Portia

Angelbound Offspring #2

by Christina Bauer

Librarian's Note: Alternate-cover edition for ASIN B00W2A9Q0G

Unlike her famous older brother Maxon, Princess Portia isn't known for killing demons or attracting admirers. The reason why is simple: a spell was cast on Portia, and the magic has marked her to one day transform into a dreaded Void demon. To fight this horrible fate, Portia’s spent her life hiding in libraries and learning magic. But when the Void demons threaten to destroy all the after-realms—and the handsome dragon Emperor Tempest offers his help—then Portia suspects that her future holds more than just a demonic metamorphosis. Fate is calling the bookworm princess onto the battlefield, and it’s a fight against both deadly enemies and her heart’s desires.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Angels, Demons, Young Adult, Fiction

207 pages, ebook

First published August 27, 2015

About the author

Christina 'CEE BEE' Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes young adult romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too. Christina lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby. She loves to connect with her fans at ChristinaBauerAuthor.com.

ANGELBOUND ORIGINS
About a quasi (part demon and part human) girl who loves kicking butt in Purgatory's Arena
1. Angel bound
2. Scala
3. Acca
4. Thrax
5. The Dark Lands
6. The Brutal Time
7. Armageddon
8. Quasi Redux
9. Clockwork Igni
10. Lady Reaper
11. Reaper Games
12. Angry Gods

ANGELBOUND OFFSPRING
The next generation takes on Heaven, Hell, and everything in between
1. Maxon
2. Portia
3. Zinnia
4. Rhodes
5. Kaps
6. Mack
7. Huntress
8. Gage
*This is a finished series

ANGELBOUND LINCOLN
Events of Angelbound from Lincoln's POV
1. Duty Bound
2. Lincoln
3. Trickster
4. Baculum
5. Angelfire

ANGELBOUND XAVIER TRILOGY
The story of the Archangel Xavier
1. Archenemy
2. Archnemesis
3. Archangel

FAIRY TALES OF THE MAGICORUM
Modern fairy tales with sass, action, and romance
1. Wolves And Roses

2. Moonlight And Midtown

3. Slippers And Thieves

4. Shifters And Glyphs

5. Bandits And Ball Gowns

6. Fire And Cinder

7. Fairies And Frosting

8. Towers And Tithes
9. Mirrors And Mysteries
10. Rapunzels And Powers

DIMENSION DRIFT
Dystopian adventures with science, snark, and hot aliens
1. Scythe
2. Umbra
3. Alien Minds
4. ECHO Academy
*This is a completed series

PIXIELAND DIARIES
The story of sassy pixie, Calla, and her elf crush, Dare
1. Pixieland Diaries
2. Calla
3. Dare
*This is a completed series

BEHOLDER
Where a medieval farm girl discovers necromancy and true love
1. Cursed
2. Concealed
3. Cherished
4. Crowned
5. Cradled
*This is a completed series

VAMPIRES OF THE DAEMONVERSE
Adult fantasy written under my pen name, CEE BEE
1. Violins and Vampires
2. Veils and Vampires
3. Vixens and Vampires
4. Valor and Vampires

Reviews

[Molly Mortensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of the good was in the last 20%, so I can’t tell you about it, but you’ll have to trust me. The end is great!

The Good:

Standalones in an already established world are tricky, but Bauer did a fine job of explaining things for new readers without boring those of us who already knew about things. I’m always impressed how this author can continue to build on the world she’s created. The Firmament and the Dragon scale markings were nice additions.

All of the old characters were back, if only briefly. Portia’s family was so sweet and understanding towards her, but when trouble started they completely ignored her. (Weren’t they just saying she was so smart and an expert on all this?)

Portia was a nice protagonist. She could’ve used some of her mother’s snark though. (That’s what made this series fun!) She was hilarious when she got drunk though! Best part of the book.

Tempest was a complex new character. I had a feeling when he appeared in Maxon that he’d be back and I’m glad he was! I wish we got the chance to be inside his head for a couple of chapters.

The romance was sweet, but

The Bad:

Tempest is the first guy to speak to Portia, so naturally she falls for him. It was too hard and too quick for my taste though. I can see her liking him, but thinking of him as hers after one meeting? Not so much. (That one scene was my main problem.) After that it slows down a bit, but it was still too quick for me. (I suppose she only had 250 pages to get them to fall in love.)

Being so short it’s really fast paced. Things happened a bit too fast at times. I wanted more explanation about Portia’s quest. I know Portia did too, but I hate being confused! (Even if the main character is.) Portia did seem to know more than we were told though. How did she know she had Firmament magic and how to control it all of a sudden?

Do I recommend this book? Yes, but if you’re curious about this series you should start with Angelbound or Maxon. Not because of continuity or anything, but because they’re better.

Best Quote:

“He’s smarter than he looks. If he hasn’t killed you by now, he’ll go after someone you care about.”

I can’t help but chuckle. “Then good luck to him. My family is a bunch of fighters who would like nothing better than to go after a Class A demon.”

Point of View: First Present (Portia)

Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)

Source: Netgalley

My Rating: 7/10 Stars

My Summary:

Portia’s the opposite of her family (and the other protagonists in this series) She’s not a fighter or good with weapons, but she is smart. She’s a top class sorceress.

Everyone is afraid of her though, because she was born Marked by the void. Meaning one day she’ll turn into a void demon.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began reading this series with Maxon's book and loved it so I had to read this one. I really enjoyed Portia's story. I would be lying if I said that Tempest had nothing to do with why I liked the novel so much. I loved that Maxon made several appearances and watching the dynamic between the siblings through Portia's eyes.

The story continues to delve deeper into the mythological world that Christina Bauer's created and allows for Portia to have the staring roll when it comes to saving everyone. Portia is brilliant, loyal, honest, shy, and very passionate. She's wrapped herself up in seeking knowledge that most of her other parts of her life have taken a backseat. It doesn't help that she's marked to become a Void demon, either. Tempest is the first being to get her heart thumping. He's flirty, sinfully gorgeous, and very aware of her.

Emperor Tempest has seen and been through many things in his lifetime that leave others wary of him. He is cunning, assertive, thoughtful, and tentative. He notices Portia and gives her the ability to actually be heard when the others in her family ignore her. He's more than what he seems and far from the worst thing that could ever happen to the princess.

In order to save the world and Portia, Tempest aids Portia in her journey. He must hide his knowledge and heart for she is only able to learn of it when the time is right. Portia falls in love with him and learns he's been waiting 20 years to be with her which completely stole my heart right there. My heart says "property of Emperor Tempest." The story is sweet, action filled, and delightful.

[Jessica Reads It · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession- When I saw Christina Bauer introducing new female characters to her Angelbound series I was a bit concerned because I loved Myla- my female Deadpool, and I was so worried any other female would pale in comparison to her innate awesomeness.

I am happy to report that Christina listened intently to my concerns (NOT) and scripted a fabulously strong, viciously protective yet superbly comedic character. Portia has an extremely big responsibility in researching the Firmament Spell which helps keep the realms together but everyone keeps her at arm's length because of some silly (yet badass) tattoos that mark her as a void demon. This, in addition to being the little sister of Maxon, has left her love life quite lackluster (even the cleaning guy avoids her).

What's a girl to do besides look for the meanest, biggest baddest guy on the block and flirt with him (or at least try because her meddling family just can't seem to butt out)!

Portia and Tempest's story was action-packed but also included some sweet and tender moments (especially the ballroom scene which almost had me in tears). The progression of their relationship was a slow burn that blossomed due to their cooperation and trust.

I love that despite being about both of them, we still got to see the gang in full action and see Myla and Lincoln as parents. This has always been an interesting and captivating world to me and I truly believe with each book Bauer gets better and better.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have absolutely LOVED this series. Bauer created such a neat mythology with this series. Portia adds even more to the world and she is just so lovable while being a bit bumbling. Tempest is a strong and silent type. He doesn't have a ton to say but you know he has your back. The journey they take was impossible to put down...except when my tablet died and I wasn't near a charger. I'm sad to see this series end and I'm going to miss the great characters. I am, however, anxious to see what Ms. Bauer will come up with in the future. I wouldn't be heartbroken if she decided to visit the Angelbound world again, that is for sure. Regardless she has a dedicated, lifelong reader in me

[Kayla Silverss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now this just got ridiculous. I am kinda sick of characters like our main one and I'll probably still read lots like her to come, doesn't mean I'll like it.

[Amanda G. (Nellie and Co. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, now see, Portia is the book I was hoping Maxon would be, which is both fabulously great news for Portia and terrible news for Maxon. It's not his fault, he was just more difficult to relate to, and his storyline wasn't quite as exciting, although it focus a lot on mental illness and recovery. Still, I most definitely enjoyed Portia a lot more than I did Maxon, both the character and the novel itself, oh, and did I mention dragons who actually did dragon things and became dragons? Bauer has not only redeemed my love for dragons, but she's also created a super solid and sad closing to a much loved series I've been on one heck of a journey with. Bare with me, there will be tears.

So, where did Portia go right? I shall hold off on the dragon swoons for now because, I mean wow, we'll get to them rather soon, but first Portia herself. I really quite like that Portia was set from the outskirts as somebody who was passionate that knowledge, skill and passion was key to anything, and could help anyone achieve anything, She was surrounded herself with books, with answers to questions, with learning and teaching others and I related to her so much. She never felt like she belonged, like she was respected or consider important enough, and oh, beautiful Portia, I just felt so sad for her. She was a nervous, scared character at the start, but her progression, her development, her god damn soul searching that wormed out every inch of badass she had in her from her parents was just so good to see. Her transformation from timid, shy and scared Princess to utterly powerful Empress was so awesome and awe inspiring, I was totally absorbed in her story for the super quick two hours it took me to read Portia. It was amazing.

I do feel as though the spin-off Offspring novels have struggled to convey as strong storylines as Angelbound and Scala did. The storylines themselves feel extravagant, full of new world, new magic, new adventures and new characters, all while trying to stay faithful to the older, more original characters and it's sometimes been hard to keep up. I for one sometimes struggled to make sense of some of the travels in Portia and in Maxon as the world grew larger and the books themselves were shorter, it felt as though less time was spent on developing these new, bigger, more exciting worlds, and that is a tad sucky. Still, I cannot deny that the magic in Portia was pretty cool, and I definitely loved learning more about the different types available for study and practicing.

Okay, I also loved the dragons. I read Talon earlier this year, and wooooah, that book was a catastrophe in dragons in comparison to Portia. Black badass dragons with lots of flying, lots of fire breathing, lots of general immenseness, oh, and a red Empress dragon being hot damn amazing. Yes, Portia gets a big thumbs up in terms of dragons.

The storyline too, I actually quite liked how it got straight into story without ever feeling like there was a big 'this is the mission, let;s go!' feeling - it just happened. Tempest and Portia got to work, and throughout the really great paced out plot that was oh so good, the swoons. I swore they'd never take me alive, but they did, and I'm so madly in love with the relationship. I mean, yes, it's not as well developed as Myla and Lincolns in Origins, and neither was Maxon and Lianna's, but I guess that's one of the things that comes with squeezing more into a shorter story, but Portia and Tempest were so hot and so cute and so fun, and so perfect.

Tempest was the perfect dragon gentleman with utter respect, honour and adoration for Portia, her beauty, her passion and her brains, while Portia's confidence boost through Tempest, how he helped bring out the inner demon in her with the power, brash personality and boost it takes to be a super awesome fighting female - they complimented each other beautifully.I was so swooned by the clear passion that flowed between them, how Tempest made Portia's toes curl, how she was so much more confident around him, and how he made her feel important, worth a lot more than her family ever had, I couldn't respect him more, and I couldn't love how Portia came to love him, no matter how quickly it may have been. Dragons are allowed pretty quick love falling, am I right?

I did have my issues with the world building, or the slight lack thereof, and I do still get a little confused by how much the world has developed with every installment, BUT, (and it's a big but, it's in capitals, see!) I seriously loved Portia so much, I actually cried when I finished reading it. I felt as though Bauer closed this series so perfectly. It never felt forced, and neither do the loose ends feel tangled. Every character has a happy ending, and I never realised how perfectly it all worked out until I took a breather to wipe the tear from my eyes. I will be so sad to not have a new Angelbound novel to look forward next Spring, and I will dearly miss the magic, the demons, the dragons and the battles that this series has given me. Goodbyes suck.

[Emmeline (The Book Herald) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC as part of the Sparkle Book Tours and Netgalley.

"I have a very busy life."
"Doing what?" (he asked)
"You know. Books. Stuff. Things. It's cooler than it sounds."

I simply had to start with that quote!

Okay let's hop into the plot!

Princess Portia is the heir to the throne of Antrum,
The High Princess of the Thrax and the granddaughter of the president of Purgatory. Not to mention, She's also the sister of the Monarkki of Air and the sister in law of the Monarkki of water.
Lots of titles, lots to live up to.
But Portia is not exactly what everyone would expect.
socially awkward, nose stuck in a book...oh and she's cursed.
Not exactly a person who screams 'PRINCESS'.
And she knows it, especially when she comes from a family of warriors and she's...not, not really anyway.
Magic is her strength, but even that comes at a hardship.
However, when the Firmament and sacred trees are on the edge of collapse, it seems that perhaps, she is exactly what everyone needs...if only they would take the time to see it.
The only person who does see it is Him- a man with darkness and scales as his armor.
Together the may be what saves the after-realms, that is, if they survive it.

Okay, this book, I liked it...but I will admit that out of all this series and its predecessor (Angelbound, Scala, Armageddon and Maxon) This one was a bit slower, less intense and perhaps the weakest(surprisingly).

I know, I feel awful to say that, but as a whole it was a lovely story. However, it didn't make my eyes round like saucers and nigh-on burst with excitement like Maxon did.

When Bauer introduced to us the Monarkki of Air and Water in Maxon, I thought she'd kind of draw more into these types of umm 'After-realmers' and have that intense, crazy plot.

That's not to say that this one with the creatures of the void and Furors weren't awesome, I mean they're dragons for crying out loud, that's bound to be great! However, when weighing it against Maxon as a follow up it was a bit of a let down.

Okay, let me elaborate, I feel like I'm repeating myself.

Portia is a sweet character who made me laugh at her unease in social interactions. She did come off as a bit starved for attention and affection though, which made the romance feel a bit...I don't know how to explain it, but less powerful I guess. This is because the first guy who paid attention to her, she fell almost immediately in love with him, and that was literally because he would ask her opinion and smiled at her, etc...(though we do understand why later, it just felt a bit less intense, powerful and heart-wrenching).

I mean, fair enough but somehow that made it seem a bit too easy and instantaneous in terms of romance. They didn't have a progressive romance where you saw them fall for each other, it was like BAM! here it is.

I think that's what let me down a bit. In the previous books, the struggle to reach the attained goal and saving the after realms were sooo difficult and hard to attain. This one kind of went in a 'it all worked out', am I weird for wanting more struggle?

On the very positive side- her world building is amazing! Bauer never fails to amaze me in this respect.

Okay, another thing, is there going to be another book?
because who will be the Great Scala? it didn't say!

So yes I did like it but was a bit let down.
However, that's just me but it's definitely worth a read!

-The Book Herald
Check out my blog- The Book Herald Blog (help the little people!)
tweet me @thebookherald

[Katie (Katie's Corner Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

see full review @ Katie's Corner

Have you been following his series either on my blog or even without it? What you’re new to his awesomeness by Christina Bauer? As one of my favourite characters from a Georgian book said: “You have so much in front of you!” And I couldn’t not put his words here! Because the series that are called Angelbound origins and Angelbound Offsprings are something that everyone should read and experience! However, before I start let me make a short announcement! First of all, as I understood this is the final book in the whole Angelbound series. I have already reviewed the first book – Angelbound on my blog, however, next books are not yet up there. So please, check back to read the other reviews when they go live.

But enough of that talk; let me get back to the story. Are you ready to find out Portia’s story? Oh, you might not know who Portia is! Do you need a short story or a long one? Short story: she’s the second child of Myla and Lincoln: the Great Scala and the next king of Thrax. Uhum, that’s the short story. And now the long one: imagine this: you’re 19 years old, you’re a total bookworm, but that’s only because there’s a curse on you that might turn you into a demon (the worst kind of). See, your life is not all roses, oh I nearly forgot, add to the picture the end of the world and you’ll have 3/4th of the picture. What’s the remaining 1/4th? That’s tons of action, some romance and again tons of action, some fantastic and a kick-ass female character and the choice of the oneself to follow destiny or build the path by yourself. Are you hyped to start the book? You should be as Portia is freaking awesome characters, she is not as great as her mom Myla, but she’s still awesome.

I loved the book, even if I have not yet read Maxon. In the very beginning I was totally confused, but I got into the story so fast I didn’t put it down for the next 2 hours. Yes, that’s how fast I read this book. Every minute of it was fun and exciting. To say the truth the book was too fast paced. Everything was solved too fast, but then again, I might have been reading too fast. Let me explain, Portia and Tempest were find everything too fast, without any constraint, okay, there were some problems, but still not full blown battles or something like that. Also, one thing that a bit disappointed me was the lack of full romance there. Again, let me explain, the romance between Portia and Tempest kicks off very fast, but with no physical, if we could say that. That kiss happens only… Sorry, if I say that I will spoil the whole fun.

Are you ready for some awesome action in the 5 realms? Oh, yes, you’re going to see lots, lots of new realms! Be ready for it! I hope, you would take this book to read! Trust me, just get the whole series, you wouldn’t want to stop once you start! Enjoy it to its fullest and don’t forget to share your thoughts below! Stay tuned for more reviews as well as promos! Don’t miss your next favourite book or manga! Happy reading!

XOXO

Katie

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Ink Monster LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

This is the second book in a series. Confession time, I didn't read the first book, but from the description of this book, it didn't seem like it was necessary to be able to understand what happened. I was correct. A book decently written should be able to bring the reader into the story, even if it isn't the first book. This book was able to deliver that, though it did take me some time to get my feet as it were, once I did it wasn't an issue.

What was an issue. The pacing was completely off. It just felt so rushed to me I couldn't enjoy the story. It just seemed like the H and h go off from one adventure to another without rest, even though she did end up sleeping off the effects of the magic use, we don't see what the H is doing while she's sleeping, so it's like it never happened.

Also, the Big Bad was kind of obvious, just sayin'.

And I'll let you be the judge of the next two quotes. I never quote anything in my final reviews, but these bits were just something I had to include. PLEASE keep in mind these are from the ARC, so they may not be in the final version.

"Droplets of golden power appear on our fingertips. As we finish off the spell, the fluid energy cascades from our hands onto the golden orb. It pulses more brightly. Our spell finishes at last. The liquid energy disappears from our hands. Tempest and I share a long glance, and there's a whole conversation hidden in that gaze. "Did we dream that?" I ask. "No, that really happened. We set energy into that seedpod."

"We cast the spell together, louder and faster than ever before. We summon the same liquid energy that dripped from our fingertips when we opened the last seedpod. Rivulets of golden power curl down our arms."

I'm sorry, but an editor should have caught the imagery and verbiage and toned it down a bit. Maybe I just have a sick and twisted little mind, but I read those passages out loud to some friends and they agreed with me. It's a bit much.

Also, the hero was about TWICE the age of the heroine. He waited for her for 20 years. Which is ok, until you realize he had to wait for her to become old enough to be physical with. Kinda ew. And despite being at least 40, he was somewhat immature.

One last thing, that I just can't forgive. She blew up the library in Heaven. Yes, that's right. The library where we all go when we die (we being book lovers), was blown up by the heroine. Not on purpose, but it was done.

Not a bad book, it was entertaining and I did finish it, but it read more like a rough draft then a finished work. I wouldn't not read more works by this author, but I'm not going to go out of my way to seek them out. I honestly can't recommend this to anyone, unless the final copy has been edited a bit more tightly.

2 stars, because it isn't horrible, I didn't hate it and the author has potential.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Visit blog for author interview and other goodies


Rating: 5 Stars

As if it wasn't clear I LOVED this book. Meeting Portia and seeing a different type of character was super interesting. She is kick-ass no doubt, but she is a different kind of kick-ass. She's not as battle ready as the rest of her family but she is fierce in a way of handling the adversity she has been plagued with from birth and not standing around waiting for things to happen to her but fighting to challenge them. And of course she's not completely unequipped in battle, she is the daughter of Myla and Lincoln after all. Oh and then there is Tempest. I liked him in Maxon sure, he was intriguing and such but now to have so much of him is even better! I can see what Christina was compelled by this dragon. He's a charming and mysterious bad ass with a soft side that makes you want to sin.

There is more magic in this story that previous ones and we also learn more about the world as a whole, how all the realms work and are connected. The story is a roller coaster that doesn't stop moving. There is constantly something happening, never a dull moment, probably why I couldn’t put the book down to sleep. You are instantly pulled into the world, into Portia's destiny, the salvation of all the realms. There is something in the story for everyone.

Portia and Tempest work together, both new to one another and figuring the other out but still working together on the quest. I liked how the story built. There is some insta-attraction, but come on both parties have part lust demon in them and are sexy that was bound to happen but the connection builds from just attraction which is something I loved discovering with them. Plus did I not mention he can turn into a full on dragon! How awesome is that? I would totally want him on my side. Even when there was some vague answers thrown about courtesy of our favorite angel of visions, seriously I think she likes talking in riddles, everything blended into the larger story. I also love how the characters I fell in love with from the first book are still active and present in the story and not just a foot note.

That's all I have to say on it. I highly suggest picking up Portia, the whole series really because they are all such great fun to read.

[Hannah D · Rating 5 out of 5]

The next novel in the Angelbound Offspring series, Portia was romantic and witty addition to the series. In the Angelbound universe, the dimensions are in danger again, but this not from one foe, but this time from simply falling apart at the seams. A expert on the special form of dangers and on the energy that hold everything together, Princess Portia steps up to save everybody. Alongside her comes a strange man... dragon? He seems to have a strong interested in Portia, and in this book their adventure unfolds.
I loved this novel. Portia herself struck me as an extremely diverse and kick-butt character. She is powerful, smart and has her moments of witty humor. I though her character development was stellar and very well done. I enjoyed reading her internal dialogue and watching her life enroll before my eyes. The plot was very well thought out, and the romantic tension was almost perfect. Action packed, this book keeps a readers attention and draws them into the story.
My experience with all books by this author have all been amazing. I love knowing that in every novel by Christina Bauer, you are always going to get five star romances and super entertaining characters. I cannot wait for the next novel she releases. I without a doubt recommend Portia and the entire Angelbound series, I have simply loved every novel that has been published. I give Portia FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot...

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian I Dig Good Books. I was gifted my copy to review.




Princess Portia was Marked. She will become a Void demon. When these demons begin the threaten all the realms, Portia finds help from a dragon. An Emperor dragon, no less. Tempest fights his own demons, he is Marked as well, but not in the same way Portia is. Can they save the worlds, and each other??




This is book two in the Angelbound Offspring series which are follow-on books from the Angelbound series. I have read none of them. I didn't feel I was missing anything for not having done so, although I am left curious about some characters and what happened to them. I may go back at some point, and read them. Nor have I read anything else by Ms Bauer.




I liked this, I did. It was a little different and I will always say different is good. It moves along at speed in places, and I did think a little too fast at points. Portia and Tempest do get their happy ending though, and I liked that.




Maxon's, Portia's older brother, book comes with an adult warning and this is probably why I said yes to reading this one, although I rarely turn dragons down. This one doesn't. And I see why. Its clean, totally. It does get a little messy, and scary at points for Portia and Tempest, but I would let my 14 yr old read it, should she be inclined.




Its also single person, first person, present tense POV. This is not one of my favourite combinations, and I noticed it here.




so, because of the single pov, and the Young Adult status I'm giving it..




4 stars




**same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com**

[Vesper Vesper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew, it's so good to read more into the Angelbound universe!

Portia is one of the offspring of the lovely Myla and Lincoln, but nowhere near how either of them are. Studying magic instead of fighting and tail-less, she's a magic user and marked to become the Void.

Now, there was a few things that really irked me about this book, one being the extreme insta-love. You're telling me that this person she doesn't know and reeks of danger is the... (more via website)

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. I enjoyed watching and reading Portia's challenges and seeing her change for the better, seeing her inner demons poke through. At the start, she didn't seem much like Myla's daughter at all - extremely shy and bookish. But she had a destiny and that succceeded at letting her inner demons through, finding love and a partner who sees her as a complete equal, and a new family.
While I'm still kinda bummed that there were so many adventures of Myla's that we missed with the time jumps that started in book 3, these books have been great as well. I'm holding out hope for some revisits to Myla's teens and time before Maxon is born.

[Arlene Arredondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book in the Angelbound Offspring series. As the first one, Maxon, this doesn’t disappoint.
Portia has a future set for herself as a void demon, and this doesn’t appeal to her yearning for a life with a family of her own. She meets Tempest and falls in love. They embark in a journey to save the Firmament and she has a chance to find herself and maybe avoid her destiny.
This is a great tale of self-discovery.
Note: I received a copy free from Netgalley for review purposes.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the day she was born Portia was cursed to turn into one of the baddest demons ever a void demon. People have been afraid of Portia her whole life because she is marked which has resulted in her being a loner, having no friends or even a boyfriend. Portia has spent her life around books and in libraries learning magic. I think that she was hoping to find a spell that maybe could break her curse.

The after-realms are being destroyed which is causing earthquakes in Portia’s home world, purgatory; sinkholes are popping up all over the place. The very thing that Portia has been cursed with is responsible for destroying the after-realm which leaves Portia as the expert on how to stop the void demons. With being cursed Portia has never had any training in how to fight, no she is not your typical bada** heroine in that sense but she has her own ways of fighting demons.

Portia meets this hot guy whom she likes from the very beginning. Unlike her family Portia has never met this hot guy before and has no idea who he is. When she meets him again at a family gathering she learns that he is none other than the Emperor Tempest a dragon. Before she learns his name she instantly refers to him as “My guy”. Tempest is a man of very few words who offers to help Portia find the void demons and stop them from destroying the after-realms.

Portia takes the Emperor up on his offer as he is the only one who will listen to her and give her time of day. Her family tells her who smart she is and that she has the knowledge to save the after-realms but when the time comes they won’t listen to her. I can relate to Portia on this matter where her family doesn’t listen to her. I can see Portia has a quite spoken kind of person who doesn’t want to be the center of attention and will not fight to get someone’s attention. If she has to “yell” to be heard then she is not going to do it. Beside it would probably be a waste of time and energy. So I don’t blame her in the least when she meets someone that listens to her and will give her the time of day that she falls for him so quickly. Besides she has probably been alone and observed people for so long that she knows if someone is bullsh!tting her or not.

I love the Angelbound world and was so glad to have had the opportunity to see this world through the eyes of Portia and to learn her story. Portia is a very fast read and that will keep your attention from beginning to end with lots of action in between. As I have said before Christina is one bada** author who knows how to tell a story. I love seeing worlds through her eyes and definitely can’t wait to see through her eyes again and read more of this awesome world of Angelbound.

I would recommend Portia and all of the Angelbound books to fans of angels, demons, paranormal and dragons. Actually I would recommend all of Christina Bauer books. Pick up a copy of one of her books and start a magical journey.

[Reece · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC from NetGalley

This is the second of this series I've read. It's better than the first one, but it still left a lot to be desired.

Let me describe these books for you as best I can. You are at a party, back when we could do that, and there is the snack table, as there always is. On the snack table is a bowl of chips. They aren't a flavour you particularly enjoy, but you like chips, and they're in an uncovered bowl, so of course you just keep eating them. Afterwards, you regret it, but at the time it was something to do to avoid talking to people while waiting for the host's cat to finally show its face.

Quick read. Incredibly formulaic. I don't mind formulaic books, but some of them are able to do it while still keeping me at least sort of on my toes.

You know exactly who Portia is going to fall for immediately even though they don't technically get together until halfway through the book. Yet, it's still not believable. Over 50% of the book to get to know each other, but they've barely spoken or spent much time together. But they are in love. I LOVE HIM. Shut the fuck UP.

I mean okay, it's semi feasible because she is 19 and it's her first relationship so whatever, but still.

There are some plot holes, like when Portia talks about a time when she and her brother were children together even though she was born when he was like 20. The author likes to refer to everything as a thing. This thing. That thing. The thing. Also, the thing is. There are many things.

This kind of book should be a quick tear with some sexy bits as a reward for the subpar writing, but yeah. The sexy bits fell flat here, as they did in the previous book. I think a lot of people probably read these hoping for a paranormal fantasy romance/bodice ripper but get a predictable, unfulfilling romance and a disappointing roll in the hay. It's not a BAD book. It's just not a good book, and I kind of want my time back. I also have 2 more in this series to review :/ Hopefully they get better.

Oh, and for people who get creeped out by the infinitely old man/teenage for some reason girl trope, avoid.

[Mx Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Portia is a vivacious woman locked behind people’s perception of her in Christina Bauer’s second entry in the “Angelbound Offspring” series. I am a bookworm myself and I can tell you it is easy to underestimate a chick with a book. (laugh) Bauer takes full advantage of this as Portia kicks butt and does not even bother to take names because all that matters is saving the world.

I have to say my favorite scene is the ballroom scene - I got a little teary eyed and that is so not me. Bauer has created a character in Portia that makes you want to have her as your best friend and battle buddy. She is fierce, smart, loyal, and can laugh at herself. Love her!

Bauer creates twists in Portia that I did not see coming. Bauer addresses class and race differences and how Portia and Tempest want everyone to be seen as the same. It is nice to see this even in a fantasy world.

This is a slow burn romance of fated mates. I believe the original version of this book did not have the love scene included as I read the new Special Edition. I love the “fun” stuff so I am glad this was added in.

I think I liked this book overall for Portia’s humor and her character overall. Bauer created a character I would read going on other adventures. Now I get to move on to see what kind of child she and Tempest create in the third book. I cannot wait.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

[Linda Hamonou · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is probably my least favorite book in this series.
It's a lot shorter than the others and the story felt a bit too easy.
Portia is like the baby of the family. She is not a warrior, she seems a bit clumsy. She does magic but her family doesn't really get how important it is. It's like she has no voice because she is not a warrior.
On the top of that, she has weird marking on her face and I would have thought that Mila would have been the one doing something about the Void long before Portia grew up. Mila is the type of person who actually like to solve problems. Maxon problems and the elementals problems in the first book of Offspring weren't staring at her in the face but this one definitely is, so I wonder what was the hold up.
The reason why I thought this was too easy is because everything Portia does start by going a bit side way than works to perfection. The way she opens the seedpod. It's like something terrible is going to happen and then Tempest is here to help and everything is fine. There isn't really a hard quest to go through like in the previous books in the Angelbound series so it was a bit disappointing on that respect.
Though Portia is still a nice character. However Tempest seems a little bit cardboard. I think this book should have been longer with more details of Portia's life early on like with had with Maxon in Armageddon.
It's a nice book but something was definitely missing.

[Jennifer Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading Maxon, which is the first book in the Angelbound Offspring series I was super excited to dive right into this book.

No matter how good this story is or I thought it could be, I was thoroughly disappointed by how fast and rushed this story seems to be. It was very hard for me to really get invested with these characters and invested in the story.

It was within the first 2 chapters she meets Tempest and boom they are attached at the hip.

I do love these stories and will continue the series but I can't give it very high of a review.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by this author. This one follows on from Maxon. I still plan to go back to the beginning.

This book is about Maxons sister Portia. Like Maxon life isn't easy for Portia. She is marked. Tempest is a dragon and he has been waiting for Portia all her life. He has been tasked to help her with a quest. Their story was sweet and action filled.

I loved this book, I finished it needing to read more.

[Andrea Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

You had me at bookworm princess and a dragon! But really, watching Portia, Maxon's little sister transform from her worn down, nervous self into the version of her living her most confident best life was so fun! The family interactions are so great and it was lovely to see the 'study' of this universe.

Love this series!

[Monster House Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Portia kicks ass, but not on the battlefield. in this story, Myla and Lincoln's daughter must use her wits and determination to save the after-realms... and reality itself. Pick this one up and you'll never put it down until the last page!!!!

[Ronni Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my second foray into the Angelbound Offspring books, Portia.
While I found it a little slower to start than the previous one I read, Maxon, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
These books are a great read, with a winning mix of fantasy, relationships & politics.

[Edrillan (vampire junkie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this one.... But i do have one question that kept nagging on me.... Who is ths next Great Scala????? and who will inherit Lincoln and Myla's throne???

[Isabel Ede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just could not put this book down. Another fantastic book from Chirstina Bauer.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich hab mich sehr auf die Fortsetzung der Geschichte gefreut und war schnell wieder in der Welt von Antrum & Co angekommen. Dieses Mal geht’s ja um Portia, die kleine Schwester von Maxon und Tempest. Aber ich muss gleich sagen, dass man von den Charakteren aus Band 1 nicht so viel mitbekommt, hätte ich mir etwas mehr gewünscht.
Tempest durfte ich ja bereits bei Maxon kennen lernen und er hat mir da schon sehr gut gefallen. Allerdings war mir seine Konversation mit Maxon im Kopf geblieben, als Maxon kurz nach der Geburt zu ihm kam, und Tempest nach der Zeichnung fragte. Das war schon sehr komisch für mich und ich wollte wissen, was es damit auf sich hat.
Das Buch selbst ist dieses Mal leider nur aus einer Sicht geschrieben, von der von Portia. Ich hätte gerne auch Tempest’s Gedanken gelesen. Portia ist anfangs ein ängstliches Mädchen mit kaum Erfahrung in Sachen Jungs, Liebe oder anderen Dingen. Aber dann kommt ein Erlebnis und Portia muss wachsen und dabei hilft ihr Tempest. Sie merkt schnell, dass sie für ihn mehr empfindet als sie soll, aber Tempest reagiert abweisend. Ich hatte ja immer noch die Konversation im Kopf und hab mich dann aber immer gefragt, warum er so komisch reagiert. Aber die Autorin hat es geschafft, einen genialen Twist einzubauen und der hat alles aufgeklärt.
Portia selber mochte ich anfangs nicht, sie war mir irgendwie lästig, jung, weinerlich. Zum Schluss mochte ich Portia aber dann schon mehr – sie wurde stark, selbstbewusst und einfach eine tolle Frau. Der Epilog war ein schöner und guter Abschluss, besonders die „Hochzeit“ fand ich mega lustig und stark von beiden.
Tempest, ja, was soll ich dazu noch sagen: der ist heiß, sexy und einfach echt traumhaft. No more words needed.
Ich bin echt gespannt, wie es weitergeht. Für mich eine gelungene Fantasy-Liebesgeschichte.

****

I really looked forward to the sequel of Maxon, and I was totally back in Antrum as of page 1. This time the story’s about Portia, Maxon’s little sister and his friend T, Tempest. However, I have to say that you won’t see much of the others from book 1 which I found a bit sad, would have loved to read more about Maxon and Lianna, how they’re doing, if they have kids etc.
Tempest was already a “one of a kind” guy in book 1 and I liked his relationship with Maxon. However, what stuck in my head was his last conversation he had with Maxon after the birth of Portia, when he asked about the markings. Back then I already wanted to know why he asked this and why he reacted the way he did.
The book only gives you Portia’s pov this time, which I found a bit sad. Would have loved to know what T thinks in certain situations. To me, Portia was a scared little girl, that barely had any experience with boys, love or any other things. However, fate came and things changed drastically and she had to step up. With the help of T which I loved. However, sometimes I wondered why T behaves as he did, also knowing his conversation with Maxon. But then, the author did an amazing twist and I was like “wow” this explains so much, this is great.
I personally didn’t like Portia in the beginning. She was too whiny somehow, young, not self-confident at all. However, the closer we got to the book, she developed and became this strong, beautiful and self-confident woman/empress and I was positively surprised. I really did enjoy the dynamic between luv and T. The epilogue was very nice, especially the “wedding” scene, very fun.
Tempest, well all you can say is that he is one kind of sexy and hot dragon, no more words needed.
Really looking forward to the next story, and what’s in store for Portia & Tempest. For me a story about trust, friendship, love and can totally recommend it.

[Magda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Portia is a fast paced book full of various worlds, demons, dragons and magic with an enchanting heroine on the lead.
It seems that in times when Void threatens the worlds to collapse, even a peaceful, book loving princess must embark on a quest and try to save everyone. And who might be a perfect partner in her adventures? How about a handsome dragon emperor Tempest?

I felt this book was kind of chaotic. There were those strange moments when one chapter ends with supposed peace and quiet and the next started with a boom without a reason. Portia and Tempest were traveling randomly from place to place. I know they were supposed to be on this quest, but that also felt kind of sudden.

Actually I think I'm missing some information, maybe they were in previous books? I was completely lost in what was happening there. OK, there is this Void that's supposed to be either some kind of a big ass monster or a place from which monsters come to other worlds. I didn't really get that. Also, the worlds... so there are four worlds that are somehow joined together, but how are out heroes transporting between them? Are there some kind of portals? Or maybe you just wish yourself somewhere? I told you I was lost right?

At some point I thought I'm in an RPG game. Two players teamed up, took a quest without reading what the NPC wanted to tell them and now they only had an area on the map where they needed to go and the thing they needed to find. They were simply lacking all other information, some explanations, some extra descriptions of what's happening to them and to the world surrounding them. They were teleported few times close to the places they needed to be, did their thing and moved on to the next part of the quest. And at the end they had a sparkly cutscene and a level up to one of them... [Sorry for the gaming reference, I guess I should just go and play because I haven't done that in a while.]

What this book lacks in order, it makes up with the characters. Maybe Portia isn't one of my favorite heroines out there, but I kind of liked here. She's smart and skilled with magic, but apparently the curse makes her kind of useless with some spellcasting. Portia also loves books and loves to learn about magic, which makes her quite relatable for someone like me :). She's attractive and knows it, the problem is everyone is afraid of her because she wears the marking of the void on her face and that's supposed to mean she will change into a wild demon one day.

You can imagine how hard it is for a 19-year old to live with everyone running away from her. So when she meets Tempest, who doesn't show any fear and actually wants to spend some time with her, she simply can't resist him, even if he's not her type.

I think you know where that's going? As much as instant love goes this one was understandable. And from his side? Since he's supposed to be this desired-by-all destroyer-of-hearts I imagine at first he simply wanted to make her his next catch. Maybe with time he actually started to feel something different. At least that's what I thought for most of the book. Anyway, I'm OK with that romance, they actually make a nice couple. Plus he's a totally hot dragon shifter!

This book is a fast read. When I started it, I couldn't stop reading for at least 30% of the book, so even though it's not a perfect read, I had a good time with it. I only wish I could read the first book before this one, maybe then I'd have some more information and everything would be clearer, so I could enjoy the story more.


I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Find my reviews at https://maginibooks.wordpress.com

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This book is an e-galley that I received from the publisher Ink Monster LLC to review before being published. I have not been paid to review this book, nor to give this book a good review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced by the publisher.

This is the second book in the Angelbound Offspring series. I haven't read any of the other books in this series or in this world. This doesn't mean that I wasn't able to read the book, but I'm sure I missed some of the nuances. The publisher says it can be read as a stand alone though, which is true but it can be a little confusing at times.

I loved the plot; I felt like the plot was very well done and has so much potential. I just feel like its full potential wasn't reached. The world was very well constructed and interesting; I would love to explore it more in other books and the various peoples that populate it.

Portia was my favourite character! As a bibliophile, I have to love a fellow book lover. I appreciated how she used her brain in tough situations, but not how she always relied on Tempest to help get her out of those situations. It seemed like she was always the damsel in distress who needed a man to help her, but at least he didn't just always rescue her and they fixed the problems together. I liked how Portia became more decisive, and more confident in herself as she started to solve each quest and realize her own potential.

****** SPOILERS AHEAD ******

I feel like Tempest's character wasn't thoroughly explored enough in this book. For all that Tempest was tortured by his father for years and is emotionally damaged, it didn't really show that much in the book. This is kind of where I wonder if it was more explored in the other book in the Offsprings series titled Maxon. Maxon is a close friend of Tempest, so in his novel did he see more of how damaged Tempest was/is? Because from what I saw Tempest managed just fine and if he can be Maxon's friend, why not Portia's mate?

I particularly like the part where Portia had to go back in time to convince Tempest to be her Gatherer and join her on her journey. It was a pretty cute scene and I love how it tied everything together. I also appreciated how it was her love for him that changed him and turned him into the man she would come to love. Also it was really sweet how he waited 20 years for her. We all want an epic love like that, that spans time and distance.

To me it felt like the book was really rushed. It was kind of like quest #1? Check. Quest #2? Check. And so on and so forth. The tasks seemed to be handled too easy and moved along too smoothly. There were no mistakes made that would make it seem more realistic and like a part of our everyday life. I don't particularly love it when my characters are infallible because I know human beings aren't.

So, overall as I said before I feel like this book had so much potential that wasn't fully reached. Not to say that this wasn't a good book, I just would have liked more from it. I could see this book being turned into a duology and that would be totally fine. I just think that if a little more time was spent with the characters and on their mission it would be for the best. I would read another book from this world though because I love the world, and just to see how it compares. So this book gets 3 out of 5 stars.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

********** Contains Spoilers**********

I loved this book, I’ve lost count how many times I’ve read this book now. It’s bloody funny how awkward Portia is especially when she meets Tempest for the first time. Her inner monologue just takes the cake. It’s funny how both Myla (Portia’s Ma, the Great Scala, Queen of the Thrax & the best arena fighter for Purgatory) and her Grandma (the president of purgatory) both primp themselves when they know Tempest has arrived since he’s a greater demon of wrath & lust, the president even giggles while in Tempest’s prescience. Portia is marked for the void meaning that she’s eventually going to turn into a void demon if she fails her quest to stop all the realms collapsing since the firmament is loosing it’s magic so Tempest basically tells Portia that he knows where the Grove is that’s where Portia has to start her quest he also tells her and her family that he must go alone with Portia but of course they veto that idea straight away so he leaves and says he’ll be back tomorrow to take them but another earthquake happens (meaning that the realms are starting to collapse) so her family start passing all the computers and equipment through a portal walker created there’s only a few more and the house starts to collapse then she loses’s contact with her Ma and her dad is about to lose the connection to with the portal and tells her to grab his hand but the Tempest crashes through the ceiling and rescues her since the portal closes she then tells Tempest to take her to the Grove so she can complete her quest.

When they get to the grove Tempest goes on high alert since his dragon senses something off that is when Aidan pops out and introduces himself to say that he’s one of the marked, like Portia and that he’s there to help Portia complete hers and that her Gatherer (Tempest) can leave then when Tempest tells Portia that he can’t leave because they still have to go to the place that Verus (prophetic angel) told them to go before they’ve released all the seed pods and when Portia is deciding what to do Aiden grabs her and transports her to a creepy graveyard and tells her that she has to do a ceremony before she starts her quest Portia gets angry at Aiden because he’s told her he had only residual magic left but how could he whisk her away with very little magic?? He also said that he’s warded the cemetery so no one will find them but Portia hears a roar and knows that it’s him in a dragon form, he lands then she hops on his back and they fly away so they can complete the quest to save the realms from falling. I liked that Portia and Tempest are a team from the start especially when Tempest shows up at her families house to find out what’s happening and her family are basically not letting her talk and basically telling her that she’s only wanted to be heard because she wants attention but Tempest is actually interested in what she’s saying. It’s also crazy to see the old Tempest like what he was 20 years prior before finding out about Portia. I’d totally recommend this story, series, any of the other Angelbound universe stories and Christina Bauer to anyone.