, humans are source of their food and entertainment while Anemie, being unhealthy, serve no purpose so they are destined to be killed brutally.
Justin is a fifteen year old Anemie. He is witty, stubborn and trusts no one. A smart act, I must say. He loves his younger sister Sammie to bits. He would do anything to keep her safe and breathing. Safe from both the Vie and fellow humans who have long lost their humanity.
Alex, a Vie scientist, also a member of raid party, abducted Sammie. When he drank Justin's blood, it made him high and swirled him into the sea of pleasures he longed to experience for centuries. Alex wants Justin's blood at any cost.
So, Alex would do anything to have him. On the other hand, Justin would leave no stone unturned in effort to keep himself safe from Vie and rescue his younger sister from Alex, the only hope he has to survive in this hell.
This story is thrilling and full of twists. The dialogues and arguements between Alex and Justin accentuate the story. The struggle and determination of Justin is praise-worthy while Alex ...... Oh Alex...my favorite character...He is just out of this world.
Laura Diamond is a great writer. Her writing style is spontaneous. The story flows beautifully and seamlessly, event after event, twists after twists. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that its a series. Damn! I can't wait for the next book!
October 14, 2016
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in return for a review.
4 stars!!!
I really enjoyed this book tremendously. I thought the concept was quite original. In the sense, that the story is set in a dystopian world but also has a kind of supernatural twist to it. I will get into this a bit more in detailed but first, I'll just summarise the plot a bit for you all. I would like to mention here that I think the cover doesn't really do this book justice. It is colourful but very distracting. I feel there are two many elements going on. Maybe if it was pared back to a more minimalist style with the galaxy seen behind an vampire with dripping fangs or something? I don't know. But it's just too much.
The story is set a future where Earth has been invaded by immortal aliens called Vie. They are essentially like vampires but they are more advanced in terms of technology and abilities. Society has broken down into three distinct groups where the Vie are on top and they have enslaved most of humankind for food, entertainment and work. Those that are at the bottom of the social rung are called Anemies. Since they are nutritionally deficit, they are considered pretty unless by Vie or so it seems. Our MC Justin is an Anemie. However, he is quite special as his blood might be able to kill a Vie. One day, he comes across a Vie named Alex who kidnaps his younger sister in a raid. He soon realises that he cannot be compelled. The story then follows Justin in his attempts to rescue his sister and keep himself alive.
The worldbuilding was pretty decent or so I thought. All of the Vie, humans and anemies live in a biodome which blocks UV rays. I would have liked to see more of the world described with regards to weapons, buildings and such to get a better understanding of things but this is a minor fault. I thought the pacing was pretty fantastic. The plot jumps from one twist to another rather seamlessly. There is plenty of action and it doesn't drag on. We get resolutions and there aren't any plot holes as such which is great for a series starter. I think the author has built up quite a good base to take the story further. Plot devices really helped the story progress in a natural way and were not placed for the heck of it. I thought the writing was pretty good as well. There were hardly any grammatical errors or problems with sentence structure which was a big relief.
I really liked reading this story from a boy's perspective. I think it lent a more grittier feel to the story. There was also a harder edge as to emotions and the overall feel to the society and it's impact on the characters. I thought Jason as a MC was a pretty complex character. He is clever, sarcastic but at the same time has a vulnerable side to him. He really loves his sister and wants to help those around him. Yes, he comes across as selfish at times. But it's understandable, he doesn't want to have the burden of responsibility that being a saviour entails. Alex, on the other hand, is pretty interesting. I would love to get to know his motives better. I think his interactions with Justin were the best. I loved their conversations with each other and how they are tried to figure the other's point of view. It was also funny to see how Alex dealt with Justin's stubborn. That got on my nerves as well.
With regards to the romance, I am not such a huge fan of it. Sara as a character really lacks depth in her personality. I feel like the author didn't take much time on coming up with a decent backstory for her. I also feel that there is not much chemistry between her and Justin. I mean, after the reading the book, I still can't recall one instance where I felt they belonged with each other. It's like they were put together just for the sake of it. I also feel that Sara comes across as a pinhead. I mean she doesn't really have any opinions of her own and she uses Justin as a kind of safety net. Unfortunately, I don't like girls who can't fend for themselves. It would have been nice to see Justin with a girl who was more independent. This might have helped him grow as a character as well. Hopefully, we'll see more character development with Sara in book two *fingers crossed*.
I found the minor characters to be pretty engaging. I have no faults with them. We get to know quite a bit about them. They are quite integral to the storyline which I thought was good. I also liked how the author portrayed Vampires in this novel. I am glad that they were not described as your usual "sparkly" type filled with teenage angst. But they are the real blood thirsty beings. So, we do get some pretty gruesome chapters.
Overall, the novel was a great read. I am sure fans of dystopia and YA paranormal stories will enjoy this one a lot. It is worth adding to your ever growing TBR list :) I am definitely looking forward to book two and I can't wait to catch up again with these characters.
4 stars!!!
I really enjoyed this book tremendously. I thought the concept was quite original. In the sense, that the story is set in a dystopian world but also has a kind of supernatural twist to it. I will get into this a bit more in detailed but first, I'll just summarise the plot a bit for you all. I would like to mention here that I think the cover doesn't really do this book justice. It is colourful but very distracting. I feel there are two many elements going on. Maybe if it was pared back to a more minimalist style with the galaxy seen behind an vampire with dripping fangs or something? I don't know. But it's just too much.
The story is set a future where Earth has been invaded by immortal aliens called Vie. They are essentially like vampires but they are more advanced in terms of technology and abilities. Society has broken down into three distinct groups where the Vie are on top and they have enslaved most of humankind for food, entertainment and work. Those that are at the bottom of the social rung are called Anemies. Since they are nutritionally deficit, they are considered pretty unless by Vie or so it seems. Our MC Justin is an Anemie. However, he is quite special as his blood might be able to kill a Vie. One day, he comes across a Vie named Alex who kidnaps his younger sister in a raid. He soon realises that he cannot be compelled. The story then follows Justin in his attempts to rescue his sister and keep himself alive.
The worldbuilding was pretty decent or so I thought. All of the Vie, humans and anemies live in a biodome which blocks UV rays. I would have liked to see more of the world described with regards to weapons, buildings and such to get a better understanding of things but this is a minor fault. I thought the pacing was pretty fantastic. The plot jumps from one twist to another rather seamlessly. There is plenty of action and it doesn't drag on. We get resolutions and there aren't any plot holes as such which is great for a series starter. I think the author has built up quite a good base to take the story further. Plot devices really helped the story progress in a natural way and were not placed for the heck of it. I thought the writing was pretty good as well. There were hardly any grammatical errors or problems with sentence structure which was a big relief.
I really liked reading this story from a boy's perspective. I think it lent a more grittier feel to the story. There was also a harder edge as to emotions and the overall feel to the society and it's impact on the characters. I thought Jason as a MC was a pretty complex character. He is clever, sarcastic but at the same time has a vulnerable side to him. He really loves his sister and wants to help those around him. Yes, he comes across as selfish at times. But it's understandable, he doesn't want to have the burden of responsibility that being a saviour entails. Alex, on the other hand, is pretty interesting. I would love to get to know his motives better. I think his interactions with Justin were the best. I loved their conversations with each other and how they are tried to figure the other's point of view. It was also funny to see how Alex dealt with Justin's stubborn. That got on my nerves as well.
With regards to the romance, I am not such a huge fan of it. Sara as a character really lacks depth in her personality. I feel like the author didn't take much time on coming up with a decent backstory for her. I also feel that there is not much chemistry between her and Justin. I mean, after the reading the book, I still can't recall one instance where I felt they belonged with each other. It's like they were put together just for the sake of it. I also feel that Sara comes across as a pinhead. I mean she doesn't really have any opinions of her own and she uses Justin as a kind of safety net. Unfortunately, I don't like girls who can't fend for themselves. It would have been nice to see Justin with a girl who was more independent. This might have helped him grow as a character as well. Hopefully, we'll see more character development with Sara in book two *fingers crossed*.
I found the minor characters to be pretty engaging. I have no faults with them. We get to know quite a bit about them. They are quite integral to the storyline which I thought was good. I also liked how the author portrayed Vampires in this novel. I am glad that they were not described as your usual "sparkly" type filled with teenage angst. But they are the real blood thirsty beings. So, we do get some pretty gruesome chapters.
Overall, the novel was a great read. I am sure fans of dystopia and YA paranormal stories will enjoy this one a lot. It is worth adding to your ever growing TBR list :) I am definitely looking forward to book two and I can't wait to catch up again with these characters.
February 26, 2017
This review was first posted on Northern Plunder, if you want to see more reviews please click here.
I was fortunate enough to receive an eArc copy of Endure in exchange for an honest review from Etopia Press, this will in no way effect my opinion on the book.
But guess which silly book blogger typed up the entire review and accidentally deleted it and has been too upset to tackle it again since then. Yeah that was me. I'm pretty annoyed by the whole experience but *sigh* what can you do.
Any how, when this book turned up in my inbox I hadn't requested it or read the synopsis so I just picked it up and read it on a whim and that the cover was pretty.
And because of this, it surprised me.
Judging by the cover alone I'd have guessed we'd have yet another female narrative but no not here. Finally I have actually read one of the very few YA books that have a male narrative and I loved this.
It was definitely a nice change, the writing felt different and new and it came across clearly that this was in fact a boy. It was great to see things from a boys point of view for a change.
I may have been one of the boys growing up but I certainly don't have the mind set of a boy.
Endure is about Justin, an anaemic teenage boy, looking after his younger sister whilst trying to survive as the Vie take over Earth - building a dome over the city to help their own survival, making humans into slaves and being in charge of their every movement, feeding and breathing. Its pretty scary.
At first I figured the Vie were Aliens, if you've seen the TV series "V" you'll have an idea how I was imagining this world but as the story unravelled, very quickly I realised I was wrong. I was thrilled to find out the Vie were in fact Vampires!
Wooo. I'm pretty sure this is one of the only books I've read this year about Vampires. 100% real and not made up to get the girl Vampires.
What is even better is these aren't dreamy-fall-head-over-heels-for-Vampires, but in fact they're terrifying, blood thirsty and mind controlling Vampires, getting high of anaemic blood.
Justin's sister is taking captive by a Vampire named Alex, who has a definite interest in Justin once he manages to resist Alex's mind control.
So here beings Justin's quest to rescue his sister but its not an easy task at all.
Along the way he ends up with a group of anaemic kids who believe he is the saviour mentioned in a prophecy, he ends up being tortured and almost drained to death on more than one occasion, fights vampire after vampire - though not always successfully - and of course meets a girl who he likes.
Probably one of my favourite aspects of this book was the dynamic between Alex and Justin, the conversations between the two and each of them figuring out what the other is up too. Its was great to see the story unfold between these two characters but I do have to say Alex wasn't the only one that got annoyed with Justin's stubbornness.
However, whilst I really enjoyed reading this books and I have very little to complain about, I do believe that it was more of a build up to the sequel, the way the story ended on such an open cliffhanger just made it seem like I should be expecting a lot more to happen in the future.
I was fortunate enough to receive an eArc copy of Endure in exchange for an honest review from Etopia Press, this will in no way effect my opinion on the book.
But guess which silly book blogger typed up the entire review and accidentally deleted it and has been too upset to tackle it again since then. Yeah that was me. I'm pretty annoyed by the whole experience but *sigh* what can you do.
Any how, when this book turned up in my inbox I hadn't requested it or read the synopsis so I just picked it up and read it on a whim and that the cover was pretty.
And because of this, it surprised me.
Judging by the cover alone I'd have guessed we'd have yet another female narrative but no not here. Finally I have actually read one of the very few YA books that have a male narrative and I loved this.
It was definitely a nice change, the writing felt different and new and it came across clearly that this was in fact a boy. It was great to see things from a boys point of view for a change.
I may have been one of the boys growing up but I certainly don't have the mind set of a boy.
Endure is about Justin, an anaemic teenage boy, looking after his younger sister whilst trying to survive as the Vie take over Earth - building a dome over the city to help their own survival, making humans into slaves and being in charge of their every movement, feeding and breathing. Its pretty scary.
At first I figured the Vie were Aliens, if you've seen the TV series "V" you'll have an idea how I was imagining this world but as the story unravelled, very quickly I realised I was wrong. I was thrilled to find out the Vie were in fact Vampires!
Wooo. I'm pretty sure this is one of the only books I've read this year about Vampires. 100% real and not made up to get the girl Vampires.
What is even better is these aren't dreamy-fall-head-over-heels-for-Vampires, but in fact they're terrifying, blood thirsty and mind controlling Vampires, getting high of anaemic blood.
Justin's sister is taking captive by a Vampire named Alex, who has a definite interest in Justin once he manages to resist Alex's mind control.
So here beings Justin's quest to rescue his sister but its not an easy task at all.
Along the way he ends up with a group of anaemic kids who believe he is the saviour mentioned in a prophecy, he ends up being tortured and almost drained to death on more than one occasion, fights vampire after vampire - though not always successfully - and of course meets a girl who he likes.
Probably one of my favourite aspects of this book was the dynamic between Alex and Justin, the conversations between the two and each of them figuring out what the other is up too. Its was great to see the story unfold between these two characters but I do have to say Alex wasn't the only one that got annoyed with Justin's stubbornness.
However, whilst I really enjoyed reading this books and I have very little to complain about, I do believe that it was more of a build up to the sequel, the way the story ended on such an open cliffhanger just made it seem like I should be expecting a lot more to happen in the future.
October 22, 2016
See my full review for this title on my blog at: https://sofewbooks.blogspot.com/2016/....
This was a very strange book, and I can’t say that I cared for it much. As happens so often in sci-fi books, or at least ones that I seem to have read lately, the premise was very intriguing, but things just didn’t pan out all that well.
I especially disliked the brutal and excessive violence that replayed itself in a myriad of different ways and scenes in the book. And particularly the way that Justin seemed so detached and indifferent to the carnage that plays itself out around him, even when it involves him.
Apparently, this is just the first book in a series, so hopefully the sequel(s) will bode better for mankind. But this story just left me feeling down and depressed about the chances.
This was a very strange book, and I can’t say that I cared for it much. As happens so often in sci-fi books, or at least ones that I seem to have read lately, the premise was very intriguing, but things just didn’t pan out all that well.
I especially disliked the brutal and excessive violence that replayed itself in a myriad of different ways and scenes in the book. And particularly the way that Justin seemed so detached and indifferent to the carnage that plays itself out around him, even when it involves him.
Apparently, this is just the first book in a series, so hopefully the sequel(s) will bode better for mankind. But this story just left me feeling down and depressed about the chances.
July 28, 2013
I think Endure is a really promising start to a series that will stand out in the YA crowd. The beginning starts out with an introduction to Justin and his younger sister Sammie. Like other Anemies, the siblings spend their days on the run and their nights in hiding, trying to survive and not get taken during Vie raids. Already in a weakened state due to his illness, Justin does his best to keep the two of them alive on food and water pellets distributed to all Anemies. When Sammie gets kidnapped during a raid, Justin not only loses his baby sister but finds out some shocking information that turns his already fragile world upside down.
My main issue with Endure is that I never really got a good grasp on the world of the Vie. Similar to vampires, I gathered that Vie were once normal humans who were granted immortality through science (and money/power). Now, regular humans are Vie slaves and humans who suffer from anemia are no longer even considered humans. I think I would have liked a history lesson or something thrown into the book that helped me better understand the kind of world Justin lives in. I felt a little cheated because I would get small threads of information concerning the past or about current events in the book and then they would be gone. The characters were pretty well-rounded but I think some more detail and explanation would have gone a long way even if it added more pages to the book’s length.
Another very minor (and personal) issue I had was the language use…I myself use explicit language. I’m no potty mouth but I honestly could care less about the usage of curse words. (As long as it isn’t used as every other word and unnecessary) If I recall correctly I think maybe one or two true curse words can be found in Endure. What’s the problem then?? Clots and sludge brain... I should have counted how many times I read those words - *shudders* I get that they were substitutes for curse words but it just turned me off every single time.
I did enjoy the budding romance between Justin and Cara, a Vie slave. The romantic story arc was a good addition that did not complicate or take away from the main conflicts of the story. I also appreciated and really enjoyed the fact there was no sugar coating of the violence within the story. I won’t ruin any parts but be prepared for the honest and brutal way of life that Justin is living in. I feel really weird admitting how pleasantly surprised I was to find the author wasn’t shy in killing off characters. I guess I didn’t know how much I liked violence *shrugs*
Even though I haven’t had the chance to get a lot of YA dystopian novels under my reading belt I still like the unique premise of Endure and what it has to offer. While there will be a second book (Evoke), I’m glad Endure did not end on a major cliffhanger. Justin’s story is far from over and I like the fact that I don’t feel the need to tear my hair out waiting for the next book, I can be a good girl and wait patiently =)
My main issue with Endure is that I never really got a good grasp on the world of the Vie. Similar to vampires, I gathered that Vie were once normal humans who were granted immortality through science (and money/power). Now, regular humans are Vie slaves and humans who suffer from anemia are no longer even considered humans. I think I would have liked a history lesson or something thrown into the book that helped me better understand the kind of world Justin lives in. I felt a little cheated because I would get small threads of information concerning the past or about current events in the book and then they would be gone. The characters were pretty well-rounded but I think some more detail and explanation would have gone a long way even if it added more pages to the book’s length.
Another very minor (and personal) issue I had was the language use…I myself use explicit language. I’m no potty mouth but I honestly could care less about the usage of curse words. (As long as it isn’t used as every other word and unnecessary) If I recall correctly I think maybe one or two true curse words can be found in Endure. What’s the problem then?? Clots and sludge brain... I should have counted how many times I read those words - *shudders* I get that they were substitutes for curse words but it just turned me off every single time.
I did enjoy the budding romance between Justin and Cara, a Vie slave. The romantic story arc was a good addition that did not complicate or take away from the main conflicts of the story. I also appreciated and really enjoyed the fact there was no sugar coating of the violence within the story. I won’t ruin any parts but be prepared for the honest and brutal way of life that Justin is living in. I feel really weird admitting how pleasantly surprised I was to find the author wasn’t shy in killing off characters. I guess I didn’t know how much I liked violence *shrugs*
Even though I haven’t had the chance to get a lot of YA dystopian novels under my reading belt I still like the unique premise of Endure and what it has to offer. While there will be a second book (Evoke), I’m glad Endure did not end on a major cliffhanger. Justin’s story is far from over and I like the fact that I don’t feel the need to tear my hair out waiting for the next book, I can be a good girl and wait patiently =)
October 23, 2016
I actually really and truly enjoyed this book which somewhat took me by surprise!
I teetered back and forth whether or not to give it a 3 or a 4 and so I'll go midway with a 3.5.
Imagine a world that was invaded by Aliens! Aliens that closely resemble that of the legend of vampires and these aliens call themselves Vie. They live off the blood of their prey and through some experiment eons ago gained immortality through a serum. The cost of immortality? Boredom which inevitably leads to chaos.
These Vie have invaded earth and the humans have become their drones, slaves and food source. There are humans that are known as Anemies [they have anemia] and are frowned upon, their blood is seen as dirty and lacking. However! Vie, when they drink Anemie blood, find themselves high and therefore amongst the Vie there are junkies.
Justin is an Anemie orphan who is in charge of taking care of his 5 year old sister, Samantha. Together they try to survive and when she is taken from him by a Vie, he does all he can to find and inevitably attempt to save her. Alex is the Vie who takes her and is quite the interesting antagonist throughout the book.
As far as world goes, this is a very interesting concept and given that I enjoy new worlds, this tickled my fancy. Was it the most detailed? Not really, we learn about it in dribs and drabs throughout the book and questions still remain by the end of the book. The idea in and of itself though really intrigued me.
The characters, backtracking here, Justin had reason to be so angsty and vicious, yet when time and time again he was shown truth he chose to lash out, which psychologically holds an interesting view. Who is the monster - the vicious Anemie or the Vie? Justin is told that he is The Chosen One essentially and he denies it through and through. I think he fell drastically from my good graces the more the book progressed and Alex easily became my favorite. He's a charismatic, clever and seemingly caring Vie, which is strange considering they are cold and detached individuals.
At times the book slogged on, but overall, I devoured this book in a day and a half. If I didn't have to eat, sleep or attend other adulty things I likely would have finished this in a day.
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I teetered back and forth whether or not to give it a 3 or a 4 and so I'll go midway with a 3.5.
Imagine a world that was invaded by Aliens! Aliens that closely resemble that of the legend of vampires and these aliens call themselves Vie. They live off the blood of their prey and through some experiment eons ago gained immortality through a serum. The cost of immortality? Boredom which inevitably leads to chaos.
These Vie have invaded earth and the humans have become their drones, slaves and food source. There are humans that are known as Anemies [they have anemia] and are frowned upon, their blood is seen as dirty and lacking. However! Vie, when they drink Anemie blood, find themselves high and therefore amongst the Vie there are junkies.
Justin is an Anemie orphan who is in charge of taking care of his 5 year old sister, Samantha. Together they try to survive and when she is taken from him by a Vie, he does all he can to find and inevitably attempt to save her. Alex is the Vie who takes her and is quite the interesting antagonist throughout the book.
As far as world goes, this is a very interesting concept and given that I enjoy new worlds, this tickled my fancy. Was it the most detailed? Not really, we learn about it in dribs and drabs throughout the book and questions still remain by the end of the book. The idea in and of itself though really intrigued me.
The characters, backtracking here, Justin had reason to be so angsty and vicious, yet when time and time again he was shown truth he chose to lash out, which psychologically holds an interesting view. Who is the monster - the vicious Anemie or the Vie? Justin is told that he is The Chosen One essentially and he denies it through and through. I think he fell drastically from my good graces the more the book progressed and Alex easily became my favorite. He's a charismatic, clever and seemingly caring Vie, which is strange considering they are cold and detached individuals.
At times the book slogged on, but overall, I devoured this book in a day and a half. If I didn't have to eat, sleep or attend other adulty things I likely would have finished this in a day.
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September 21, 2016
Sad to say, this book has been a big "no" for me. First of all, we are thrown into this world without much of an explanation. Some hints are being laid here and there, but for me I found the book was lacking some kind of introduction. I mean, it is somewhat clear that Vies are vampire aliens who come to the Earth and shape it as they like, enslaving humans for their blood and despising Anemies (I guess for lack of nutritional value?), but I would have appreciated some backstory: when they come and why; which kind of society do they have; why do they use some humans as drones; why they get connections to the human world instead of being mere predators, to name a few.
But maybe it was me that never found myself entering into the world this book proposed... Vies actions made no sense to me: why let the guy go and keep the sister as a method to get him back? Get him instead; why offer deals when it looks like they rule by fear and power?
The characters failed to enthrall me, too, and I liked none of them, which for me is basic in order to like a story.
Evidently, this book wasn't cut for me.
But maybe it was me that never found myself entering into the world this book proposed... Vies actions made no sense to me: why let the guy go and keep the sister as a method to get him back? Get him instead; why offer deals when it looks like they rule by fear and power?
The characters failed to enthrall me, too, and I liked none of them, which for me is basic in order to like a story.
Evidently, this book wasn't cut for me.
October 16, 2016
What a wild ride! Full review here!
October 2, 2016
*** I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review of it. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's. ***
Dawn of the Vie (Immortal Aliens #1) by Laura Diamond is a book about aliens that are essentially vampires who have come to Earth and totally taken over humanity and the world. They took it over quickly and with minimal blood shed. The Vie are in control and shaping the world into how they want it to be. They have enslaved the humans who have normal blood and the ones who are anemic are now called Anemies and are ostracized by everyone around them and are even being hunted and exterminated by the Vies. Justin and his little sister Sammie are Anemies are they are all that the other has. They are always on the move to avoid the Vies and trying to survive with food and water pellets distributed by the Vie and human slaves with help from NCAAR (an organization of Vies who want the Anemies to survive). But when Justin's sister is kidnapped by a Vie named Alex he is determined to find them and save his sister.
In the beginning when I first read the synopsis for this book I was really interested in reading more and really enjoying this book. But as I really got into it I became more than a little disappointed. Justin is one of two main characters in this story but the story of course focuses on him and his struggle to find and get back his sister. Justin gets into a lot of bad situations but he never seems to really appreciate any of the help that he receives. He acts like an entitled brat when he has grown up with basically nothing. He sounds and acts more like a 10-12 year old child than the teenager that he is supposed to be. Every time someone helps him out he acts like they should doing more...that what they are doing, risking...it's not enough and that they should be doing more for him.
When he meets Cara and sees the bread crumb that the Vie Alex has left for him inorder to find his way to them he goes overboard. Yes, the girl has a hair clip identical to his sister's but the fact that he pushes as hard as he does to try and get her to give him information is ridiculous. He ends up not only endangering two of the other characters who are with him but much worse. Alex saves his life not just once or twice but more but he always demands more and acts like he's owed. Alex is a Vie, yes, he's destroyed and decimated other planets and other species of creatures but that does not mean that now he owes Justin anything because of those acts but that is exactly what Justin tells him.
Now, I know that I'm having a lot of negative things to say about this main character but only because you would think that he would learn to be grateful and thankful for SOMETHING! ANYTHING! But he just acts like a spoiled brat. Now! Don't get me wrong! Overall...the plot, the story line...I really enjoyed this book. It is really well written but I seriously think that Justin needs a major reality and attitude check. Alex by far is my favorite character because no matter how much Justin pushes his buttons and provokes him he never goes to the ultimate edge by killing him or just putting him out to fend for himself.
I really would have liked less focus on Justin especially when he is with Alex. I would have liked to learn more about the Vie and how they came to be what they are, the planets that they took over and so much more than dealing with Justin being so insufferable but all in all the book managed to keep me engaged. It never became a serious task to read it and keep going.
Overall this is a decent book. I might be interested in reading the next book to come but I would really hope that if I should that Justin will begin go grow up already and that we get to see and read more from and of Alex. All in all I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's okay but not great.
Dawn of the Vie (Immortal Aliens #1) by Laura Diamond is a book about aliens that are essentially vampires who have come to Earth and totally taken over humanity and the world. They took it over quickly and with minimal blood shed. The Vie are in control and shaping the world into how they want it to be. They have enslaved the humans who have normal blood and the ones who are anemic are now called Anemies and are ostracized by everyone around them and are even being hunted and exterminated by the Vies. Justin and his little sister Sammie are Anemies are they are all that the other has. They are always on the move to avoid the Vies and trying to survive with food and water pellets distributed by the Vie and human slaves with help from NCAAR (an organization of Vies who want the Anemies to survive). But when Justin's sister is kidnapped by a Vie named Alex he is determined to find them and save his sister.
In the beginning when I first read the synopsis for this book I was really interested in reading more and really enjoying this book. But as I really got into it I became more than a little disappointed. Justin is one of two main characters in this story but the story of course focuses on him and his struggle to find and get back his sister. Justin gets into a lot of bad situations but he never seems to really appreciate any of the help that he receives. He acts like an entitled brat when he has grown up with basically nothing. He sounds and acts more like a 10-12 year old child than the teenager that he is supposed to be. Every time someone helps him out he acts like they should doing more...that what they are doing, risking...it's not enough and that they should be doing more for him.
When he meets Cara and sees the bread crumb that the Vie Alex has left for him inorder to find his way to them he goes overboard. Yes, the girl has a hair clip identical to his sister's but the fact that he pushes as hard as he does to try and get her to give him information is ridiculous. He ends up not only endangering two of the other characters who are with him but much worse. Alex saves his life not just once or twice but more but he always demands more and acts like he's owed. Alex is a Vie, yes, he's destroyed and decimated other planets and other species of creatures but that does not mean that now he owes Justin anything because of those acts but that is exactly what Justin tells him.
Now, I know that I'm having a lot of negative things to say about this main character but only because you would think that he would learn to be grateful and thankful for SOMETHING! ANYTHING! But he just acts like a spoiled brat. Now! Don't get me wrong! Overall...the plot, the story line...I really enjoyed this book. It is really well written but I seriously think that Justin needs a major reality and attitude check. Alex by far is my favorite character because no matter how much Justin pushes his buttons and provokes him he never goes to the ultimate edge by killing him or just putting him out to fend for himself.
I really would have liked less focus on Justin especially when he is with Alex. I would have liked to learn more about the Vie and how they came to be what they are, the planets that they took over and so much more than dealing with Justin being so insufferable but all in all the book managed to keep me engaged. It never became a serious task to read it and keep going.
Overall this is a decent book. I might be interested in reading the next book to come but I would really hope that if I should that Justin will begin go grow up already and that we get to see and read more from and of Alex. All in all I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's okay but not great.
June 24, 2017
I received this eBook from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Cross posted to Shh, I am Reading
What if vampiric aliens came to Earth, enslaved the healthy human’s and cast out unhealthy humans to the slums? Well if that was to happen, then the future would be this book.
The Vie control everything, including free will and right down to feeding what the author calls “Anemies.”
Healthy humans are the slaves to the Vie. They are their food source and they take care of their homes. The Anemies are humans who have varying degrees of anemia. Clearly the Vie prefer the hemoglobin in the blood of the humans, so the lack of isn’t as appetizing to them.
In comes Justin, an Anemie, and his little sister Sammie who is also an Anemie. They’re hiding in a building to sleep when the Vie conduct a raid and we’re introduce to Alex, an Elite Vie with a taste for Anemie blood. It is a drug to their kind. It becomes obvious why the Vie then raid the Anemie slums, to replenish their drug habits.
Alex takes Justin’s little sister Sammie, after he bites her and challenges Justin to find him. To which Justin happily does and thus finds out that Alex has more of a hand in the care for Anemie and that he has motives for Justin.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was that it was told in a masculine voice. Although Justin is supposed to be 15, I found that his voice was that of someone much older. I would say 18 or 19.
I actually found Justin to be a little grating on the nerves with his constant paranoia. While I understand that the Anemie’s fear the Vie and Justin has a reason to hate Alex, it was just grating how paranoid he was.
Now Alex is the fascinating character. For someone who has everything they could wish for, he develops a guilty conscience. However, what ever his motives are, they remain pretty much unknown. Especially involving Justin’s sister, Sammie.
Sammie remains something that Alex can hold over Justin, so it does make Alex a little iffy.
Sara, Alex’s human slave, became a love interest for Justin. She seemed to be a background character more, at least until the end of the novel. She was mostly just the pretty slave girl. Her personality didn’t really develop until later on. A lot of that was probably because the Vie have the ability to trance their slaves, so that took away their free will to be themselves.
My only wish is that there had been more focus on the scenery. The world building, involving the Vie and the Anemies had been great, but the scenery didn’t really match it. Of course they were building this biodome over the city to block out UV lights, but the city itself wasn’t really described. It would have been nice to see the city itself as well.
However, it will be interesting to see where Justin, Sara and Alex go from here.
Cross posted to Shh, I am Reading
What if vampiric aliens came to Earth, enslaved the healthy human’s and cast out unhealthy humans to the slums? Well if that was to happen, then the future would be this book.
The Vie control everything, including free will and right down to feeding what the author calls “Anemies.”
Healthy humans are the slaves to the Vie. They are their food source and they take care of their homes. The Anemies are humans who have varying degrees of anemia. Clearly the Vie prefer the hemoglobin in the blood of the humans, so the lack of isn’t as appetizing to them.
In comes Justin, an Anemie, and his little sister Sammie who is also an Anemie. They’re hiding in a building to sleep when the Vie conduct a raid and we’re introduce to Alex, an Elite Vie with a taste for Anemie blood. It is a drug to their kind. It becomes obvious why the Vie then raid the Anemie slums, to replenish their drug habits.
Alex takes Justin’s little sister Sammie, after he bites her and challenges Justin to find him. To which Justin happily does and thus finds out that Alex has more of a hand in the care for Anemie and that he has motives for Justin.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was that it was told in a masculine voice. Although Justin is supposed to be 15, I found that his voice was that of someone much older. I would say 18 or 19.
I actually found Justin to be a little grating on the nerves with his constant paranoia. While I understand that the Anemie’s fear the Vie and Justin has a reason to hate Alex, it was just grating how paranoid he was.
Now Alex is the fascinating character. For someone who has everything they could wish for, he develops a guilty conscience. However, what ever his motives are, they remain pretty much unknown. Especially involving Justin’s sister, Sammie.
Sammie remains something that Alex can hold over Justin, so it does make Alex a little iffy.
Sara, Alex’s human slave, became a love interest for Justin. She seemed to be a background character more, at least until the end of the novel. She was mostly just the pretty slave girl. Her personality didn’t really develop until later on. A lot of that was probably because the Vie have the ability to trance their slaves, so that took away their free will to be themselves.
My only wish is that there had been more focus on the scenery. The world building, involving the Vie and the Anemies had been great, but the scenery didn’t really match it. Of course they were building this biodome over the city to block out UV lights, but the city itself wasn’t really described. It would have been nice to see the city itself as well.
However, it will be interesting to see where Justin, Sara and Alex go from here.
August 2, 2017
Read the entire review: http://like-a-fangirl.blogspot.pt/201...
''~ This book was kindly provided by the publisher ~
Another book that I started and was so excited to read just to find that it’s a flop.
(...)
Justin won my heart the moment he talked about his little sister. That’s right, he’s a big brother trying to protect his baby sister?
(...)
The first 50 pages were amazing. Truly, I was completely in love with Justin and the storyline and the way things were progressing. Until it became everything I despise in a book:''
''~ This book was kindly provided by the publisher ~
Another book that I started and was so excited to read just to find that it’s a flop.
(...)
Justin won my heart the moment he talked about his little sister. That’s right, he’s a big brother trying to protect his baby sister?
(...)
The first 50 pages were amazing. Truly, I was completely in love with Justin and the storyline and the way things were progressing. Until it became everything I despise in a book:''
October 4, 2016
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I wavered a bit on how many stars to give this book. In the end, I would settle on 3.5 stars.
It was interesting to see a slightly unique take on the vampire myth, though I would have liked some more details about exactly why the Vie looked humanoid… especially considering what was revealed about them as the book went on.
I found Justin to be an intriguing character, even though I felt he was a bit cliched in the apocalyptic hero genre. It was good to see him more on the lookout for himself and his sister, though, rather than a typical self-sacrificing dark and brooding hero.
While I liked the fact that the book stayed with one first person perspective, I was a bit lost about exactly what had happened when the Vie invaded Earth. I would have liked a bit more detail about the history and how Justin’s father fit into all of it.
I did find Alex to be quite an intriguing character, even though I didn’t like or trust him. I would have liked some more detail about exactly what drove him… what his motivations were. While he skirted around telling Justin much… there were glimmers of a deeper depth to him that I would have liked to see further expanded upon.
I didn’t really like the romance that developed between Justin and Cara, mostly because I originally saw Cara as not much older than his sister… but I didn’t feel there was any real chemistry between her and Justin either way.
While I really had a strong dislike for Margaret, I did find her an intriguing character and I would have liked to see more of the Vie in general… in particular those who cared about the humans, even though even those members of the Vie didn’t seem to care as much as they could have done.
I liked seeing some of the secondary characters and it was especially interesting to see what happened with many of the other humans. Despite some problems with this book, I would be interested in reading the next book/s in this series in the future.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I wavered a bit on how many stars to give this book. In the end, I would settle on 3.5 stars.
It was interesting to see a slightly unique take on the vampire myth, though I would have liked some more details about exactly why the Vie looked humanoid… especially considering what was revealed about them as the book went on.
I found Justin to be an intriguing character, even though I felt he was a bit cliched in the apocalyptic hero genre. It was good to see him more on the lookout for himself and his sister, though, rather than a typical self-sacrificing dark and brooding hero.
While I liked the fact that the book stayed with one first person perspective, I was a bit lost about exactly what had happened when the Vie invaded Earth. I would have liked a bit more detail about the history and how Justin’s father fit into all of it.
I did find Alex to be quite an intriguing character, even though I didn’t like or trust him. I would have liked some more detail about exactly what drove him… what his motivations were. While he skirted around telling Justin much… there were glimmers of a deeper depth to him that I would have liked to see further expanded upon.
I didn’t really like the romance that developed between Justin and Cara, mostly because I originally saw Cara as not much older than his sister… but I didn’t feel there was any real chemistry between her and Justin either way.
While I really had a strong dislike for Margaret, I did find her an intriguing character and I would have liked to see more of the Vie in general… in particular those who cared about the humans, even though even those members of the Vie didn’t seem to care as much as they could have done.
I liked seeing some of the secondary characters and it was especially interesting to see what happened with many of the other humans. Despite some problems with this book, I would be interested in reading the next book/s in this series in the future.
August 25, 2014
I liked the general idea of this book, with the Vie dominating an entire city ('New City') with humans and Anemies. It was an ok read but the main problem I have with this book is the characters. Ugh, I couldn't stand Cara, Margaret, or even Justin at times. And it also felt like the Vie were slaughtering everyone until no one was left.
Cara annoyed me so much I wanted to jump into the book and slap her. What happened to Justin's friends was a big part because of her. She could have just walk away without doing anything but no, she had to . I was so pissed at her, especially when she was acting all bitchy afterward. He was all nice with her, and she was glaring at him like he was the bad guy. What a joke.
Margaret was the angry mascot of the Vie, I suppose. She's either cruel or furious and I was tired of it. Can't she be anything else? Justin could be so dumb sometimes (yelling when they have to be quiet, being angry at Alex when he's helping...). All of them weren't bad, I liked Zack and I wanted to comfort him. I also liked Alex, after a while (we still don't know how he lost his finger).
Overall, the story has potential but honestly the characters ruined it a little for me. I wish there was more of an historical background of the city but that was fine. I'm curious about the community who lives in the forest but I'm not sure if I'll read the next book, though.
***I received a digital copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review***
Cara annoyed me so much I wanted to jump into the book and slap her. What happened to Justin's friends was a big part because of her. She could have just walk away without doing anything but no, she had to . I was so pissed at her, especially when she was acting all bitchy afterward. He was all nice with her, and she was glaring at him like he was the bad guy. What a joke.
Margaret was the angry mascot of the Vie, I suppose. She's either cruel or furious and I was tired of it. Can't she be anything else? Justin could be so dumb sometimes (yelling when they have to be quiet, being angry at Alex when he's helping...). All of them weren't bad, I liked Zack and I wanted to comfort him. I also liked Alex, after a while (we still don't know how he lost his finger).
Overall, the story has potential but honestly the characters ruined it a little for me. I wish there was more of an historical background of the city but that was fine. I'm curious about the community who lives in the forest but I'm not sure if I'll read the next book, though.
***I received a digital copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review***
July 9, 2014
Nobody Mention the Bloodsucker in the Room!
As I write this review, there aren't very many other reviews on this book. And they seem to shy away from the dreaded V word and I'm not sure why. So, I'll say it.
This is a vampire novel!
Vie = Vampires. They aren't scary, but they're vampires nonetheless.
This is a solid vampire novel set in a dystopian world. While there isn't a whole lot that's startlingly original here, the writing style is good, the plot is interesting, and the book is an excellent adventure. With vampires. And in pure YA dystopic style, Justin is 'The One'. He's ordinary kid turned savior. The hero with the heart of gold and the poisonous blood. And I liked him.
Overall, the world building is pretty solid. I never truly understood how the world came to be like this or why the Anemies are like they are - and never ever understood why there were so many Anemies. However, the author's world is vivid and otherwise well thought out.
I had a couple of little issues:
Every time I read Anemies, I thought 'enemies'. I knew where the word came from and it made sense. It just didn't really work well for me.
Every time I read NCAAR, I thought NASCAR.
But these were my own personal hiccups.
I did enjoy the book tremendously. It's a fast read, with some terrific characters. It should satisfy those who enjoy YA Dystopia, although the horror lovers might stay clear as it would likely just make them yearn for some actual scary vamps.
3.5 Stars
As I write this review, there aren't very many other reviews on this book. And they seem to shy away from the dreaded V word and I'm not sure why. So, I'll say it.
This is a vampire novel!
Vie = Vampires. They aren't scary, but they're vampires nonetheless.
This is a solid vampire novel set in a dystopian world. While there isn't a whole lot that's startlingly original here, the writing style is good, the plot is interesting, and the book is an excellent adventure. With vampires. And in pure YA dystopic style, Justin is 'The One'. He's ordinary kid turned savior. The hero with the heart of gold and the poisonous blood. And I liked him.
Overall, the world building is pretty solid. I never truly understood how the world came to be like this or why the Anemies are like they are - and never ever understood why there were so many Anemies. However, the author's world is vivid and otherwise well thought out.
I had a couple of little issues:
Every time I read Anemies, I thought 'enemies'. I knew where the word came from and it made sense. It just didn't really work well for me.
Every time I read NCAAR, I thought NASCAR.
But these were my own personal hiccups.
I did enjoy the book tremendously. It's a fast read, with some terrific characters. It should satisfy those who enjoy YA Dystopia, although the horror lovers might stay clear as it would likely just make them yearn for some actual scary vamps.
3.5 Stars
November 2, 2016
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Dawn of the Vie features a future is which the Earth is invaded by a predator Alien species that closely resembles vampires. They are in each and every sense superior to humans and even immortal, although I suppose they age as there are whole families of them. Vie and humans both despise the Anemies, people with a hereditary form of anemia, which makes them unsuitable for feeding.
Alex, a high-standing Vie scientist, has found a use for their blood after all. Apparently it is a powerful drug. How this is supposed to work is never explained, although I do hope the author realizes that anemia means that something, like red blood cells, is lowered in the blood instead of something added.
This story had a lot of the usual suspects thrown into it. Some of them are, a truly unfair societal setting, the main character is just trying to protect his younger sibling and soon finds himself in the center of the enemy. Sounds familiar? Indeed, because it has all been done before. That's why I was a bit surprised that I still liked the book as much as I did. I found it to be precisely the kind of Dystopian story I was looking for at the moment.
I would not consider it the best, but it is one of the good ones, and if you want to enjoy yourself for a couple of hours, I would recommend it.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Dawn of the Vie features a future is which the Earth is invaded by a predator Alien species that closely resembles vampires. They are in each and every sense superior to humans and even immortal, although I suppose they age as there are whole families of them. Vie and humans both despise the Anemies, people with a hereditary form of anemia, which makes them unsuitable for feeding.
Alex, a high-standing Vie scientist, has found a use for their blood after all. Apparently it is a powerful drug. How this is supposed to work is never explained, although I do hope the author realizes that anemia means that something, like red blood cells, is lowered in the blood instead of something added.
This story had a lot of the usual suspects thrown into it. Some of them are, a truly unfair societal setting, the main character is just trying to protect his younger sibling and soon finds himself in the center of the enemy. Sounds familiar? Indeed, because it has all been done before. That's why I was a bit surprised that I still liked the book as much as I did. I found it to be precisely the kind of Dystopian story I was looking for at the moment.
I would not consider it the best, but it is one of the good ones, and if you want to enjoy yourself for a couple of hours, I would recommend it.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
August 2, 2014
This is a fairly good book. It has a few good points, good writing, good plot idea and good plot pace. In my opinion it could use some world building and history blended in to make reading it a much better experience. With a bit of polish this could easily be four stars. Overall it's a good read with a much better take on Vampires, and shows promise for further improvement. I'm very curious how the next books continue. I received an E-evaluation copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
October 7, 2016
I tried. I really did.
But then I looked at the notes I was making on the bookmarks page:
And those were only the pages I bookmarked.
I can't. I just have to stop.
But then I looked at the notes I was making on the bookmarks page:
And those were only the pages I bookmarked.
I can't. I just have to stop.
September 18, 2013
Great YA Dystopian! Can't wait for book two. See my full review here at: http://sizzlinghotyabooks.com/review-...
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