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Terraway #1
Taste
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).
Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.
Taste is book one in an 8-part fantasy romance series.
Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.
Taste is book one in an 8-part fantasy romance series.
382 pages, ebook
First published October 13, 2016
1191 people are currently reading
1441 people want to read
About the author
Mary E. Twomey
112 books372 followersUSA Today bestselling author Mary E. Twomey lives in Michigan with her three adorable children. She enjoys reading, writing, vegetarian cooking, and telling her children fantastic stories about wombats.
While she loves writing fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal tales for her readers, Mary also writes romance under the name Tuesday Embers.
Visit her online at www.maryetwomey.com.
While she loves writing fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal tales for her readers, Mary also writes romance under the name Tuesday Embers.
Visit her online at www.maryetwomey.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
July 26, 2020
*** 3.33 ***
##### A note after finishing the series #####
Just wanted to let those interested in the series to know, that although the series is advertised as a Reverse Harem, it really isn't, or at least not in the traditional sense of the term.
This is a Paranormal story with a lot of relationship drama and some romance. The main character is October Grace, a young woman who is dealing with childhood abuse and neglect, which has left her with some mental illness, mostly anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders. She is a nurse, her brother is her rock, and her mother is a hot mess... The mother takes the two siblings to meet her boyfriend and his family, and October gets immersed into a whole different world, discovering she is only half human. Her talent is very, very rare and she is recruited quite forcefully to reap the souls of those who are about to die in order to feed the energy of the suns for the world of Terraway. I know, it is weird, but not as complicated as its sounds. She is an Omen and she needs a puller, the person who helps her release the souls, granting a peaceful death. This is pretty much the premise. There is no sex in this book, and very little in the series as a whole. The violence is to a minimum as well. What we have a lot of is October learning how to be around people in more intimate situations, a lot of flirting, innuendo, a lot of friendships and love, fun banter between young adults, and the drama that comes with all of that. The situation they are put in makes the lines between friendships and romantic love blurry, and the main characters trying and failing, then trying again to be the best they could be. If this sounds like something you might enjoy, I would definitely encourage you to give it a try. Who knows, it might surprise you 🙂👍
##### A note after finishing the series #####
Just wanted to let those interested in the series to know, that although the series is advertised as a Reverse Harem, it really isn't, or at least not in the traditional sense of the term.
This is a Paranormal story with a lot of relationship drama and some romance. The main character is October Grace, a young woman who is dealing with childhood abuse and neglect, which has left her with some mental illness, mostly anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders. She is a nurse, her brother is her rock, and her mother is a hot mess... The mother takes the two siblings to meet her boyfriend and his family, and October gets immersed into a whole different world, discovering she is only half human. Her talent is very, very rare and she is recruited quite forcefully to reap the souls of those who are about to die in order to feed the energy of the suns for the world of Terraway. I know, it is weird, but not as complicated as its sounds. She is an Omen and she needs a puller, the person who helps her release the souls, granting a peaceful death. This is pretty much the premise. There is no sex in this book, and very little in the series as a whole. The violence is to a minimum as well. What we have a lot of is October learning how to be around people in more intimate situations, a lot of flirting, innuendo, a lot of friendships and love, fun banter between young adults, and the drama that comes with all of that. The situation they are put in makes the lines between friendships and romantic love blurry, and the main characters trying and failing, then trying again to be the best they could be. If this sounds like something you might enjoy, I would definitely encourage you to give it a try. Who knows, it might surprise you 🙂👍
June 13, 2017
I'm so sad to give this only 2 stars, because I think that the author is very talented. I liked her style. She writes very believably. But here lies the problem: the descriptions about bugs, and mud, and trash and so on are so realistic, that every time the heroine scratched herself I started scratching.
This book gave me an allergic reaction. I'm talking goose bumps, the itching and just general disgust.
Another thing that bothered me was the mythology itself. I still cant wrap my head around the fact of souls powering suns. And where exactly are those suns anyway? It wasn't explained. Are those alternate realities? Alternate worlds? Something else?
I also didn't like the heroine. Maybe it's my problem and I simply can't relate to someone with OCD, although the author managed to show it VERY believably, but her lack of spine got on my nerve. And then, what got on my nerve was how quickly she changed.
One moment she was an introvert, and the next - she was like a champion fighter who was at ease with making jokes.
I just couldn't force myself to believe in those changes, and that made me think that the heroine was simply undeveloped.
Even worse was the plot. Alright, not worse. The worse were the bugs. But the plot comes second. I just didn't see enough of it.
The scene where she was to be tested (her hand was to be broken/ though they tried that with her spine - and then she forgave the guy pretty quickly I might add) - that scene went on and on and on for so long, I almost DNF the book.
And when finally she was awakened into her new duties, the book kinda just ends.
This seemed to me not like the whole story, but rather the very long prologue that could have been great if all the boring parts were taken out. Oh, and the bugs.
Let's just say that Taste left a bad taste in my mouth, and no matter how much I liked the author's style, I'm not going anywhere near this series again.
This book gave me an allergic reaction. I'm talking goose bumps, the itching and just general disgust.
Another thing that bothered me was the mythology itself. I still cant wrap my head around the fact of souls powering suns. And where exactly are those suns anyway? It wasn't explained. Are those alternate realities? Alternate worlds? Something else?
I also didn't like the heroine. Maybe it's my problem and I simply can't relate to someone with OCD, although the author managed to show it VERY believably, but her lack of spine got on my nerve. And then, what got on my nerve was how quickly she changed.
One moment she was an introvert, and the next - she was like a champion fighter who was at ease with making jokes.
I just couldn't force myself to believe in those changes, and that made me think that the heroine was simply undeveloped.
Even worse was the plot. Alright, not worse. The worse were the bugs. But the plot comes second. I just didn't see enough of it.
The scene where she was to be tested (her hand was to be broken/ though they tried that with her spine - and then she forgave the guy pretty quickly I might add) - that scene went on and on and on for so long, I almost DNF the book.
And when finally she was awakened into her new duties, the book kinda just ends.
This seemed to me not like the whole story, but rather the very long prologue that could have been great if all the boring parts were taken out. Oh, and the bugs.
Let's just say that Taste left a bad taste in my mouth, and no matter how much I liked the author's style, I'm not going anywhere near this series again.
May 27, 2020
Notes:
Awesome setup! Cool setting, interesting twist on sineaters and I love the main cast of characters.
Awesome setup! Cool setting, interesting twist on sineaters and I love the main cast of characters.
October 28, 2018
NOT a Reverse Harem
I’m reviewing this book after having read the entire 8 book series, but I wanted to come back and give future readers a bit of a disclaimer. This series is NOT a western style Reverse Harem, where the FMC ends up with 3+ guys. This is a Japanese manga style RH where there are multiple guys INTERESTED IN the FMC but she only ends up with 1 guy.
Besides the false advertising the series is pretty good. There’s unique world building and well written characters, although is does get a little Game of Thrones, almost-everybody-you-love-dies toward the later books. There’s also quite a bit of what-the-f$@k-are-you-doing?!?! that goes on with the FMC that annoyed me several times throughout. But other than that, the series kept me engaged and interested all the way to the end.
I’m reviewing this book after having read the entire 8 book series, but I wanted to come back and give future readers a bit of a disclaimer. This series is NOT a western style Reverse Harem, where the FMC ends up with 3+ guys. This is a Japanese manga style RH where there are multiple guys INTERESTED IN the FMC but she only ends up with 1 guy.
Besides the false advertising the series is pretty good. There’s unique world building and well written characters, although is does get a little Game of Thrones, almost-everybody-you-love-dies toward the later books. There’s also quite a bit of what-the-f$@k-are-you-doing?!?! that goes on with the FMC that annoyed me several times throughout. But other than that, the series kept me engaged and interested all the way to the end.
June 12, 2017
Tastes like spirit
This is a complex novel with a number of things spiralling out of nowhere but leaves the reader waiting to see what mess the protagonist, October, finds herself in next.
I love the insight the author gives us on multiple characters, including peripheral characters, in both their approach to their immediate lifestyles and their response to the environment they find themselves in, including what they feel their responsibilities are. Or not. The characters are incredibly diverse and beautifully laid out keeping the reader's full attention, whilst not letting the novel lose its impact.
I'm looking forward to both the direction the novel takes, especially what October and her crew do next.
This is a complex novel with a number of things spiralling out of nowhere but leaves the reader waiting to see what mess the protagonist, October, finds herself in next.
I love the insight the author gives us on multiple characters, including peripheral characters, in both their approach to their immediate lifestyles and their response to the environment they find themselves in, including what they feel their responsibilities are. Or not. The characters are incredibly diverse and beautifully laid out keeping the reader's full attention, whilst not letting the novel lose its impact.
I'm looking forward to both the direction the novel takes, especially what October and her crew do next.
October 23, 2017
This book is hard to rate. The writing is good, and the characters are fantastic (some of them are also disturbing, but a fantastically characterized disturbing). From that perspective it deserves a higher rating.
However, I have a suspicion that some of the relationships in this book are set up to be headed in kind of disturbing places, and reading some of the reviews on the rest of the series indicates that I'm not the only one with concerns. Because of this, I'm not planning to read the rest of this series, and it seems silly to rate a first book in a series very highly if it's turned me off from reading the rest of the series.
However, I have a suspicion that some of the relationships in this book are set up to be headed in kind of disturbing places, and reading some of the reviews on the rest of the series indicates that I'm not the only one with concerns. Because of this, I'm not planning to read the rest of this series, and it seems silly to rate a first book in a series very highly if it's turned me off from reading the rest of the series.
Want to read
November 7, 2017I wouldn't normally read books like this anymore BUT
Filipino folklore caught my attention.
Filipino folklore caught my attention.
December 11, 2017
Surprised
I am extremely surprised how much I enjoyed this story. October is a bit difficult to deal with at first since her OCD is pretty rough. As I got to know her more, the more I realized that she has pushed through so much and is far stronger than she looks. She works in a prison as a nurse so she has to be tough. I think what annoyed me most was how she lets everyone push her limits, especially her mother.
Being the Omen sounds like it will be a tough job. Her, Mason, and Von all have some major baggage. I really wonder how they will figure this all out. Still, to be connected to two hot guys isn't so bad. Perhaps she will see that eventually.
I am extremely surprised how much I enjoyed this story. October is a bit difficult to deal with at first since her OCD is pretty rough. As I got to know her more, the more I realized that she has pushed through so much and is far stronger than she looks. She works in a prison as a nurse so she has to be tough. I think what annoyed me most was how she lets everyone push her limits, especially her mother.
Being the Omen sounds like it will be a tough job. Her, Mason, and Von all have some major baggage. I really wonder how they will figure this all out. Still, to be connected to two hot guys isn't so bad. Perhaps she will see that eventually.
March 29, 2021
A very different and cool take. Spoilers below
We start with our FMC October Grace. She is a correctional nurse who suffers from OCD due to having lived in a home with her mother who suffered from hoarding. However October’s home life was always tumultuous, it sounds like Bev, her mother, never wanted her in the first place. It sounds like October was raised by her brother and sister.
Anywho this story isn’t the warm fuzzy story you’d expect. It deals in death, and October’s coping. She is a person who tries to be functional with her OCD when she’s in public, but it’s a struggle and takes an emotional toll on her. Her mother suddenly has a new man in her life that she wants to introduce Ollie and October to. This is where things take a crazy turn with bugs becoming almost sentient, and being thrust into another world. The fascinating thing about October is she’s the narrator, so we only know as much as she does, which isn’t a lot. We get the gist of things fairly quickly, though I still don’t understand everything.
When the awakening happened and October needs to kill someone for her to move the soul on, I don’t understand completely why the rite needed her to kill someone. That was unclear. Unless it’s similar to like the werewolf curse in TVD lol. But she does activate and bonds with not one but two guys. Von and Mason. Apparently she was only to bond with one, and neither of them intended for this to happen. Now I haven’t gotten romance vibes too much in this one so I’m not entirely sure where this might be going. I know that Von is a player kind of guy and Mason is kinda in a similar boat as October when it comes to the knowing how to people. I kind of saw a deeper bond growing with October and Mason and I’m hoping to see it continue.
The end of the book saw something terrible and crazy that happened. I wonder how this all plays out, very cliffhanger though even if it does give you a glimpse into the next book. I didn’t read it yet for fear it would interfere with what I’m writing now.
Danny is the boyfriend of the daughter of Bev’s new man. He is kind of a jerk or has a gruff manner. October and him clash quite a bit and he is such a jerk that he forces October to let him see what’s up with Bev’s place. He definitely stepped over the line, and had the good graces to be contrite but hopefully he’ll remember that in the future,
I’m very invested in how this new life for October is going to play out because her brother Ollie it sounds like is also moving back.
On to the next one!
We start with our FMC October Grace. She is a correctional nurse who suffers from OCD due to having lived in a home with her mother who suffered from hoarding. However October’s home life was always tumultuous, it sounds like Bev, her mother, never wanted her in the first place. It sounds like October was raised by her brother and sister.
Anywho this story isn’t the warm fuzzy story you’d expect. It deals in death, and October’s coping. She is a person who tries to be functional with her OCD when she’s in public, but it’s a struggle and takes an emotional toll on her. Her mother suddenly has a new man in her life that she wants to introduce Ollie and October to. This is where things take a crazy turn with bugs becoming almost sentient, and being thrust into another world. The fascinating thing about October is she’s the narrator, so we only know as much as she does, which isn’t a lot. We get the gist of things fairly quickly, though I still don’t understand everything.
When the awakening happened and October needs to kill someone for her to move the soul on, I don’t understand completely why the rite needed her to kill someone. That was unclear. Unless it’s similar to like the werewolf curse in TVD lol. But she does activate and bonds with not one but two guys. Von and Mason. Apparently she was only to bond with one, and neither of them intended for this to happen. Now I haven’t gotten romance vibes too much in this one so I’m not entirely sure where this might be going. I know that Von is a player kind of guy and Mason is kinda in a similar boat as October when it comes to the knowing how to people. I kind of saw a deeper bond growing with October and Mason and I’m hoping to see it continue.
The end of the book saw something terrible and crazy that happened. I wonder how this all plays out, very cliffhanger though even if it does give you a glimpse into the next book. I didn’t read it yet for fear it would interfere with what I’m writing now.
Danny is the boyfriend of the daughter of Bev’s new man. He is kind of a jerk or has a gruff manner. October and him clash quite a bit and he is such a jerk that he forces October to let him see what’s up with Bev’s place. He definitely stepped over the line, and had the good graces to be contrite but hopefully he’ll remember that in the future,
I’m very invested in how this new life for October is going to play out because her brother Ollie it sounds like is also moving back.
On to the next one!
January 30, 2018
Kudos to the author as I was so grossed out for generally the first 20-30% of the book from the vivid and realistic descriptions. I'm honestly not sure how my stomach made it through some of those scenes.
The story itself was unique and most of the characters were well defined. All in all a good read for me.
The story itself was unique and most of the characters were well defined. All in all a good read for me.
April 7, 2020
RH? Maybe in later books.
This story has a lot of great world building. The characters introduced so far make me want to keep reading and see where this goes.
This story has a lot of great world building. The characters introduced so far make me want to keep reading and see where this goes.
January 1, 2019
Hmm
Interesting, creepy, sad and funny. Definitely not very graphic and major minor on the.romance. Meh on the adventure as.well. But I did keep turning pages..
Interesting, creepy, sad and funny. Definitely not very graphic and major minor on the.romance. Meh on the adventure as.well. But I did keep turning pages..
February 28, 2017
I picked this up purely because I was curious to see how Filipino folklore would be used and got SO much more than I expected. I'll give a warning that there is abuse in this book as well as some self harm but for me it was handled well.
February 5, 2017
I received this book as a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting story. It was slow at first and took some time getting into, but about 10 chapters in the action picked up and started to get more fun. The characters are likable, though I had a hard time with October. She seemed to have somewhat of a split personality, though maybe that's the point. I enjoyed seeing how Twomey handles neuroses. The Filipino folklore is intriguing. I look forward to finding out more about the world that Twomey has created.
January 14, 2018
This book is terrible. I really didn’t want to finish it and yet I kept going to see if it would get better. I couldn’t stand the characters. The plot wasn’t very interesting. I should’ve stopped reading it after the second chapter. I don’t recommend
June 10, 2017
This book was about a million times better than I expected, but, seriously, what was up with that ending? Uncool.
3.5/5
3.5/5
added-it
March 13, 2024FREE on Amazon today (10/24/2017)!
January 1, 2019
While I'd give this book alone a 5, all in all I'd say this series is about a 4 out of 5. I loved this book and I definitely recommend you read the series, the complex world of Terraway is definitely worth the 3 day read. Word of advice, and this is a little bit of spoiler, don’t get to attached to anyone. Also, if you expected this series to have a reverse harem ending like I did, it doesn’t.
MAJOR ENTIRE SERIES ENDING SPOILER BELOW!!! read this if you don’t want to finish the series ;)
this review has more to do with that the author Twomey did wrong. while I love her writing style and I’m probably going to read another series, it left much to be desired
If you have finished the series skip this paragraph . If not, then this is the basic run down so you can understand my review. Mariang dies in childbirth I think in book 6 or 7. Finn, the gill guy, died in the last book after killing Sama/Philip the bad dude. And unfortunately, Von marries October after Finn died. Oh and September, October’s baby girl, dies too right before Mariang dies. September’s dad is either Von or Sama/Philip, though most likely the latter. In the last chapter of book 8, Allie is woken out of a coma by Von, Mason, and 2 of Vons brothers becoming her pullers, but they still are October’s too.
There were so many possibilities that Twomey could have taken this book, but didn’t. I don’t remember all of the ideas that ran through my head but I’ll start with my smallest grievance. First off, the way she wrote the story was stellar, but there were some plot holes I expected to be fixed but weren’t. Prime example of it was Danny, the ‘big brother’ of her. The use of the word brother to describe relationships towards October that were nothing ‘brotherly’ about it. The author somehow had me thinking that October was an inch away from kissing half of Von’s brothers and I loved it (sue me, debauchery in cheating is hot even if I can’t stand cheating). However Twomey often opened a can of worms and never closed it, like when Danny and October were dancing and they were acting all hot for each other. That tension was palpable. That didn’t really bother me much however because I love Mariang and I didn’t want Danny to leave her so no biggie.
Next mistake was Prince Lang. Personally I think the guy is disgusting, due to being the King of Bugs but you’re kidding if you never thought they weren’t flirty with each other, another thing that was never resolved. Wasn’t that big of a deal because again, maggots crawling out of you’re mouth isn’t the biggest turn on.
A bigger issue was Mason. Sorry but dudes gotta spend the rest of his life in bed with a married couple, not to mention they Obviously got the hots for each other (or at least it seemed that way with the word choice). How is sleeping with a married couple gonna work out? It won’t.
My last and biggest worry was the fact that she only ended up with Von. If you haven’t heard of a reverse harem or polyandry, google it. It seemed that was the end goal of the story and I admit it’s partially my fault I thought so, I had picked this book because it was under reverse harem and I was too excited to go through the usual double check (not that I regret it). But it’s also was set up to be written that way. When Mariang first mentioned how you always fall in love with your puller in book 1, (another concern in that last chapter of book 8) I expected Mason and Von to share her. It made sense, and the fact that she was attracted to both of them was a big green flag. But Von clearly can’t keep up with her, not when he could go vamp and attack her for picking up something sharp. If the story had been a reverse harem I would have given it another star. Logically it made sense. Hell, if Finn wasn’t killled off as an easy way of cutting of loose ends (yeah I’m on to you Twomey) then I would’ve given it 5 stars, reverse harem or not.
Anyway besides all that, I think I’m most upset about Finn dying, especially since she just realized she loved him. Even more since it clearly was a way to get rid of the issue Finn presented since into not a RH.
MAJOR ENTIRE SERIES ENDING SPOILER BELOW!!! read this if you don’t want to finish the series ;)
this review has more to do with that the author Twomey did wrong. while I love her writing style and I’m probably going to read another series, it left much to be desired
If you have finished the series skip this paragraph . If not, then this is the basic run down so you can understand my review. Mariang dies in childbirth I think in book 6 or 7. Finn, the gill guy, died in the last book after killing Sama/Philip the bad dude. And unfortunately, Von marries October after Finn died. Oh and September, October’s baby girl, dies too right before Mariang dies. September’s dad is either Von or Sama/Philip, though most likely the latter. In the last chapter of book 8, Allie is woken out of a coma by Von, Mason, and 2 of Vons brothers becoming her pullers, but they still are October’s too.
There were so many possibilities that Twomey could have taken this book, but didn’t. I don’t remember all of the ideas that ran through my head but I’ll start with my smallest grievance. First off, the way she wrote the story was stellar, but there were some plot holes I expected to be fixed but weren’t. Prime example of it was Danny, the ‘big brother’ of her. The use of the word brother to describe relationships towards October that were nothing ‘brotherly’ about it. The author somehow had me thinking that October was an inch away from kissing half of Von’s brothers and I loved it (sue me, debauchery in cheating is hot even if I can’t stand cheating). However Twomey often opened a can of worms and never closed it, like when Danny and October were dancing and they were acting all hot for each other. That tension was palpable. That didn’t really bother me much however because I love Mariang and I didn’t want Danny to leave her so no biggie.
Next mistake was Prince Lang. Personally I think the guy is disgusting, due to being the King of Bugs but you’re kidding if you never thought they weren’t flirty with each other, another thing that was never resolved. Wasn’t that big of a deal because again, maggots crawling out of you’re mouth isn’t the biggest turn on.
A bigger issue was Mason. Sorry but dudes gotta spend the rest of his life in bed with a married couple, not to mention they Obviously got the hots for each other (or at least it seemed that way with the word choice). How is sleeping with a married couple gonna work out? It won’t.
My last and biggest worry was the fact that she only ended up with Von. If you haven’t heard of a reverse harem or polyandry, google it. It seemed that was the end goal of the story and I admit it’s partially my fault I thought so, I had picked this book because it was under reverse harem and I was too excited to go through the usual double check (not that I regret it). But it’s also was set up to be written that way. When Mariang first mentioned how you always fall in love with your puller in book 1, (another concern in that last chapter of book 8) I expected Mason and Von to share her. It made sense, and the fact that she was attracted to both of them was a big green flag. But Von clearly can’t keep up with her, not when he could go vamp and attack her for picking up something sharp. If the story had been a reverse harem I would have given it another star. Logically it made sense. Hell, if Finn wasn’t killled off as an easy way of cutting of loose ends (yeah I’m on to you Twomey) then I would’ve given it 5 stars, reverse harem or not.
Anyway besides all that, I think I’m most upset about Finn dying, especially since she just realized she loved him. Even more since it clearly was a way to get rid of the issue Finn presented since into not a RH.
May 19, 2020
Ooooooo. Yeah I like it. And I want some more of it!!!
So I’ve had Taste on my wish list for like ever. I love ran across it several times and thought the description was interesting. But the description didn’t do the book the justice. There is just so much ground to cover and this is just the first book.
So firstly, hoarding is a sickness. I can in a very objective and general way understand it. To an extent. Especially if you were someone who grew up and had nothing and was able to finally get everything you wanted. So you hung on to everything. Never throwing anything away. Now Bev, Bev needs some mental help from somewhere. The way she is living is unsanitary and it goes beyond hanging onto things. But I know she is sick and she needs some help ASAP. And I could never imagine living, seeing, visiting, glimpsing filth like that. That could not be my life but I understand the need on a very basic objective level. It also helps the reader to understand why October has OCD the way she does. Because the first scene is October freaking out about dust and then bugs in the car. Although granted the number and bizarre behavior would of had me never getting back in my car again.
So from there you meet Ezra, Bev’s boyfriend. But you soon learn that nothing is as it seems. One Ezra doesn’t actually know about Bev’s hoarding problem. Or that Bev actually has 3 children instead of 2. Or even the dynamics between Bev and her kids. Hell we don’t even know except for surface level at this point. But it’s not just October and her family mess. It’s also Ezra. Ezra is from Terraway and therefore not human. But what’s even more his daughter is a death omen who is dying trying to save their home. The only reason Ezra even stumbles across Bev was in his search for October. I mean don’t get me wrong Ezra loves Bev. Or at least he does right now, we’ll see if he still does once he knows all her little secrets. But it was his search for October that set him on her path at all.
Now October is awesome. Stubborn like nobodies business but awesome. Her OCD stresses me out so I know it stresses her out. But she is resilient and self reliant. And she can defend herself. She puts up a mean fight. More than what Ezra and gang were expecting. She is also forgiving. Which is huge because she’s gotten her spine bent, smack tied up beat up choked out cut up, and felt up in 24 hours that’s one should in their whole life. But she keeps coming back like a boomerang. Her bounce back game is impeccable.
I think my favorite thing about October is that she is the youngest person pretty much all the time and she treated everyone better than they treated her. She sacrificed bits of herself to make everyone else around her happy. And even though she is the youngest she’s takes no mess. She puts her foot down. And even though she feels like by the end she is the biggest monster there is she isn’t. It isn’t her fault the Goblin King Attacked her. He knew what he was chancing. He just thought because she seemed sweet and timid that he could he push her around and he could get what he wanted. He though because he was tied to his people no one would ever put right harm. But that was the chance he took. And he lost. Too bad for him and if all his kingdom are like him maybe Terraway are better off without such thinking and greed.
So I’ve had Taste on my wish list for like ever. I love ran across it several times and thought the description was interesting. But the description didn’t do the book the justice. There is just so much ground to cover and this is just the first book.
So firstly, hoarding is a sickness. I can in a very objective and general way understand it. To an extent. Especially if you were someone who grew up and had nothing and was able to finally get everything you wanted. So you hung on to everything. Never throwing anything away. Now Bev, Bev needs some mental help from somewhere. The way she is living is unsanitary and it goes beyond hanging onto things. But I know she is sick and she needs some help ASAP. And I could never imagine living, seeing, visiting, glimpsing filth like that. That could not be my life but I understand the need on a very basic objective level. It also helps the reader to understand why October has OCD the way she does. Because the first scene is October freaking out about dust and then bugs in the car. Although granted the number and bizarre behavior would of had me never getting back in my car again.
So from there you meet Ezra, Bev’s boyfriend. But you soon learn that nothing is as it seems. One Ezra doesn’t actually know about Bev’s hoarding problem. Or that Bev actually has 3 children instead of 2. Or even the dynamics between Bev and her kids. Hell we don’t even know except for surface level at this point. But it’s not just October and her family mess. It’s also Ezra. Ezra is from Terraway and therefore not human. But what’s even more his daughter is a death omen who is dying trying to save their home. The only reason Ezra even stumbles across Bev was in his search for October. I mean don’t get me wrong Ezra loves Bev. Or at least he does right now, we’ll see if he still does once he knows all her little secrets. But it was his search for October that set him on her path at all.
Now October is awesome. Stubborn like nobodies business but awesome. Her OCD stresses me out so I know it stresses her out. But she is resilient and self reliant. And she can defend herself. She puts up a mean fight. More than what Ezra and gang were expecting. She is also forgiving. Which is huge because she’s gotten her spine bent, smack tied up beat up choked out cut up, and felt up in 24 hours that’s one should in their whole life. But she keeps coming back like a boomerang. Her bounce back game is impeccable.
I think my favorite thing about October is that she is the youngest person pretty much all the time and she treated everyone better than they treated her. She sacrificed bits of herself to make everyone else around her happy. And even though she is the youngest she’s takes no mess. She puts her foot down. And even though she feels like by the end she is the biggest monster there is she isn’t. It isn’t her fault the Goblin King Attacked her. He knew what he was chancing. He just thought because she seemed sweet and timid that he could he push her around and he could get what he wanted. He though because he was tied to his people no one would ever put right harm. But that was the chance he took. And he lost. Too bad for him and if all his kingdom are like him maybe Terraway are better off without such thinking and greed.
March 18, 2019
Overall, it wasn't bad. You have a girl who meets her soon-to-be stepdad for the first time, and finds out there's more to her life than she was ready for. The pace was sloooooow, and it seemed like it needed a good chop from an editor. But by the end, I was actually appreciative of the extra time spent on character illustration and development. The romance is absolutely realistic - people come in with their own baggage and don't hit it off right away. then circumstances keep them in close proximity and they start to feel some kindness and affection towards one another. no fireworks, no love at first sight nonsense, no jumping into an intimate relationship with declarations of love. There's not even any real kissing.
The dialogue is often funny, and I love how October is a straight shooter, as illustrated by her "don't give me that abuse-excuse" line when the guys are like "we're not going to hurt you, and we're sorry we did" after the abduction and assault. Being a correctional nurse adds a nice contrasting layer of complexity to October's character. it offsets her OCD and family dysfunction nicely. She's meek and cowardly, but also tough and courageous. It's a nice dichotomy because very rarely are real live people only one thing. We all have moments of strength and weakness.
As plot's go, this one is really more of an introduction to the series, I think. October learns what she is after some serious trauma, and she's just come to grips with it when she does something catastrophic in defense of her new crew. The end. :( All the time spent building up to... a cliffhanger? No. There is no clear intro, build up to a crisis, and then resolution/ conclusion in this novel. So not really a complete plot line, which makes the cliffhanger SUPER annoying. Nearly 400 pages and no conclusion? I'm not impressed. If it weren't for me liking the characters so darn much, I'd ditch this series immediately.
I stand by my comments in my status updates regarding world-building. There are some things that need to be explained, at least to the reader, early on. Here, the definition of "omen" is one of those things. Readers don't ever really get a hard definition of omen. We are left to infer that it's maybe another name for a "grim reaper" - possibly, but I'm not sure. And the information needed to make that inference isn't delivered until way into the book. Also, there's still no clear explanation of Terraway as a place even by the end of the novel. What is it? Another planet? Another plane of existence? Since souls reaped on Earth power the suns in Terraway, one might think there was a supernatural/ spiritual aspect to all this. If there is, the reader doesn't find out in this book. And how do they travel back and forth between Earth and Terraway? "Through the mud" isn't adequate as an answer to that question, but that's all the reader gets.
I did not get hung up on any grammatical or punctuation errors. So that's something positive. If they were there, I didn't notice.
Overall, the series is still intriguing because I like the characters, but I'm hoping for better (or even actual) plotlines in future novels.
The dialogue is often funny, and I love how October is a straight shooter, as illustrated by her "don't give me that abuse-excuse" line when the guys are like "we're not going to hurt you, and we're sorry we did" after the abduction and assault. Being a correctional nurse adds a nice contrasting layer of complexity to October's character. it offsets her OCD and family dysfunction nicely. She's meek and cowardly, but also tough and courageous. It's a nice dichotomy because very rarely are real live people only one thing. We all have moments of strength and weakness.
As plot's go, this one is really more of an introduction to the series, I think. October learns what she is after some serious trauma, and she's just come to grips with it when she does something catastrophic in defense of her new crew. The end. :( All the time spent building up to... a cliffhanger? No. There is no clear intro, build up to a crisis, and then resolution/ conclusion in this novel. So not really a complete plot line, which makes the cliffhanger SUPER annoying. Nearly 400 pages and no conclusion? I'm not impressed. If it weren't for me liking the characters so darn much, I'd ditch this series immediately.
I stand by my comments in my status updates regarding world-building. There are some things that need to be explained, at least to the reader, early on. Here, the definition of "omen" is one of those things. Readers don't ever really get a hard definition of omen. We are left to infer that it's maybe another name for a "grim reaper" - possibly, but I'm not sure. And the information needed to make that inference isn't delivered until way into the book. Also, there's still no clear explanation of Terraway as a place even by the end of the novel. What is it? Another planet? Another plane of existence? Since souls reaped on Earth power the suns in Terraway, one might think there was a supernatural/ spiritual aspect to all this. If there is, the reader doesn't find out in this book. And how do they travel back and forth between Earth and Terraway? "Through the mud" isn't adequate as an answer to that question, but that's all the reader gets.
I did not get hung up on any grammatical or punctuation errors. So that's something positive. If they were there, I didn't notice.
Overall, the series is still intriguing because I like the characters, but I'm hoping for better (or even actual) plotlines in future novels.
July 13, 2021
Another book by Mary E Twomey, and another series that I got hooked on - this time I read all 9 books in under a week!
Taste follows the life of October Grace. She works as a nurse in a prison, lives with OCD and an obsession with cleaning, and has a dysfunctional relationship with her hoarding mother. Out of the blue, her mother announces her engagement to an English gentleman, Ezra, and October and her brother Ollie prepare to meet the man willing to take on their mother. In Ezra's house, October cannot cope with her mother's charade, and runs to the bathroom to wash her hands again. Whilst there, October accidentally overhears Ezra's family talking about her, specifically whether she is the one they've been looking for...
Given that I bought and read the whole series, it's obviously I liked it, so I'll start this review by saying what I didn't like: the chapter titles. Such a small thing, I know, but I found they gave away what was about to happen, so I had to train myself to not read them as I was going through this book.
This book as a fantasy, so there are many fantastical creatures in addition to the humans: vampires, shape-shifters, mermen, Goblins, and reverse centaurs amongst them. It is set between Terraway and Earth (or Topside), and only a few people from each Terraway country can port between the two. Unfortunately, Terraway is in the grip of the evil Sama, who despite being banished to an undisclosed island, still manages to cause terror in the nations through starvation and famine. Terraway needs to stop its scorching suns, so that their food can grow, but because a magical stone has been hidden Topside, the only way to keep the heat of the suns in check is for Omens to reap a soul for Topside for each nation, every day. Until now, only Ezra's daughter Mariang has been able to reap souls, but fortunately for Terraway, October is about to be awakened...
It is YA. There is copious amounts of kissing and snogging between October and almost all the male characters, but no sex scenes. The closest to a sex scene is the occasional spicy dream that October has, but even these would be suitable for a teen to read. In the later books there is reference to rape (though the specifics are not described) and as has been hinted, October is polyamorous.
I like the way Mary E Twomey writes about the psychological side of October's personality, the impact of her neglectful mother, the impact of growing up not knowing her father, and essentially being parented by her older brother and sister. Despite all the trauma and underprivilege of growing up in a trailer park, October has made it on her own two feet.
Taste was T in my A-Z of Fiction Titles. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, my U is also by Mary E Twomey (Ugly Girl) and is also the start of a series. I am forcing myself to take at least a week's break from reading so I can bet back to the real world a bit and do all the stuff I've been neglecting, before I dive headfirst into yet another absorbing word.
Taste follows the life of October Grace. She works as a nurse in a prison, lives with OCD and an obsession with cleaning, and has a dysfunctional relationship with her hoarding mother. Out of the blue, her mother announces her engagement to an English gentleman, Ezra, and October and her brother Ollie prepare to meet the man willing to take on their mother. In Ezra's house, October cannot cope with her mother's charade, and runs to the bathroom to wash her hands again. Whilst there, October accidentally overhears Ezra's family talking about her, specifically whether she is the one they've been looking for...
Given that I bought and read the whole series, it's obviously I liked it, so I'll start this review by saying what I didn't like: the chapter titles. Such a small thing, I know, but I found they gave away what was about to happen, so I had to train myself to not read them as I was going through this book.
This book as a fantasy, so there are many fantastical creatures in addition to the humans: vampires, shape-shifters, mermen, Goblins, and reverse centaurs amongst them. It is set between Terraway and Earth (or Topside), and only a few people from each Terraway country can port between the two. Unfortunately, Terraway is in the grip of the evil Sama, who despite being banished to an undisclosed island, still manages to cause terror in the nations through starvation and famine. Terraway needs to stop its scorching suns, so that their food can grow, but because a magical stone has been hidden Topside, the only way to keep the heat of the suns in check is for Omens to reap a soul for Topside for each nation, every day. Until now, only Ezra's daughter Mariang has been able to reap souls, but fortunately for Terraway, October is about to be awakened...
It is YA. There is copious amounts of kissing and snogging between October and almost all the male characters, but no sex scenes. The closest to a sex scene is the occasional spicy dream that October has, but even these would be suitable for a teen to read. In the later books there is reference to rape (though the specifics are not described) and as has been hinted, October is polyamorous.
I like the way Mary E Twomey writes about the psychological side of October's personality, the impact of her neglectful mother, the impact of growing up not knowing her father, and essentially being parented by her older brother and sister. Despite all the trauma and underprivilege of growing up in a trailer park, October has made it on her own two feet.
Taste was T in my A-Z of Fiction Titles. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, my U is also by Mary E Twomey (Ugly Girl) and is also the start of a series. I am forcing myself to take at least a week's break from reading so I can bet back to the real world a bit and do all the stuff I've been neglecting, before I dive headfirst into yet another absorbing word.
September 10, 2018
This is so freaking cool!!!
Ok so I was searching for some free rh reads since I had just emptied out my gift cards/kindle budget...when I came upon this read. It's free and the author's completely unknown to me. I def didn't expect much when I started on this one. And I don't mean that in a rude way, more like I had done this few times before and didn't get much satisfying results.
But lo and behold, practically a shiny new gift turned new favorite rh read. Ughhh, I think it comes without saying that this one wrecked me. So much potential, so much unique content, so much everything!
First of all, it kind of freaked me out that the mysterious terms used throughout the read were from my mother tongue - so yes, just how cool is that??? Second, what a fresh breath of air...no matter how gruesome the scenes were painted out every now then as the plot develops. Very original material here. Third, dude, the writing style - I just can't get enough of the chapters. The world-building is so point. Side note: another thing I didn't expect is the length. For such a free read, this could have easily worth 3.99-4.99 bucks? I mean, dude.
Then, there were the characters. My, my, my, such a bunch of very interesting and very completely characters we got here. I am obviously in love with October Grace. She's so funny, and so stubborn, and so patient and just so full of life. I find her monologue very compelling. The things she's done...the things she's currently going through...she's a tough one I'm telling you all. The kind of toughness you want to root for.
Throughout the read, I wanted her to stop enabling her mother (with or without mental disabilities) but I get it when she said that it's her way, it's a package deal. Which of course makes me respect her even more. Truly.
The supporting characters were just as interesting. But yeah I am kind of favoring Mason. I think he won me over as a wolf, lmao. But he can be just as great in his human form.
Sometimes I want to sock Danny, though. (I don't actually want it to look like he deserves this special mention in my review but that's just how frustrated and irked I was of him).
I am interested too in how the reverse harem element will proceed. so far, the only love interest I am getting is Mason so...But whatever, really. I am just as smitten with this read.
Ok so I was searching for some free rh reads since I had just emptied out my gift cards/kindle budget...when I came upon this read. It's free and the author's completely unknown to me. I def didn't expect much when I started on this one. And I don't mean that in a rude way, more like I had done this few times before and didn't get much satisfying results.
But lo and behold, practically a shiny new gift turned new favorite rh read. Ughhh, I think it comes without saying that this one wrecked me. So much potential, so much unique content, so much everything!
First of all, it kind of freaked me out that the mysterious terms used throughout the read were from my mother tongue - so yes, just how cool is that??? Second, what a fresh breath of air...no matter how gruesome the scenes were painted out every now then as the plot develops. Very original material here. Third, dude, the writing style - I just can't get enough of the chapters. The world-building is so point. Side note: another thing I didn't expect is the length. For such a free read, this could have easily worth 3.99-4.99 bucks? I mean, dude.
Then, there were the characters. My, my, my, such a bunch of very interesting and very completely characters we got here. I am obviously in love with October Grace. She's so funny, and so stubborn, and so patient and just so full of life. I find her monologue very compelling. The things she's done...the things she's currently going through...she's a tough one I'm telling you all. The kind of toughness you want to root for.
Throughout the read, I wanted her to stop enabling her mother (with or without mental disabilities) but I get it when she said that it's her way, it's a package deal. Which of course makes me respect her even more. Truly.
The supporting characters were just as interesting. But yeah I am kind of favoring Mason. I think he won me over as a wolf, lmao. But he can be just as great in his human form.
Sometimes I want to sock Danny, though. (I don't actually want it to look like he deserves this special mention in my review but that's just how frustrated and irked I was of him).
I am interested too in how the reverse harem element will proceed. so far, the only love interest I am getting is Mason so...But whatever, really. I am just as smitten with this read.
February 14, 2020
Imaginative and Slightly Twisted Fantasy
October works as a nurse in a correctional facility. She is 22 years old and the youngest of three siblings with a mentally ill mother. She has lived a hard life and has difficulties relating to people, and touching them often triggers an OCD cleaning frenzy.
Her older siblings have moved away and October feels the pressure to visit her mother, so when Bev, her mother, announces she’s met a man, October’s brother Ollie agrees to visit. They all spend the evening at Bev’s new man, Ezra’s, mansion and they are introduced to Ezra’s family. At the end of the evening October is introduced to a new reality in a brutal and startling way.
October’s life is no longer her own, if she doesn’t want hundreds of thousands of people to die. So despite her wishes and a terrible introduction to Terraway, October is forced out of her safely controlled life into one of chaos and death.
This is a book that is, at times, difficult to read. There is a lot about the impact of mental illness on loved ones and the reality of living with something over which you have no control.
October is a really interesting character. She’s an introvert and doesn’t like confrontations but when backed into a corner she will fight with everything in her. She is compassionate and caring, despite her desire to hold everyone at arms length and she blossoms under the care and attention she starts to receive. Her life is transformed and she is forced to deal with a situation beyond her comprehension.
The people from Terraway are an interesting bunch. They are very diverse characters and I love that October doesn’t start acting against her personality by getting involved with the new people around her too quickly. She is making friends with the people who she sees as co-workers and this is a massive step for her. Danny, Mason and Von behave extremely badly when they first encounter October, but they are under extreme pressure and as things ease, so does their behaviour. It is interesting to start to see their true personalities start to evolve throughout the story.
This is an intriguing series, and I’ll definitely be reading the next book.
October works as a nurse in a correctional facility. She is 22 years old and the youngest of three siblings with a mentally ill mother. She has lived a hard life and has difficulties relating to people, and touching them often triggers an OCD cleaning frenzy.
Her older siblings have moved away and October feels the pressure to visit her mother, so when Bev, her mother, announces she’s met a man, October’s brother Ollie agrees to visit. They all spend the evening at Bev’s new man, Ezra’s, mansion and they are introduced to Ezra’s family. At the end of the evening October is introduced to a new reality in a brutal and startling way.
October’s life is no longer her own, if she doesn’t want hundreds of thousands of people to die. So despite her wishes and a terrible introduction to Terraway, October is forced out of her safely controlled life into one of chaos and death.
This is a book that is, at times, difficult to read. There is a lot about the impact of mental illness on loved ones and the reality of living with something over which you have no control.
October is a really interesting character. She’s an introvert and doesn’t like confrontations but when backed into a corner she will fight with everything in her. She is compassionate and caring, despite her desire to hold everyone at arms length and she blossoms under the care and attention she starts to receive. Her life is transformed and she is forced to deal with a situation beyond her comprehension.
The people from Terraway are an interesting bunch. They are very diverse characters and I love that October doesn’t start acting against her personality by getting involved with the new people around her too quickly. She is making friends with the people who she sees as co-workers and this is a massive step for her. Danny, Mason and Von behave extremely badly when they first encounter October, but they are under extreme pressure and as things ease, so does their behaviour. It is interesting to start to see their true personalities start to evolve throughout the story.
This is an intriguing series, and I’ll definitely be reading the next book.
November 1, 2016
“I spotted a large abomination of dust on the dash board. I just detailed Terrace, my Taurus, but there the dust sat, mocking me and throwing up a middle finger that it wouldn’t be banished. I swiped it away, wishing again that all the dirt and dust in the universe would just stay out of my car, my house, and my world, I mean is that too much to ask?”
This is just a “taste” to show how our heroine 22 year old Ms. October Grace, a correctional nurse thinks. Ms. Mary E. Twomey has created an astonishing new novel! Taste is book one in her new Terraway series where she introduces a cast of characters who are like none I have ever had the pleasure of meeting before in any book.
This is my first novel by the author and what a ride it was! I had to wait a few days, to take a beat, before I could write this review. I was so flabbergasted by the imagery, the author’s inimitable prose, and the characters, who were so fully-developed and complex. I want to continue this series and pull back each layer to get at the meat of their souls, and I just felt that I barely scratched the surface.
If I could give this book ten (10) stars I would – I am now hooked on this series and I sincerely urge you, dear reader, to add not only this book, but the entire Terraway series to your library. Voluntary review of advance reader copy; I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.
This is just a “taste” to show how our heroine 22 year old Ms. October Grace, a correctional nurse thinks. Ms. Mary E. Twomey has created an astonishing new novel! Taste is book one in her new Terraway series where she introduces a cast of characters who are like none I have ever had the pleasure of meeting before in any book.
This is my first novel by the author and what a ride it was! I had to wait a few days, to take a beat, before I could write this review. I was so flabbergasted by the imagery, the author’s inimitable prose, and the characters, who were so fully-developed and complex. I want to continue this series and pull back each layer to get at the meat of their souls, and I just felt that I barely scratched the surface.
If I could give this book ten (10) stars I would – I am now hooked on this series and I sincerely urge you, dear reader, to add not only this book, but the entire Terraway series to your library. Voluntary review of advance reader copy; I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.
October 9, 2018
Taste is book one in an 8-part fantasy romance series and my first ‘taste’ of Mary E. Twomey’s writing. Although the series indicates a reverse harem, this first book spends most of the time setting the stage for the subsequent books in the series and is tame in comparison to others who just dive right in. The first chapter starts a little rocky but picks up speed and starts to become clear where the author is going with the story and the main character, October Grace.
This unique story is jam packed with crazy creatures – not just vampires and shapeshifters - living below Topside, in Terraway. October Grace soon discovers she is more than a correctional nurse and care taker of her mother. She is a rare Omen who can help feed the citizens of Terraway by reaping souls of people who are facing death’s door. However, not everyone in Terraway is on October’s side. Will she be able to concur her internal demons and become the Omen everyone says she is?
Great 3-D characters you can relate with and bond to throughout the story. Loaded with strange and unique creatures you don’t normally come across, and woven with adventure throughout. Definitely would recommend this to folks looking for a new spin to the normal PNR stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This unique story is jam packed with crazy creatures – not just vampires and shapeshifters - living below Topside, in Terraway. October Grace soon discovers she is more than a correctional nurse and care taker of her mother. She is a rare Omen who can help feed the citizens of Terraway by reaping souls of people who are facing death’s door. However, not everyone in Terraway is on October’s side. Will she be able to concur her internal demons and become the Omen everyone says she is?
Great 3-D characters you can relate with and bond to throughout the story. Loaded with strange and unique creatures you don’t normally come across, and woven with adventure throughout. Definitely would recommend this to folks looking for a new spin to the normal PNR stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 23, 2018
Taste, by Mary E. Twomey is the story of October, a young woman with OCD who discovers that she is only part human. The other part is a magical being from another world, and she is a special type of being who can help save it.
Despite this seeming like your average magical girl story, I assure you this is not the case. October is actually a death reaper who needs to harvest souls to keep Terraway alive. Seven races of people depend on her gifts to save their world.
It is interesting to see October deal with her OCD and the massive changes in her world as she knows it. She protects and loves her family despite their odd bits of madness. She is beginning to see the new people around her as a secondary family.
This book left me with questions that I can’t wait to have answered. It made me want to see more of Terraway, and watch October grow as a character.
She will definitely face more struggles as she interacts with the various peoples and deals with her ongoing battle with OCD.
I enjoy the realness of the characters that Mary E. Twomey creates. They are believable, relatable, and I find myself sympathizing with their lives.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, magical realms, and relatable characters.
Despite this seeming like your average magical girl story, I assure you this is not the case. October is actually a death reaper who needs to harvest souls to keep Terraway alive. Seven races of people depend on her gifts to save their world.
It is interesting to see October deal with her OCD and the massive changes in her world as she knows it. She protects and loves her family despite their odd bits of madness. She is beginning to see the new people around her as a secondary family.
This book left me with questions that I can’t wait to have answered. It made me want to see more of Terraway, and watch October grow as a character.
She will definitely face more struggles as she interacts with the various peoples and deals with her ongoing battle with OCD.
I enjoy the realness of the characters that Mary E. Twomey creates. They are believable, relatable, and I find myself sympathizing with their lives.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, magical realms, and relatable characters.
July 2, 2020
I'm trying hard to like any of the characters, and so far just can't. If you overhear a conversation where two people at a dinner party are talking about breaking your arm and other abuse, would you hang around there after the rest of your family left, alone and at the mercy of people you've already heard want to hurt you? Well no, not unless you're stupid. Yup, the female lead is fairly dumb: she can kick butt on men twice her size, but then after one man that has tried to break her spine, says "sorry" is just okey dokey with him and ready to let him be her knight in shining armor. REALLY? What moron trusts a man who beats her up, holds her against her will, tries to break her spine and forces her to kill someone? How unrealistic can this be -- is she a tough as nails correctional nurse, or a push-over victim to all abuse? You can't really have it both ways. And her "heroes" need to get kicked in the groin daily and left in the dust. . . find another book if you like truly strong characters, and a consistent plot, but the world is interesting enough, and the story just enough to make me curious, so I will cautiously move on to the next book.
January 15, 2020
Oh this is good. I'm currently on book 3 but I couldn't stop reading to leave a comment for this book after I finished it. So I feel like that should tell u something off the bat.
October is pretty great. I mean she gets annoying with her OCD issues but it's all explained and it makes complete sense to her childhood. But even though she has all of these hang ups and mental disorder she still pushes through and tries to be who she wants to be. Its honestly admirable.
I also enjoy the side characters, her brother and others she interacts with. They all have unique personalities and they all have a back story to explain who they are. I think that's what so great about this book. The characters aren't just characters, they are complex and thoroughly thought out by the author.
Also the supernatural world and mystical creatures are also incredibly interesting and well thought out as well. Its honestly an amazing story and I will continue with the series.
Happy reads everyone!!
October is pretty great. I mean she gets annoying with her OCD issues but it's all explained and it makes complete sense to her childhood. But even though she has all of these hang ups and mental disorder she still pushes through and tries to be who she wants to be. Its honestly admirable.
I also enjoy the side characters, her brother and others she interacts with. They all have unique personalities and they all have a back story to explain who they are. I think that's what so great about this book. The characters aren't just characters, they are complex and thoroughly thought out by the author.
Also the supernatural world and mystical creatures are also incredibly interesting and well thought out as well. Its honestly an amazing story and I will continue with the series.
Happy reads everyone!!
June 3, 2017
Brilliant storyline!
I actually love October Grace! Such a great character, very funny and stubborn even with her OCD. I like the honest respect of her that she hides. Even for her mum.
You will get sucked in a completely different world. Good development within the storyline, strong plot with twist and turns, I never read a book like this one. I guess it's not for everyone's taste.
The characters are great with sense of humour, Von the half vampire is quite a character, he has problems to take responsibility.
Mason is a teddy bear, but I guess this will maybe change, don't know. But I think not everything has a happy ending.
Bev her mum is terrible and I believe there will come more that will shock October when she finds out the truth, Olli hides from her what really has happened.
I couldn't but it down! Reflex and enjoy a good book, don't forget some snacks lol
I actually love October Grace! Such a great character, very funny and stubborn even with her OCD. I like the honest respect of her that she hides. Even for her mum.
You will get sucked in a completely different world. Good development within the storyline, strong plot with twist and turns, I never read a book like this one. I guess it's not for everyone's taste.
The characters are great with sense of humour, Von the half vampire is quite a character, he has problems to take responsibility.
Mason is a teddy bear, but I guess this will maybe change, don't know. But I think not everything has a happy ending.
Bev her mum is terrible and I believe there will come more that will shock October when she finds out the truth, Olli hides from her what really has happened.
I couldn't but it down! Reflex and enjoy a good book, don't forget some snacks lol
September 9, 2017
OK I was not expecting this to be funny. I LOVED October and her sense of humour. She is everything I imagined I would be if thrust into a world of vampires and magic after devouring paranormal fantasy my entire adult life.
I started another series where the leading lady had mental illness and it bombed hard. I enjoyed the way it was written into October's personality.
Love Von - knew right from the first 'family' dinner that he would be awesome, I hope he continues to be in the series.
I just can not go past Octobers wit. In a genre dominated by strong self assured female leads October is funny, in the way most introverts are. it was a brilliant read.
Favourite lines
"I made the hot guy laugh, I win all the points"
"Also, wooden stake flinger because everything I knew about Vampires came from Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
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