What do you think?
Rate this book
Taken from all she has ever known and loved, Neva finds herself swept into a world of vampires where she learns she will determine their future. Yet she quickly discovers she is the target of a vampire, Zachariah, seeking to stop her from altering the vampire lineage. She must decide which path she will take while trying to protect the family she left behind, and discovering a past she cannot escape.
ebook
First published July 28, 2017
About the author
Mikayla Elliot
2 books103 followersMikayla Elliot is an avid reader and writer of fantasy novels. She is a single parent to two beautiful children and their pup Luna, a Miniature Schnauzer, living in the greater Houston, Texas. When Mikayla isn’t creating new worlds and adventures she spends her time working as a Planner in the energy industry, which has unveiled various landscapes in multiple states for site visits. Mikayla holds a Master’s in Management from the University of Phoenix, and feels the debt deep in her soul and pockets.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 30, 2018
Snow was a pretty good book. I feel like I keep flip-flopping how I want to actually rate it but I'm going to leave it at 4 stars.
Before I dive into this book, I honestly thought that Snow would be about something fluffy and cute. It wasn't. I loved this book even more.
Neva is unexpectedly thrown into the vampire world. She was supposed to marry Lord Argenal but she ended up killing the guy. She then is taken under the wings of Thedryk, no pun intended, and basically shown how to live the vampire life. Neva is the key to winning a war and everyone has a plan on how to use her so that they can win.
Neva was a pretty interesting character. She was kind and respectful to everyone - well, until the day she turned into a vampire and killed her would-be husband. I also thought there was going to be a "love-triangle" between her, Thedryk, and Zachariah - which probably would've annoyed me. However, I didn't really see it as that and I'm happy for it.
Oh yeah, then there's Zachariah who has an interest in Neva. Not a good one, if you ask me... because he has his own secret plan with how to deal with the Neva situation (hopefully that made sense?? I'm on my third cup of coffee!!).
There were so many chapters that I absolutely loved. Anything between Thedryk and Neva, because they were sort of heartbreaking and emotional. I loved everything about those two and wanted more from them. Then there's Zachariah and Amelia, and damn.. again, I wanted more! The scenes between those two were way too sweet for me.
Overall, the twist and turns were good. The whole story revolving around Neva and her power was highly entertaining and kept this book a page turner. It was also interesting to see a different version of the vampire world.
Before I dive into this book, I honestly thought that Snow would be about something fluffy and cute. It wasn't. I loved this book even more.
Neva is unexpectedly thrown into the vampire world. She was supposed to marry Lord Argenal but she ended up killing the guy. She then is taken under the wings of Thedryk, no pun intended, and basically shown how to live the vampire life. Neva is the key to winning a war and everyone has a plan on how to use her so that they can win.
Neva was a pretty interesting character. She was kind and respectful to everyone - well, until the day she turned into a vampire and killed her would-be husband. I also thought there was going to be a "love-triangle" between her, Thedryk, and Zachariah - which probably would've annoyed me. However, I didn't really see it as that and I'm happy for it.
Oh yeah, then there's Zachariah who has an interest in Neva. Not a good one, if you ask me... because he has his own secret plan with how to deal with the Neva situation (hopefully that made sense?? I'm on my third cup of coffee!!).
There were so many chapters that I absolutely loved. Anything between Thedryk and Neva, because they were sort of heartbreaking and emotional. I loved everything about those two and wanted more from them. Then there's Zachariah and Amelia, and damn.. again, I wanted more! The scenes between those two were way too sweet for me.
Overall, the twist and turns were good. The whole story revolving around Neva and her power was highly entertaining and kept this book a page turner. It was also interesting to see a different version of the vampire world.
December 4, 2017
My first thought on this book when I read the title was that it may be about Snow White. But I was wrong. I didn't expect vampires which was a good surprise for me. I very imaginative story and a face paced plot. I was drawn into this book right away. The adventure and the twists in this book were fun to read and I enjoyed it all very much. *This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.*
June 9, 2018
4.5 stars because this was good and I am excited for the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to anyone.
July 9, 2018
This was an enjoyable enough vampire romp. The first in a series, it is fairly predictable but offers enough of interest to keep you engaged and interested in reading a follow-up.
Neva is turned into a vampire on a night where she has been sent by patriarchal and class situation to go entertain the lord of her village. After promptly dispatching him, she is taken by the man who turned her into a world of vampires. Yet another explanation is offered for vampires in Elliot's world-building, and this one is interesting enough. More intriguing is the reincarnation aspect in which Neva is revealed to be a key player.
The actual action of the book some time to get started. In general, the writing is good, but there is a tendency toward unnecessary and over-elaborate descriptions. The cover is very lovely and reflective of the kind of description that fills the book. However, sometimes this can be a distraction from the story moving forward. One thing that I did particularly appreciate was Neva herself. Unlike many books in this genre, Neva is slightly older, a widow, and someone who has an assurance of herself and her place in the world. While some of this is lost in the circumstances in which she finds herself, she remains grounded and clear. I hope that some of this clarity of character extends to the other characters in future books as more is discovered about them.
Neva is turned into a vampire on a night where she has been sent by patriarchal and class situation to go entertain the lord of her village. After promptly dispatching him, she is taken by the man who turned her into a world of vampires. Yet another explanation is offered for vampires in Elliot's world-building, and this one is interesting enough. More intriguing is the reincarnation aspect in which Neva is revealed to be a key player.
The actual action of the book some time to get started. In general, the writing is good, but there is a tendency toward unnecessary and over-elaborate descriptions. The cover is very lovely and reflective of the kind of description that fills the book. However, sometimes this can be a distraction from the story moving forward. One thing that I did particularly appreciate was Neva herself. Unlike many books in this genre, Neva is slightly older, a widow, and someone who has an assurance of herself and her place in the world. While some of this is lost in the circumstances in which she finds herself, she remains grounded and clear. I hope that some of this clarity of character extends to the other characters in future books as more is discovered about them.
October 19, 2017
I was enthralled from the first page! The elegant prose, the engaging protagonist, the intriguing storyline... seriously this is a fantastic book. I sincerely enjoyed having the opportunity to read this book. It does set itself up to potentially have a sequel. Here's to hoping! (Hint hint, nudge nudge Mikayla)
Neva has her entire world turned upside down the instant the story starts. She gets swept away into the world of vampires. Thedryk takes her under his wing and leads her to understand her destiny; her part to be carried out during the turmoil of the war between them and demons. But how can one move forward when they crave what they've left behind? Zachariah, however, has plans of his own.
One thing I loved immensely about Snow was the lore of the vampires. Everyone knows the cliche standards that appear in almost every vampire book. Snow, however, took a bit of a different route and it was so refreshing! As a HUGE fan of all things vampire I appreciated the new perspective!!!
**I received a free readers copy and have voluntarily left this review.**
Neva has her entire world turned upside down the instant the story starts. She gets swept away into the world of vampires. Thedryk takes her under his wing and leads her to understand her destiny; her part to be carried out during the turmoil of the war between them and demons. But how can one move forward when they crave what they've left behind? Zachariah, however, has plans of his own.
One thing I loved immensely about Snow was the lore of the vampires. Everyone knows the cliche standards that appear in almost every vampire book. Snow, however, took a bit of a different route and it was so refreshing! As a HUGE fan of all things vampire I appreciated the new perspective!!!
**I received a free readers copy and have voluntarily left this review.**
January 31, 2019
At first, i was excited because it was a vampire story! Then I’ve began to read. I was interested in the story but it was slow paced. I wasn’t hooked as i hoped to be. To be honest, i was reading this one because i really want to read Blizzard, the second book in this series. That’s the main reason i keep reading it and i’m glad i did because the last few chapters did get me hooked. In the final chapter, two names got my attention and i wasn’t expecting this at all but it got me excited for the second book. Welcome to Transylvania? ;)
February 20, 2018
This is unlike any vampire story I have read before. There are lots of characters and plot twists. The ending is not really an ending and leaves you wanting to know what happens next.
May 13, 2019
Mikayla Elliot gives us a rich vampire world in Snow. Neva has been plunged into the world of vampires. Torn between two moralities, she must make a choice, a choice that will affect the future of all vampires. I really enjoyed the intrigue attached to Snow and the depth Elliot poured into Neva. This one's perfect for anyone that loves vampires or the supernatural!
November 22, 2017
This was a very unique and interesting book. I enjoyed it, as it was a different vampire story than I had ever read before. There was a lot of plot twists in this book.
May 23, 2018
This was definitely at first a total cover grab as I was scrolling, but than I read the synposis and my interest was peaked! So I'm a sucker still to this day for vampires, its such a guilty pleasure for me
Review:
Star Rating~ 4 stars
This story was interesting new story about vampires with what is seeming to be a interesting refreshing new back story for the vampires creation. Neva was a likeable main character and I loved Thedryk. It included great plot twists and the villian in this story is more of a morally grey villain which I just look to see done and can't wait to see how it plays out for the characters!
My biggest issue for this book was the beginning, it was kinda bouncing back and forth for a bit (present/past mixing) without giving good hints of it. It confused me quite a bit for awhile and made me nervous that I wasn't going to enjoy the book, but as you move forward in the story her writing grew and it flowed so nicely.
I will definitely be following the series and the authors growth and highly recommend checking it out if you love vampires or a great fantasy!
Review:
Star Rating~ 4 stars
This story was interesting new story about vampires with what is seeming to be a interesting refreshing new back story for the vampires creation. Neva was a likeable main character and I loved Thedryk. It included great plot twists and the villian in this story is more of a morally grey villain which I just look to see done and can't wait to see how it plays out for the characters!
My biggest issue for this book was the beginning, it was kinda bouncing back and forth for a bit (present/past mixing) without giving good hints of it. It confused me quite a bit for awhile and made me nervous that I wasn't going to enjoy the book, but as you move forward in the story her writing grew and it flowed so nicely.
I will definitely be following the series and the authors growth and highly recommend checking it out if you love vampires or a great fantasy!
June 16, 2018
I won this book in a giveaway on 4/28/18
(Which will not affect whatever score I give it in the end)
And since I have won it by giveaway it's only fair that I review it after I have read the book on my kindle.
Review to come!! ^_^
Before thoughts:
How could anyone turn down this book with its wonderful cover and premise with vampires. And our main character appears as if she'll try having a bit of humanity left despite being a vampire now. But let's see.
Review:
Read on: 06/15/18
Plot:
A girl named Neva is destined to become a vampire whether she had been lured in by a demon or not. Thedryk will need her to help him in the war between the vampires and demons.
Neva must adapt to her new changes while longing to be with her family again. And she will need to understand how much her powers can be used to help the vampires and the world.
But let's just say that the plot is mostly that the vampire society has mixed feelings about Neva joining their world.
Some are all for protecting her and letting her use her powers for the good of their society.
Whereas others try and target her for their own selfish gains because they don't approve of her powers being used in any way for the society of vampires.
And a vampire vs. demons sort of war is more or less pushed to the backburner as far as conflicts go. (Which isn't so bad in my opinion.)
Character(s):
Neva:
She's the main character that was tricked by a demon named Lord Argenal?? And after being tricked was turned into vampire by Lord Thedryk (which kind of saved her)/ made her town believe that she had been brutally murdered.
Before becoming a vampire she was a baker's daughter and a widower.
After becoming a vampire she has also changed appearance such as rosier cheeks, darker hair, and eyes closer to a shade of green instead of Hazel.
She is quite important to the war and is feared by other vampires in the society. Especially since she has been given something that other vampires don't usually have.
Thedryk:
Dark hair, brown eyes, impeccable clothing choice for the time this book takes place in.
I'd count him as a love interest and a protector to Neva.
He's charming, badass, intelligent/logical and I feel like if he gets more development in book two he'll be even better.
Sometimes he puts Neva before other matters, but still understands the risks that that kind of priority presents.
Eliza:
Blue eyes, blonde hair, usually wears a bun and also has impeccable style.
She's Kareese's mom and Neva's teacher. She feels very badass and low-key reminds me on Integra from Hellsing because of how she helps run the society of vampire's. (Whereas Integra usually runs the Hellsing organization that stops vampires.)
Zachariah:
He's the main antagonist of sorts that is after Neva. He's also Eliza's love who has lost most of his old self after many years of seeing Kareese's many rebirths and deaths.
(At least I'm assuming that's why his mind has changed so much from what Eliza remembered him as.)
But he also still has a compassionate side to him considering his care towards his adopted daughter Amelia. He shows much love and care for this child.
Final Thoughts:
Wow I wasn't sure whether I'd enjoy this book much, but I'm glad I was able to enjoy it.
It was a bit underwhelming at some parts, but for the most part its characters are solid on development, the multiple POVs worked for the most part, and the plot could be engaging at times.
However I will say that I wish I could understand the motivations of Zachariah better, but maybe he'll have more explanation to his motivations in Blizzard.
Recommends to:
Well I think anyone can enjoy this book. Especially if you enjoy the vampire sub-genre.
Hope you enjoyed my review!! Thanks for reading!! ^_^
And go catch that good book!! ^_^
Blog site
(Which will not affect whatever score I give it in the end)
And since I have won it by giveaway it's only fair that I review it after I have read the book on my kindle.
Review to come!! ^_^
Before thoughts:
How could anyone turn down this book with its wonderful cover and premise with vampires. And our main character appears as if she'll try having a bit of humanity left despite being a vampire now. But let's see.
Review:
Read on: 06/15/18
Plot:
A girl named Neva is destined to become a vampire whether she had been lured in by a demon or not. Thedryk will need her to help him in the war between the vampires and demons.
Neva must adapt to her new changes while longing to be with her family again. And she will need to understand how much her powers can be used to help the vampires and the world.
But let's just say that the plot is mostly that the vampire society has mixed feelings about Neva joining their world.
Some are all for protecting her and letting her use her powers for the good of their society.
Whereas others try and target her for their own selfish gains because they don't approve of her powers being used in any way for the society of vampires.
And a vampire vs. demons sort of war is more or less pushed to the backburner as far as conflicts go. (Which isn't so bad in my opinion.)
Character(s):
Neva:
She's the main character that was tricked by a demon named Lord Argenal?? And after being tricked was turned into vampire by Lord Thedryk (which kind of saved her)/ made her town believe that she had been brutally murdered.
Before becoming a vampire she was a baker's daughter and a widower.
After becoming a vampire she has also changed appearance such as rosier cheeks, darker hair, and eyes closer to a shade of green instead of Hazel.
She is quite important to the war and is feared by other vampires in the society. Especially since she has been given something that other vampires don't usually have.
Thedryk:
Dark hair, brown eyes, impeccable clothing choice for the time this book takes place in.
I'd count him as a love interest and a protector to Neva.
He's charming, badass, intelligent/logical and I feel like if he gets more development in book two he'll be even better.
Sometimes he puts Neva before other matters, but still understands the risks that that kind of priority presents.
Eliza:
Blue eyes, blonde hair, usually wears a bun and also has impeccable style.
She's Kareese's mom and Neva's teacher. She feels very badass and low-key reminds me on Integra from Hellsing because of how she helps run the society of vampire's. (Whereas Integra usually runs the Hellsing organization that stops vampires.)
Zachariah:
He's the main antagonist of sorts that is after Neva. He's also Eliza's love who has lost most of his old self after many years of seeing Kareese's many rebirths and deaths.
(At least I'm assuming that's why his mind has changed so much from what Eliza remembered him as.)
But he also still has a compassionate side to him considering his care towards his adopted daughter Amelia. He shows much love and care for this child.
Final Thoughts:
Wow I wasn't sure whether I'd enjoy this book much, but I'm glad I was able to enjoy it.
It was a bit underwhelming at some parts, but for the most part its characters are solid on development, the multiple POVs worked for the most part, and the plot could be engaging at times.
However I will say that I wish I could understand the motivations of Zachariah better, but maybe he'll have more explanation to his motivations in Blizzard.
Recommends to:
Well I think anyone can enjoy this book. Especially if you enjoy the vampire sub-genre.
Hope you enjoyed my review!! Thanks for reading!! ^_^
And go catch that good book!! ^_^
Blog site
March 8, 2018
Snow paid great respects to classic vampirism with the vampires remaining as monsters similar to the ones present in the Anne Rice novels - sensuous but staying well within the realm of horror. There were graphic scenes of bloodlust paired with centuries of romantic tension. The imagery was rich and engaged all of the senses, and the fluid movement between not only various points-of-view but also between several timelines was impressive.
The most refreshing aspect of this book is that as the twists and turns of the story are divulged, the reader must reflect in order to connect the dots. The plot is far from being spelled out step-by-step and instead encourages the reader to puzzle together the world that is being revealed throughout the pages. This is a kind of storytelling that is becoming too sparingly used in the field of young adult novels. The story speaks with a much different tone than what is usual for the genre, and that did require some acclimation. Mikayla Elliot gracefully dodged any awkwardness of this tone by setting the book within an eloquent old world which made her strong female lead all the more enticing.
I was cautious about this book at first. Writing a world of vampires is tricky, and reading all of the different opinions on vampires can be exhausting. Elliot worked the angle with a seasoned hand, and the amazing twist at the end definitely made this an excellent beginning to a series I look forward to continuing. This is what vampires should be - Five stars! *****
The most refreshing aspect of this book is that as the twists and turns of the story are divulged, the reader must reflect in order to connect the dots. The plot is far from being spelled out step-by-step and instead encourages the reader to puzzle together the world that is being revealed throughout the pages. This is a kind of storytelling that is becoming too sparingly used in the field of young adult novels. The story speaks with a much different tone than what is usual for the genre, and that did require some acclimation. Mikayla Elliot gracefully dodged any awkwardness of this tone by setting the book within an eloquent old world which made her strong female lead all the more enticing.
I was cautious about this book at first. Writing a world of vampires is tricky, and reading all of the different opinions on vampires can be exhausting. Elliot worked the angle with a seasoned hand, and the amazing twist at the end definitely made this an excellent beginning to a series I look forward to continuing. This is what vampires should be - Five stars! *****
August 28, 2017
-I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Snow, by Mikayla Elliot, is a gothic romance about trying to take back the life you once had, while innocence slips from your fingertips.
Lady Neva was delivered to Lord Argenal as a supposed wife, whom she later killed when she transformed into a vampire. She is then taken by Lord Thedryk, where she is used as a key to win a horrific war between vampires and corpses who have long forgotten their humanity. However, despite her reluctant peace, she soon finds herself targeted by Zachariah, a vampire who has taken a dark interest in her. With allies and bittersweet memories surfacing within the darkness. Neva must find her way through this decadent world, before she is forever lost in the shadows just waiting beneath.
I loved the dynamic between Eliza and Zachariah. While it’s clear that the two did love each other once, in the end they were separated by this gruesome world, left to wither away in their fate. While Zachariah did manage to show his human side through another, it’s still their romance I mourn for. In a way, it parallels to Neva and Alexander’s relationship. Every little love that blossomed beneath the sun seems to have wasted away, and only the thorns are left behind. At least, that’s what I felt like, until I came to admire Neva and Thedryk’s relationship. Past and present intertwine with these two, and with war looming near, Elliot weaves a wonderful, yet terrifying love that can only grow within the gleam of the cruel moonlight. The characters aren’t nearly as sappy as others in the paranormal romance genre, and it’s something I’m grateful to Elliot for.
What I enjoyed most about Snow was its attention to detail. Whenever Elliot described the castle, or even Neva’s room, it was as if I was being there myself. I could practically see every little shadow, and though I could see everything, it was as if I was still being haunted by something. The scenes were so vivid in my mind I can’t help but shudder. Perhaps my favorite scene of all were the ones between Zachariah and Amelia. There was a certain innocence behind their actions, and I felt as if Zachariah was trying to protect Amelia from the harsh realities of this world, like any other parent would. Tragically ironic is one way to describe it.
Thus, I would give this book a rating of a 4 out of 5 stars. The characters were well written, and the details were thrilling. It was everything I expected from a gothic horror and more, without the cheesy romances to chain it down. As such, I would recommend this book to fans of The Killing Cure by C.S. Kendall and The Rosegiver by Sandy Benitez.
Snow, by Mikayla Elliot, is a gothic romance about trying to take back the life you once had, while innocence slips from your fingertips.
Lady Neva was delivered to Lord Argenal as a supposed wife, whom she later killed when she transformed into a vampire. She is then taken by Lord Thedryk, where she is used as a key to win a horrific war between vampires and corpses who have long forgotten their humanity. However, despite her reluctant peace, she soon finds herself targeted by Zachariah, a vampire who has taken a dark interest in her. With allies and bittersweet memories surfacing within the darkness. Neva must find her way through this decadent world, before she is forever lost in the shadows just waiting beneath.
I loved the dynamic between Eliza and Zachariah. While it’s clear that the two did love each other once, in the end they were separated by this gruesome world, left to wither away in their fate. While Zachariah did manage to show his human side through another, it’s still their romance I mourn for. In a way, it parallels to Neva and Alexander’s relationship. Every little love that blossomed beneath the sun seems to have wasted away, and only the thorns are left behind. At least, that’s what I felt like, until I came to admire Neva and Thedryk’s relationship. Past and present intertwine with these two, and with war looming near, Elliot weaves a wonderful, yet terrifying love that can only grow within the gleam of the cruel moonlight. The characters aren’t nearly as sappy as others in the paranormal romance genre, and it’s something I’m grateful to Elliot for.
What I enjoyed most about Snow was its attention to detail. Whenever Elliot described the castle, or even Neva’s room, it was as if I was being there myself. I could practically see every little shadow, and though I could see everything, it was as if I was still being haunted by something. The scenes were so vivid in my mind I can’t help but shudder. Perhaps my favorite scene of all were the ones between Zachariah and Amelia. There was a certain innocence behind their actions, and I felt as if Zachariah was trying to protect Amelia from the harsh realities of this world, like any other parent would. Tragically ironic is one way to describe it.
Thus, I would give this book a rating of a 4 out of 5 stars. The characters were well written, and the details were thrilling. It was everything I expected from a gothic horror and more, without the cheesy romances to chain it down. As such, I would recommend this book to fans of The Killing Cure by C.S. Kendall and The Rosegiver by Sandy Benitez.
November 14, 2017
I was sent this book by the author to read in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. One of my favorite things that this book is that it isn't your regular vampire love story. Neva is turned for a reason, she is their savior and not just a girl who needs to be saved by a male vampire! The book also started out with action but slowed down a bit but it does pick back up which makes it better.
May 14, 2018
Let me start by saying that this has been one of my favorite reads of the year. Mikayla Elliot is a fantastic author with a beautiful flow and style to her writing. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series! My only complaint is that the story moves a bit too quickly, there is never any sensation or feeling of struggle in the decision the main character must make, and they seem to accept their role in the story far too easily. I would have loved to see this book at least half again as long, if not double in size.
The tale is one that has been used before – a character discovers they have paranormal abilities or powers, and that they aren’t who they thought they once were. That all happens in the first chapter which opens up with a ferocious and fast paced nature that immediately drew me in and left me craving more. I was very much looking forward to reading the rest of the book, and that feeling never let down.
Overall, I gave Snow a 4.35 rating. Here’s the breakdown:
Characters:
• Believable: I loved the characters throughout this tale. They had individuality and personality, and, for the most part, each one fit into the story fairly well. 5/5
• Likeable: The only thing I didn’t like about the characters was the depth that Elliot gave each one. Though I understood who each character was and the role they played in the story, I never really fell in love with any of them. 4/5
• Villains: The main villain is definitely an unlikeable character, but I never truly understood what the reasons were for them being the villain. Again, lack of depth to the characters made me wish for more. 4/5
• Stayed in Character: None of the characters acted out of synch with the personality they had been given, though it was a bit hard to say for certain as Elliot didn’t develop them as clearly as I believe they could have been. 4/5
• Creative: I liked the creativity Elliot used in crafting the individuals who inhabit her world, I just wish they had more depth. 4/5
(Overall 22/25 or 4.4 stars)
Plot Line/Story:
• Believable: As far as paranormal fantasy goes, Snow is a very believable tale. There was never a time when I doubted that a character or situation would behave or act in the way Elliot portrayed. 5/5
• Relatable: I had to mark this one down simply because the story was far too short. The main character seemed to accept their role far too easily. For example, the Product Description suggests the main character must decide between two paths to follow, yet there never seemed to be a sense of struggling to make that decision. 3/5
• Flow: Even though the story was short, it did flow well, and there was never point where I felt completely lost, just a bit confused 3/5
• Creativity: Elliot did a fantastic job of creating a storyline that did not remind me too much of any of the more well-known novels of this genre 5/5
• Length: This was my least favorite part of this book. It was far, far too short. I wanted so much more from each scene, from the world building and character development, from the backstory and character history – everything could have been twice as deep. 3/5
(Overall 19/25 or 3.8 stars)
Syntax:
• Style: I absolutely LOVE the style of writing here! Though there were a few parts where the language was a bit flowery, and some parts where I had to re-read a sentence or two to understand what Elliot meant, the rest of the book just flowed so perfectly. Awesome job here! 5/5
• Dialogue: The dialogue was easy to follow and there was never a time when I was unaware which character was speaking, however, there were moments when I felt the word choices were a bit strange for the scene, or the character reactions did feel quite right. 4/5
• Perspective: Elliot did an excellent job of letting the reader know which character the story was focusing on, and switched between perspectives depending on if the view was from the main character, or one of the supporting cast. 5/5
• Pace: Had this book been longer, and had there been more background and depth, the pace would have been perfect. As is, the story jumped forward a bit too fast in parts, and it lingered just a bit on parts that didn’t feel they should have had that much attention. 4/5
• Enjoyment: I absolutely loved reading this story and I will definitely get the sequel as well! 5/5
(Overall 23/25 or 4.6 stars)
Grammar:
• Comma usage: This was nearly perfect. 5/5
• Spelling: I don’t remember finding a single issue with spelling. 5/5
• Punctuation: Nearly flawless. 5/5
• Correct Word Choice: Other than a habit of using too many words at times, this was nearly flawless as well. 4/5
• Era Appropriate: A few instances where the language, especially the dialogue, didn’t feel like it fit the era and felt much more modern than the time period suggested it should have. 4/5
(Overall 23/25 or 4.6 stars)
The tale is one that has been used before – a character discovers they have paranormal abilities or powers, and that they aren’t who they thought they once were. That all happens in the first chapter which opens up with a ferocious and fast paced nature that immediately drew me in and left me craving more. I was very much looking forward to reading the rest of the book, and that feeling never let down.
Overall, I gave Snow a 4.35 rating. Here’s the breakdown:
Characters:
• Believable: I loved the characters throughout this tale. They had individuality and personality, and, for the most part, each one fit into the story fairly well. 5/5
• Likeable: The only thing I didn’t like about the characters was the depth that Elliot gave each one. Though I understood who each character was and the role they played in the story, I never really fell in love with any of them. 4/5
• Villains: The main villain is definitely an unlikeable character, but I never truly understood what the reasons were for them being the villain. Again, lack of depth to the characters made me wish for more. 4/5
• Stayed in Character: None of the characters acted out of synch with the personality they had been given, though it was a bit hard to say for certain as Elliot didn’t develop them as clearly as I believe they could have been. 4/5
• Creative: I liked the creativity Elliot used in crafting the individuals who inhabit her world, I just wish they had more depth. 4/5
(Overall 22/25 or 4.4 stars)
Plot Line/Story:
• Believable: As far as paranormal fantasy goes, Snow is a very believable tale. There was never a time when I doubted that a character or situation would behave or act in the way Elliot portrayed. 5/5
• Relatable: I had to mark this one down simply because the story was far too short. The main character seemed to accept their role far too easily. For example, the Product Description suggests the main character must decide between two paths to follow, yet there never seemed to be a sense of struggling to make that decision. 3/5
• Flow: Even though the story was short, it did flow well, and there was never point where I felt completely lost, just a bit confused 3/5
• Creativity: Elliot did a fantastic job of creating a storyline that did not remind me too much of any of the more well-known novels of this genre 5/5
• Length: This was my least favorite part of this book. It was far, far too short. I wanted so much more from each scene, from the world building and character development, from the backstory and character history – everything could have been twice as deep. 3/5
(Overall 19/25 or 3.8 stars)
Syntax:
• Style: I absolutely LOVE the style of writing here! Though there were a few parts where the language was a bit flowery, and some parts where I had to re-read a sentence or two to understand what Elliot meant, the rest of the book just flowed so perfectly. Awesome job here! 5/5
• Dialogue: The dialogue was easy to follow and there was never a time when I was unaware which character was speaking, however, there were moments when I felt the word choices were a bit strange for the scene, or the character reactions did feel quite right. 4/5
• Perspective: Elliot did an excellent job of letting the reader know which character the story was focusing on, and switched between perspectives depending on if the view was from the main character, or one of the supporting cast. 5/5
• Pace: Had this book been longer, and had there been more background and depth, the pace would have been perfect. As is, the story jumped forward a bit too fast in parts, and it lingered just a bit on parts that didn’t feel they should have had that much attention. 4/5
• Enjoyment: I absolutely loved reading this story and I will definitely get the sequel as well! 5/5
(Overall 23/25 or 4.6 stars)
Grammar:
• Comma usage: This was nearly perfect. 5/5
• Spelling: I don’t remember finding a single issue with spelling. 5/5
• Punctuation: Nearly flawless. 5/5
• Correct Word Choice: Other than a habit of using too many words at times, this was nearly flawless as well. 4/5
• Era Appropriate: A few instances where the language, especially the dialogue, didn’t feel like it fit the era and felt much more modern than the time period suggested it should have. 4/5
(Overall 23/25 or 4.6 stars)
February 16, 2018
“Snow” is the story of a widow who finds herself invited to a Lord’s house so he can have a good time before he needs to settle down and get married, and leaves a vampire when she is attacked by the Lord’s recently turned ex-lover. That all happens in the first chapter! From there, Neva has to navigate all the changes being a vampire brings on top of never being able to see her family again, and being the center of a prophecy to end vampire’s long lives. Color me intrigued, right? And I was for the most part, as Elliot writes in extraordinarily lovely prose, especially in a fist person POV. But there were a few things that kept me from devouring this otherwise short and interesting story.
Being ripped violently from the only life you’ve known and thrust into the unfamiliar, where the only thing you’ve heard about the creature you’ve become is monstrous tales of beings that hunt human’s for sport, you’d expect that transition to be jarring. And it is for perhaps a chapter or two, and then Neva kind of accepts what she is and begins training and getting into the flow of her new life. Outside of wanting to see her family again, she’s generally nonplussed about her transition. She is confused, and the reason she is turned is shrouded in mystery, which makes sense given those in her immediate circle (such as Eliza and Thedryk) want to ease her in to things, but know they don’t have the time to do so. They try to selectively tell her what’s going on, which I won’t share to avoid spoilers.
However, if I had a dollar for each time Neva asked a rather vital question as to her role in all this and how she was supposed to bring an end to the way of vampire life as they know it… Let’s just say I could go out to dinner a few times over. It became so predictable and frustrating to have Thedryk (well, everyone but Eliza primarily, but Thedryk was the most aggravating) deflect the question and say “We haven’t the time to go into that…” Make the time, dammit! While part of me understands the reasoning for this, because so little gets answered by the novel’s conclusion I feel just as in the dark as Neva does half the time, and it’s not a great feeling.
There is so much going on in this book between all the characters and plots and vampire factions that I feel its short length does it a bit of a disservice. The reader is given hints, given the rough brush strokes of what’s to come that I always felt a bit detached from the characters, making it hard to get swept up in Elliot’s lovely writing. After that first chapter of action, the novel slows down and focuses on the descriptions of the gothic, medieval world around us. While I did enjoy those descriptions it slowed down the pacing until the last 5 chapters of the book. It’s a short read, so easy to get through, but not as quick of a read as I was expecting. I wish Elliot had spent more time focusing on Zachariah’s motivations and really going into more detail about the family of vampire’s Neva is now a part of so I could feel like I had a better sense of why Neva wasn’t made a vampire sooner if she was so vital to them. I wanted to care more about the individuals Neva interacted with who come to defend her towards the end, but you don’t get a lot of that. You get a lot of actual world and scene building, but not as much character development.
The premise of this book is great, I genuinely enjoyed that this wasn’t just another modern teenage vampire love story. I really like Thedryk and the mystery around him (when he’s not telling Neva ‘now’s not the time’) and I think Elliot did a fabulous job teasing out his relationship with Neva. But Neva is where it fell flat for me in terms of characters. I just couldn’t connect with her. She only puts her foot down once when she demands to see her family, she never does that when it comes to getting any other answers. She also doesn’t react the way I think she should, or would, especially at the end when truly horrific things start to happen. I think, as a character, she has great potential to grow, it just wasn’t there for the first book in the series.
One more thing I will say, while I enjoyed the more gothic tone of this world and the vampires, they don’t feel like traditional vampires, either. I am torn on how much I like that or not. They drink blood, yes, and can’t go out in the sun, and are hard to kill, but they just didn’t feel like the vampires of lore. Which is both good and bad, and that is mostly my personal preference on what I prefer in my supernatural beings. They had a purpose for existing, but that, too, was a bit vague given the questions left unanswered. But perhaps what made them feel less like vampires and just mythical beings are the things Zachariah makes and the things Xavier can do. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers, but those two and how reincarnation is used in the novel felt a bit at odds with the lore that I enjoy most.
The funny thing is, most of the time once I hit about half way (sometimes sooner) in reading a book, I know what I’m going to rate it. I never stop reading the book at that point, because I still hope to be surprised, but I didn’t know what I was going to give “Snow” until the very end. I kept hoping for more answers, more action, for things to start happening… and they don’t until much closer to the end. I enjoyed what Elliot provided towards the end, I just wish it had been more dispersed within the rest of the novel as well.
Still, there is a reason I avoided spoilers and why my review is a bit vaguer on the plot: I want you to read this book. Elliot’s writing is swoon worthy, and this is a unique vampire story in an age full of broody, lusty vampire teenagers. There are hints of romance, but that’s not the point of this book and I loved that! The point is for Neva to choose if she is going to be the savior they hope she is, not if she’s going to fall in love with so-and-so. I definitely want to read the next book to see where the story goes, and to get the answers left dangling come the end of the book, but given that I didn’t connect with Neva this time around, the lagging pace of the book, and the sheer amount of unanswered questions, I’m giving this book a 3.5 stars, mainly because I adored being transported to this new world through Elliot’s descriptions. While there is some violence, I didn’t find it scary or overly graphic so I would be comfortable with 15+ year-olds reading it, especially if they (or you) want a different kind of vampire story that has the potential to transport you on a truly lovely and thrilling ride. And thank you to the author for providing me a copy to review!
Being ripped violently from the only life you’ve known and thrust into the unfamiliar, where the only thing you’ve heard about the creature you’ve become is monstrous tales of beings that hunt human’s for sport, you’d expect that transition to be jarring. And it is for perhaps a chapter or two, and then Neva kind of accepts what she is and begins training and getting into the flow of her new life. Outside of wanting to see her family again, she’s generally nonplussed about her transition. She is confused, and the reason she is turned is shrouded in mystery, which makes sense given those in her immediate circle (such as Eliza and Thedryk) want to ease her in to things, but know they don’t have the time to do so. They try to selectively tell her what’s going on, which I won’t share to avoid spoilers.
However, if I had a dollar for each time Neva asked a rather vital question as to her role in all this and how she was supposed to bring an end to the way of vampire life as they know it… Let’s just say I could go out to dinner a few times over. It became so predictable and frustrating to have Thedryk (well, everyone but Eliza primarily, but Thedryk was the most aggravating) deflect the question and say “We haven’t the time to go into that…” Make the time, dammit! While part of me understands the reasoning for this, because so little gets answered by the novel’s conclusion I feel just as in the dark as Neva does half the time, and it’s not a great feeling.
There is so much going on in this book between all the characters and plots and vampire factions that I feel its short length does it a bit of a disservice. The reader is given hints, given the rough brush strokes of what’s to come that I always felt a bit detached from the characters, making it hard to get swept up in Elliot’s lovely writing. After that first chapter of action, the novel slows down and focuses on the descriptions of the gothic, medieval world around us. While I did enjoy those descriptions it slowed down the pacing until the last 5 chapters of the book. It’s a short read, so easy to get through, but not as quick of a read as I was expecting. I wish Elliot had spent more time focusing on Zachariah’s motivations and really going into more detail about the family of vampire’s Neva is now a part of so I could feel like I had a better sense of why Neva wasn’t made a vampire sooner if she was so vital to them. I wanted to care more about the individuals Neva interacted with who come to defend her towards the end, but you don’t get a lot of that. You get a lot of actual world and scene building, but not as much character development.
The premise of this book is great, I genuinely enjoyed that this wasn’t just another modern teenage vampire love story. I really like Thedryk and the mystery around him (when he’s not telling Neva ‘now’s not the time’) and I think Elliot did a fabulous job teasing out his relationship with Neva. But Neva is where it fell flat for me in terms of characters. I just couldn’t connect with her. She only puts her foot down once when she demands to see her family, she never does that when it comes to getting any other answers. She also doesn’t react the way I think she should, or would, especially at the end when truly horrific things start to happen. I think, as a character, she has great potential to grow, it just wasn’t there for the first book in the series.
One more thing I will say, while I enjoyed the more gothic tone of this world and the vampires, they don’t feel like traditional vampires, either. I am torn on how much I like that or not. They drink blood, yes, and can’t go out in the sun, and are hard to kill, but they just didn’t feel like the vampires of lore. Which is both good and bad, and that is mostly my personal preference on what I prefer in my supernatural beings. They had a purpose for existing, but that, too, was a bit vague given the questions left unanswered. But perhaps what made them feel less like vampires and just mythical beings are the things Zachariah makes and the things Xavier can do. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers, but those two and how reincarnation is used in the novel felt a bit at odds with the lore that I enjoy most.
The funny thing is, most of the time once I hit about half way (sometimes sooner) in reading a book, I know what I’m going to rate it. I never stop reading the book at that point, because I still hope to be surprised, but I didn’t know what I was going to give “Snow” until the very end. I kept hoping for more answers, more action, for things to start happening… and they don’t until much closer to the end. I enjoyed what Elliot provided towards the end, I just wish it had been more dispersed within the rest of the novel as well.
Still, there is a reason I avoided spoilers and why my review is a bit vaguer on the plot: I want you to read this book. Elliot’s writing is swoon worthy, and this is a unique vampire story in an age full of broody, lusty vampire teenagers. There are hints of romance, but that’s not the point of this book and I loved that! The point is for Neva to choose if she is going to be the savior they hope she is, not if she’s going to fall in love with so-and-so. I definitely want to read the next book to see where the story goes, and to get the answers left dangling come the end of the book, but given that I didn’t connect with Neva this time around, the lagging pace of the book, and the sheer amount of unanswered questions, I’m giving this book a 3.5 stars, mainly because I adored being transported to this new world through Elliot’s descriptions. While there is some violence, I didn’t find it scary or overly graphic so I would be comfortable with 15+ year-olds reading it, especially if they (or you) want a different kind of vampire story that has the potential to transport you on a truly lovely and thrilling ride. And thank you to the author for providing me a copy to review!
May 30, 2018
** I received a copy of this book as a giveaway for an honest review **
I am hard pressed to turn down any vampire-centric tale (which is what prompted me to enter the giveaway in the first place), although they all start to blend together after a time. Such is not the case with "Snow" by Mikayla Elliot, and I find myself pleasantly surprised.
Taken from all she has ever known and loved, Neva finds herself swept into a world of vampires where she learns she will determine their future. Yet she quickly discovers she is the target of a vampire, Zachariah, seeking to stop her from altering the vampire lineage. She must decide which path she will take while trying to protect the family she left behind, and discovering a past she cannot escape.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It is a quick read, which is desperately needed at times, and yet the plot and story line are still intriguing. At times the plot did move along too quickly for me to keep up, only to discover there were bits and pieces I still needed to place together as the protagonist, Neva, pieced them together as well. And of course the twists and turns at the very end left me hooked and wanting more.
I am hard pressed to turn down any vampire-centric tale (which is what prompted me to enter the giveaway in the first place), although they all start to blend together after a time. Such is not the case with "Snow" by Mikayla Elliot, and I find myself pleasantly surprised.
Taken from all she has ever known and loved, Neva finds herself swept into a world of vampires where she learns she will determine their future. Yet she quickly discovers she is the target of a vampire, Zachariah, seeking to stop her from altering the vampire lineage. She must decide which path she will take while trying to protect the family she left behind, and discovering a past she cannot escape.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It is a quick read, which is desperately needed at times, and yet the plot and story line are still intriguing. At times the plot did move along too quickly for me to keep up, only to discover there were bits and pieces I still needed to place together as the protagonist, Neva, pieced them together as well. And of course the twists and turns at the very end left me hooked and wanting more.
January 4, 2018
Snow by Mikayla Elliot
Taken from all she has ever known and loved, Neva finds herself swept into a world of vampires where she learns she will determine their future. Yet she quickly discovers she is the target of a vampire, Zachariah, seeking to stop her from altering the vampire lineage. She must decide which path she will take while trying to protect the family she left behind, and discovering a past she cannot escape.
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion & review
'Snow' by Mikayla Elliot is a dark, adventurous tale, which follows the a young woman named Neva.
A widow working in her family's bakery, Neva is delivered to the local Lord– a distasteful man to say the least. Instead of marrying him however, she kills him and his jilted lover during her transition into her new life as a creature of the night.
The mystery and tension increases as Neva is whisked away by Lord Thedryk, one of the original 'vampires'. As Neva learns more about this new world, she is both equal parts terrified and curious to see just how far the rabbit hole goes.
Overall Quality of the Story Line
★★★★✩
Four out of Five Stars
There is no doubt in my mind that Mikayla Elliot poured hours into crafting this dark and intriguing story line. The plot twists are well thought out, and it is clear that Elliot wrote the book cohesively with the end in mind.
I personally enjoyed reading a vampire centric novel with a storyline which has not been overdone, and avoids cliché. The elements of reincarnation, all vampires having different abilities, and love not being immune to time were refreshing and interesting.
The only reason 'Snow' earns four stars instead of five is the pacing. Elliot takes her time getting into the meat of the main storyline, and while everything is written beautifully, the first four – five chapters may not hold everyone's attention.
Ability to surprise / hook / interest the reader
★★★✩✩
Three out of Five Stars
Elliot writes with finesse, her prose is gorgeous. The descriptions of the rooms, outfits, people, landscapes– all are painted in a vivid light. While at times I reveled in the vibrant descriptions, there were many other times where I found the action/tension/emotion slowed or all together negated by the interruption of over-description.
The moments of over-description coupled with moments of repeated words and some small point of view errors made this book difficult to 'devour' for me, personally. Typically I am a voracious reader, polishing off a book of this size in three days or less. Snow took me more than a month to complete, simply because I could not slip into the emotion of the page a flow, uninterrupted.
The above being said, Elliot does include some delightful and clever plot twists, some of which were indeed a surprise.
Spelling and Grammar
★★★★★
Five out of Five Stars
'Snow' reads as if it has been professionally edited, if there were any spelling or grammatical errors in Elliot's text, I did not see them.
Dialogue Quality
★★★★✩
Four out of Five Stars
All the characters read with their own distinct and unique voice. This was important, as Neva interacts with many people, all with very different personalities, backgrounds, and motivations.
I felt that particularly between Thedryk and Neva there was some opportunity for Elliot to further perfect Thedryk's dialogue. Given what he knows about her when they first meet, more clues or at least more subtle strangeness in his words could have been included to make the later revelation fall heavy more heavily upon the reader.
Depth of the Characters
★★★★✩
Four out of Five Stars
All of the characters were well developed and believable, with obviously rich backstories to fuel their in-story motivations. For that I sincerely applaud Elliot, the work she has put in is distinctly obvious.
This section loses a star however because of Neva. For me, it was difficult to become emotionally invested in her inner journey, and feel what she was feeling. She doesn't consistently ask the questions I imagine a typical human would in her situation. Combined with her unwavering politeness and willingness to accept everything these strange creatures say to her as truth, it was hard to see her as 'real'.
Overall Rating
★★★★✩
Four out of Five Stars
Overall, 'Snow' by Mikayla Elliot is a very well written and well edited piece of literature. If you are looking for a vividly descriptive non-cliché vampire novel, I would recommend this story to you.
Taken from all she has ever known and loved, Neva finds herself swept into a world of vampires where she learns she will determine their future. Yet she quickly discovers she is the target of a vampire, Zachariah, seeking to stop her from altering the vampire lineage. She must decide which path she will take while trying to protect the family she left behind, and discovering a past she cannot escape.
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion & review
'Snow' by Mikayla Elliot is a dark, adventurous tale, which follows the a young woman named Neva.
A widow working in her family's bakery, Neva is delivered to the local Lord– a distasteful man to say the least. Instead of marrying him however, she kills him and his jilted lover during her transition into her new life as a creature of the night.
The mystery and tension increases as Neva is whisked away by Lord Thedryk, one of the original 'vampires'. As Neva learns more about this new world, she is both equal parts terrified and curious to see just how far the rabbit hole goes.
Overall Quality of the Story Line
★★★★✩
Four out of Five Stars
There is no doubt in my mind that Mikayla Elliot poured hours into crafting this dark and intriguing story line. The plot twists are well thought out, and it is clear that Elliot wrote the book cohesively with the end in mind.
I personally enjoyed reading a vampire centric novel with a storyline which has not been overdone, and avoids cliché. The elements of reincarnation, all vampires having different abilities, and love not being immune to time were refreshing and interesting.
The only reason 'Snow' earns four stars instead of five is the pacing. Elliot takes her time getting into the meat of the main storyline, and while everything is written beautifully, the first four – five chapters may not hold everyone's attention.
Ability to surprise / hook / interest the reader
★★★✩✩
Three out of Five Stars
Elliot writes with finesse, her prose is gorgeous. The descriptions of the rooms, outfits, people, landscapes– all are painted in a vivid light. While at times I reveled in the vibrant descriptions, there were many other times where I found the action/tension/emotion slowed or all together negated by the interruption of over-description.
The moments of over-description coupled with moments of repeated words and some small point of view errors made this book difficult to 'devour' for me, personally. Typically I am a voracious reader, polishing off a book of this size in three days or less. Snow took me more than a month to complete, simply because I could not slip into the emotion of the page a flow, uninterrupted.
The above being said, Elliot does include some delightful and clever plot twists, some of which were indeed a surprise.
Spelling and Grammar
★★★★★
Five out of Five Stars
'Snow' reads as if it has been professionally edited, if there were any spelling or grammatical errors in Elliot's text, I did not see them.
Dialogue Quality
★★★★✩
Four out of Five Stars
All the characters read with their own distinct and unique voice. This was important, as Neva interacts with many people, all with very different personalities, backgrounds, and motivations.
I felt that particularly between Thedryk and Neva there was some opportunity for Elliot to further perfect Thedryk's dialogue. Given what he knows about her when they first meet, more clues or at least more subtle strangeness in his words could have been included to make the later revelation fall heavy more heavily upon the reader.
Depth of the Characters
★★★★✩
Four out of Five Stars
All of the characters were well developed and believable, with obviously rich backstories to fuel their in-story motivations. For that I sincerely applaud Elliot, the work she has put in is distinctly obvious.
This section loses a star however because of Neva. For me, it was difficult to become emotionally invested in her inner journey, and feel what she was feeling. She doesn't consistently ask the questions I imagine a typical human would in her situation. Combined with her unwavering politeness and willingness to accept everything these strange creatures say to her as truth, it was hard to see her as 'real'.
Overall Rating
★★★★✩
Four out of Five Stars
Overall, 'Snow' by Mikayla Elliot is a very well written and well edited piece of literature. If you are looking for a vividly descriptive non-cliché vampire novel, I would recommend this story to you.
August 31, 2017
“Snow” is a fantasy novel about a twenty-five to thirty-year-old woman who has been turned into a vampire, after a very important noble in her country, betrays her. She is turned in order to save her life, and then she is launched into this brand-new world. Neva is a beautiful woman who is very kind and cares about her family deeply. When she learns she is taken under the wing of the handsome, regal Thedryk, she is informed of the battle between the good vampires and the evil demons, who all have a mysterious origin story connecting to God and the Devil.
Neva learns many different things about vampirism. Many of this story is told to the readers, by Neva, after she learns herself. Neva is a very special person, similar to “the chosen one” trope. She is a magical person who reincarnates after death, and she can actually undo the curse of immortality. The main rivalry in this story is the good vampires protecting Neva and the evil demons and evil vampires who want to stop Neva from undoing immortality, for many reasons that if I mentioned, I think I’d accidentally leave some spoilers. Zachariah is the leader of the not so nice vampires, and my God, he is a good villain.
The book begins with a fantastic first part. The first few chapters are terribly intriguing. This reminds me of “Beauty and the Beast” where Thedryk is the wise, regal Beast who lets Belle / Neva live in his castle. I’m not sure if the author intended for these parallels, but I thought the similarities were very nice and pretty. This book is very pretty in general. The dialogue isn’t cheesy or overdone. It does seem to me that the descriptions are the best parts of the book. Mostly every character is described well, leaving me with a clear picture in my mind. I also enjoyed part two. The main focus seems to be the set up of future sequels, and there is a fantastic “battle sequence” in both parts. Also, the last chapter is a brilliant cliffhanger, and I’m so curious to find out if / when there is going to be a sequel. I think this is the best YA / fantasy book I’ve read in a very long time. I was apprehensive going into this, because I haven’t read vampire fantasy in quite some time. This book was incredibly better than I suspected.
In my reviews, I’d also like to include the information I’ve tagged and book marked, which can help me leave further constructive criticism. I’ve tried very hard not to include spoilers, but if you think you may be spoiled in just the slightest, please read the book, and then come back to my review.
1. The first paragraph. What a hook. Like I said the first chapter and part are fantastically interesting, but I particularly love a great first paragraph.
2. There are a few historical inaccuracies, like a certain dress fabric, catchphrases, words, or some expressions. The book is said to take place in 1287, however, there isn’t anything specific that ties the era to the date. It seems hard to understand which terms and expressions would have been used then.
3. I really like the interesting aspects and characteristics vampires exhibit in this book. They don’t feel too cliched, and I haven’t read many vampire fiction novels that have the same characteristics. They include: better insight, eating human food, vision-like dreams, the reactions to sunlight. In many vampire fictions, vampires drink animal blood as a second option, a consolation prize, but the good vampires in “Snow” happily drink animal blood to sustain themselves. They often mix it in food and wine. I also like that vampires were not created to be against humans, they’re to live in harmony.
4. I like the writing style that the first chapter begins already in motion, in media res. We instantly are thrown into a fighting sequence and Neva’s eventual turn into a vampire.
5. Because it appears this book will be open for future sequels, there are some unopened questions about vampirism I don’t understand. They aren’t related to the plot, for example: Neva mentions that humans that have a mark are predestined to be turned into a vampire, but we didn’t learn much of this. There are some other aspects I’d like further explanation on: the origin story of the creation of vampires and demons, auras,
6. I’d love to explore Thedryk’s relationship with Neva in the sequel.
7. I’m not usually happy with YA / fantasy, when it falls under the trope of the main character unable to have a relationship with their family.
8. Zachariah is a fantastic, creepy, and haunting villain. He’s charming, funny, and he makes your skin crawl. It’s great.
9. Portals to the future??? What. No thank you. At points, I worry this novel is biting off more than it can chew. I really love it, but maybe this is too much.
10. There are a few skills and powers that vampires have that make me very uncomfortable. (Page 156). They do not bode for healthy relationships with others.
11. The ways to kill vampires are confusing to me. I think. I think they can be killed in conventional ways, but it appears to take more effort. I’m not sure on this.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. It surpassed my expectations, and has become a new favorite in my fantasy collection. I don’t usually keep advanced or complementary reader copies into my collection, but this one is a true keeper. I’d like to pass this on to some friends, I have a few who enjoy vampire fiction. I can’t wait for a sequel!
*I received this book as a complementary reader's copy.*
Neva learns many different things about vampirism. Many of this story is told to the readers, by Neva, after she learns herself. Neva is a very special person, similar to “the chosen one” trope. She is a magical person who reincarnates after death, and she can actually undo the curse of immortality. The main rivalry in this story is the good vampires protecting Neva and the evil demons and evil vampires who want to stop Neva from undoing immortality, for many reasons that if I mentioned, I think I’d accidentally leave some spoilers. Zachariah is the leader of the not so nice vampires, and my God, he is a good villain.
The book begins with a fantastic first part. The first few chapters are terribly intriguing. This reminds me of “Beauty and the Beast” where Thedryk is the wise, regal Beast who lets Belle / Neva live in his castle. I’m not sure if the author intended for these parallels, but I thought the similarities were very nice and pretty. This book is very pretty in general. The dialogue isn’t cheesy or overdone. It does seem to me that the descriptions are the best parts of the book. Mostly every character is described well, leaving me with a clear picture in my mind. I also enjoyed part two. The main focus seems to be the set up of future sequels, and there is a fantastic “battle sequence” in both parts. Also, the last chapter is a brilliant cliffhanger, and I’m so curious to find out if / when there is going to be a sequel. I think this is the best YA / fantasy book I’ve read in a very long time. I was apprehensive going into this, because I haven’t read vampire fantasy in quite some time. This book was incredibly better than I suspected.
In my reviews, I’d also like to include the information I’ve tagged and book marked, which can help me leave further constructive criticism. I’ve tried very hard not to include spoilers, but if you think you may be spoiled in just the slightest, please read the book, and then come back to my review.
1. The first paragraph. What a hook. Like I said the first chapter and part are fantastically interesting, but I particularly love a great first paragraph.
2. There are a few historical inaccuracies, like a certain dress fabric, catchphrases, words, or some expressions. The book is said to take place in 1287, however, there isn’t anything specific that ties the era to the date. It seems hard to understand which terms and expressions would have been used then.
3. I really like the interesting aspects and characteristics vampires exhibit in this book. They don’t feel too cliched, and I haven’t read many vampire fiction novels that have the same characteristics. They include: better insight, eating human food, vision-like dreams, the reactions to sunlight. In many vampire fictions, vampires drink animal blood as a second option, a consolation prize, but the good vampires in “Snow” happily drink animal blood to sustain themselves. They often mix it in food and wine. I also like that vampires were not created to be against humans, they’re to live in harmony.
4. I like the writing style that the first chapter begins already in motion, in media res. We instantly are thrown into a fighting sequence and Neva’s eventual turn into a vampire.
5. Because it appears this book will be open for future sequels, there are some unopened questions about vampirism I don’t understand. They aren’t related to the plot, for example: Neva mentions that humans that have a mark are predestined to be turned into a vampire, but we didn’t learn much of this. There are some other aspects I’d like further explanation on: the origin story of the creation of vampires and demons, auras,
6. I’d love to explore Thedryk’s relationship with Neva in the sequel.
7. I’m not usually happy with YA / fantasy, when it falls under the trope of the main character unable to have a relationship with their family.
8. Zachariah is a fantastic, creepy, and haunting villain. He’s charming, funny, and he makes your skin crawl. It’s great.
9. Portals to the future??? What. No thank you. At points, I worry this novel is biting off more than it can chew. I really love it, but maybe this is too much.
10. There are a few skills and powers that vampires have that make me very uncomfortable. (Page 156). They do not bode for healthy relationships with others.
11. The ways to kill vampires are confusing to me. I think. I think they can be killed in conventional ways, but it appears to take more effort. I’m not sure on this.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. It surpassed my expectations, and has become a new favorite in my fantasy collection. I don’t usually keep advanced or complementary reader copies into my collection, but this one is a true keeper. I’d like to pass this on to some friends, I have a few who enjoy vampire fiction. I can’t wait for a sequel!
*I received this book as a complementary reader's copy.*
May 21, 2018
I received a copy through NetGalley for review.
3.5 stars.
Don't let the title fool you, it's no fairytale. Although the title plays off the early more vampiric versions of Snow White.
Neva, regular working woman captures the eye of the local lord, her life changes forever.
Rose his former lover, spurned by her jealousy makes a deal with a devil, to eliminate the competition.
She had no way of knowing that she would never see her family again as she rode away in that carriage.
Lovely gothic imagery of vampires, and dark castles. Neva finds out that vampires are nothing like the stories she's been told her entire life, that they are a refined society, forbidden from feeding on humans, surviving on the blood of livestock.
And that she had more in common with the vampires she suddenly finds herself surrounded with than her human family. And that she is an intrinsic piece to their futures and an upcoming war. That she could be the one to decided it all. If she chooses to.
Overall I enjoyed this one, there were a few issues I had with plot transitioning and character development I wish more time was spend on Neva as she adapted to her new surroundings. But the descriptions of the surroundings, towns and villages were fantastic. Also it's very low on romance, so you can skip a weird broody vampire love connection that we so often get in this genre. No insta love here! Which was honestly refreshing.
3.5 stars.
Don't let the title fool you, it's no fairytale. Although the title plays off the early more vampiric versions of Snow White.
Neva, regular working woman captures the eye of the local lord, her life changes forever.
Rose his former lover, spurned by her jealousy makes a deal with a devil, to eliminate the competition.
She had no way of knowing that she would never see her family again as she rode away in that carriage.
Lovely gothic imagery of vampires, and dark castles. Neva finds out that vampires are nothing like the stories she's been told her entire life, that they are a refined society, forbidden from feeding on humans, surviving on the blood of livestock.
And that she had more in common with the vampires she suddenly finds herself surrounded with than her human family. And that she is an intrinsic piece to their futures and an upcoming war. That she could be the one to decided it all. If she chooses to.
Overall I enjoyed this one, there were a few issues I had with plot transitioning and character development I wish more time was spend on Neva as she adapted to her new surroundings. But the descriptions of the surroundings, towns and villages were fantastic. Also it's very low on romance, so you can skip a weird broody vampire love connection that we so often get in this genre. No insta love here! Which was honestly refreshing.
May 10, 2018
Reincarnated Lady Neva has been taken from the human world she knew and thrust into a strange world of vampires. She is the only one who can liberate her newly found brethren in a long standing war. She quickly finds that she is the enemy's main target. Can she triumph and protect her knew family while still looking after her old kin?
Great adventure in this Anne Rice meets Underworld tale of vampiric war. Very well written. This was a very enjoyable read. The recounts of Lady Neva are written on par with the great tales of The Vampire Lestat.
I thought it was very interesting how the vampires had made a conscious decision to not drink human blood. Very Louis de Pointe du Lac. LOL A great addition to the story was the ending. A great tie in to the Dracula mythos. Very well done.
A great book for all vampire lovers! I highly recommend this book.
Great adventure in this Anne Rice meets Underworld tale of vampiric war. Very well written. This was a very enjoyable read. The recounts of Lady Neva are written on par with the great tales of The Vampire Lestat.
I thought it was very interesting how the vampires had made a conscious decision to not drink human blood. Very Louis de Pointe du Lac. LOL A great addition to the story was the ending. A great tie in to the Dracula mythos. Very well done.
A great book for all vampire lovers! I highly recommend this book.
Want to read
June 15, 2018This cover is so gorgeous! This is a vampire tale full of revenge and politics but without the romance stigma most vampire stories have. I found the beginning slow but it picked up quickly giving the gothic tale room for growth in the next book but I never lost interest.
Neva is a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when she catches the eye of a Lord. Rose, who is infatuated with the Lord, decides she doesn't want him giving his attention to anyone else and puts a spell on Neva.
Neva is transformed into a reincarnated Lady and finds herself learning of a vampire world that she never thought existed and learning the politics of their kind. Twists and turns ensue and Neva has to figure out how she is going to survive in this cutthroat world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Neva is a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when she catches the eye of a Lord. Rose, who is infatuated with the Lord, decides she doesn't want him giving his attention to anyone else and puts a spell on Neva.
Neva is transformed into a reincarnated Lady and finds herself learning of a vampire world that she never thought existed and learning the politics of their kind. Twists and turns ensue and Neva has to figure out how she is going to survive in this cutthroat world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 15, 2018
This cover is so gorgeous! This is a vampire tale full of revenge and politics but without the romance stigma most vampire stories have. I found the beginning slow but it picked up quickly giving the gothic tale room for growth in the next book but I never lost interest.
Neva is a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when she catches the eye of a Lord. Rose, who is infatuated with the Lord, decides she doesn't want him giving his attention to anyone else and puts a spell on Neva.
Neva is transformed into a reincarnated Lady and finds herself learning of a vampire world that she never thought existed and learning the politics of their kind. Twists and turns ensue and Neva has to figure out how she is going to survive in this cutthroat world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Neva is a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time when she catches the eye of a Lord. Rose, who is infatuated with the Lord, decides she doesn't want him giving his attention to anyone else and puts a spell on Neva.
Neva is transformed into a reincarnated Lady and finds herself learning of a vampire world that she never thought existed and learning the politics of their kind. Twists and turns ensue and Neva has to figure out how she is going to survive in this cutthroat world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 26, 2018
It is breathtaking to be able to follow a character in a transformation from the second it starts. We are allowed to feel exactly what Neva feels from the second she is being turned and then forward. There are very little stories that do that for us. We can actually get a feel of every painstaking moment. Even though I could not place my self into any of the characters, it was an interesting read.
For what is a quick read it was kind of slow. However, with that said, I would definitely go on to read the second book of the series. I believe now that the groundwork has been laid out, and characters introduced, the second book should have a better rhythm and be more enjoyable.
I was given this eBook by Netgalley for an honest review.
For what is a quick read it was kind of slow. However, with that said, I would definitely go on to read the second book of the series. I believe now that the groundwork has been laid out, and characters introduced, the second book should have a better rhythm and be more enjoyable.
I was given this eBook by Netgalley for an honest review.
January 31, 2018
Thank you to the author for a e-copy of the book.
This was a good book! I was taken by it in the end, although I was fooled by it through the summary. As I look back it may not have been something I would choose for myself normally, but after reading it, I am not sorry I did and I do look forward to the next one (assuming there is more).
First off I need to comment on the author’s writing. Not the book; the writing. It is sheer perfection. The author has a way with words for sure! The writing flows so beautifully, the descriptions are vivid yet not overpowering. I always felt like I was right there in the room. It seems to fit the era the book takes place in too; no modern slang/speaking. It’s all very regal and proper and exactly what I’d want in a historical-period book.
Saying that, as good as the writing is, the plot didn’t seem to really get going till the midway point. There was a lot of introduction to the character, who she was beforehand, how she changed, and what occurred after. But when things with her started occurring to move the story forward it was pretty late into the book. Which resulted a story being told in 50% of the book. That’s not to say it was rushed—not at all. The pacing was perfect. Just overall, as I look back, not a lot seemed to happen in the book.
I will say I am quite bummed with the lack of romance. Honestly, the synopsis got me thinking her and Zachariah would be a thing; that’s why he was after her. That’s what made me want to read this. But it’s not like that at all. Zachariah is so far from her love interest and this is a good thing. I respect the author for creating a YA book with no romance too. They’re rare to find so good on her. But I am a romance sucker and I was shipping Neva and Thedryk so hard. Especially because he does have romantic feelings for her…They’re there!! And from what we saw at the end of the book, I think she could relay them back at some point. But as it stands now, I would not say there is romance in this book at all. If there is a second I am hoping romance eventually happens. If it does come in book 2 or 3 if there’s one of those, then I doubly respect the author for building the romance up so perfectly. There was nothing instant about it, at least for Neva. Anyway, fingers crossed there.
Let me just mention the names for a moment… Thedryk, Neva, Xavier, Zachariah, Eliza, Piper…the author chose great names. I love the uniqueness, especially of Neva and Thedryk. I kept wanting to say “Cedrick” but no, close, but with a “th”.
The plot itself was pretty good. I really enjoyed where it went. The incarnation mixed with vampire lore was super creative. The vampires the author created weren’t radically different from the traditional type, but they weren’t the same, so kudos there. The villain story was neat. For Zachariah and Eliza to have been in love but now “divorced” (separated) as much as they can be, and their interactions, was all very enjoyable. It threw in a nice twist that someone so nice could have had such an evil husband.
Again, I really hope there is a sequel There’s no series listed with this book, but still, with an ending like that there gotta be more! I’ll be following the author for sure for her updates.
This was a good book! I was taken by it in the end, although I was fooled by it through the summary. As I look back it may not have been something I would choose for myself normally, but after reading it, I am not sorry I did and I do look forward to the next one (assuming there is more).
First off I need to comment on the author’s writing. Not the book; the writing. It is sheer perfection. The author has a way with words for sure! The writing flows so beautifully, the descriptions are vivid yet not overpowering. I always felt like I was right there in the room. It seems to fit the era the book takes place in too; no modern slang/speaking. It’s all very regal and proper and exactly what I’d want in a historical-period book.
Saying that, as good as the writing is, the plot didn’t seem to really get going till the midway point. There was a lot of introduction to the character, who she was beforehand, how she changed, and what occurred after. But when things with her started occurring to move the story forward it was pretty late into the book. Which resulted a story being told in 50% of the book. That’s not to say it was rushed—not at all. The pacing was perfect. Just overall, as I look back, not a lot seemed to happen in the book.
I will say I am quite bummed with the lack of romance. Honestly, the synopsis got me thinking her and Zachariah would be a thing; that’s why he was after her. That’s what made me want to read this. But it’s not like that at all. Zachariah is so far from her love interest and this is a good thing. I respect the author for creating a YA book with no romance too. They’re rare to find so good on her. But I am a romance sucker and I was shipping Neva and Thedryk so hard. Especially because he does have romantic feelings for her…They’re there!! And from what we saw at the end of the book, I think she could relay them back at some point. But as it stands now, I would not say there is romance in this book at all. If there is a second I am hoping romance eventually happens. If it does come in book 2 or 3 if there’s one of those, then I doubly respect the author for building the romance up so perfectly. There was nothing instant about it, at least for Neva. Anyway, fingers crossed there.
Let me just mention the names for a moment… Thedryk, Neva, Xavier, Zachariah, Eliza, Piper…the author chose great names. I love the uniqueness, especially of Neva and Thedryk. I kept wanting to say “Cedrick” but no, close, but with a “th”.
The plot itself was pretty good. I really enjoyed where it went. The incarnation mixed with vampire lore was super creative. The vampires the author created weren’t radically different from the traditional type, but they weren’t the same, so kudos there. The villain story was neat. For Zachariah and Eliza to have been in love but now “divorced” (separated) as much as they can be, and their interactions, was all very enjoyable. It threw in a nice twist that someone so nice could have had such an evil husband.
Again, I really hope there is a sequel There’s no series listed with this book, but still, with an ending like that there gotta be more! I’ll be following the author for sure for her updates.
December 25, 2017
** My rating is 4.5, here I have rounded up because the story is closer to a 5 than a 4.
As a lover of fantasy and paranormal I have read a lot of vampire stories some good, some bad. Snow by Mikayla Elliot most definitely falls into the good category. It is a different take on the standard vampire tale.
Neva is a young woman who is working in her parents’ bakery until one day she is whisked away to the castle of a nearby Lord as a potential wife. Once at the castle she is turned into a vampire by Lord Thedryk. She is told she is the person that the vampire world has been waiting centuries for to be reborn. She is the one that will change the course of all vampires forever. Because of this, she is the target of the vampire Zachariah who wants to stop her fulfilling her destiny. Before she even has a chance to figure out what her destiny will be she must deal with Zachariah.
I loved the author’s imagination and deeply appreciated the thoughtful prose. Ms. Elliot did an excellent job of capturing my interest in the first few pages and keeping it throughout the book with inventive and unexpected plot twists. I was able to relate to the main character of Neva and her situation touched a nerve with me. The other characters were also interesting but not as well rounded; yet, I believe the author did this on purpose.
There are a few unresolved issues in the plot. I am hoping that these will be addressed in later books and not left dangling. While there is no cliff hanger, it is clear there is more to come in the story of Neva. I can also see where a whole different set of books could be an off shoot to Snow. Therefore, I have high expectations for what is yet to come.
I received a free copy of Snow in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com
As a lover of fantasy and paranormal I have read a lot of vampire stories some good, some bad. Snow by Mikayla Elliot most definitely falls into the good category. It is a different take on the standard vampire tale.
Neva is a young woman who is working in her parents’ bakery until one day she is whisked away to the castle of a nearby Lord as a potential wife. Once at the castle she is turned into a vampire by Lord Thedryk. She is told she is the person that the vampire world has been waiting centuries for to be reborn. She is the one that will change the course of all vampires forever. Because of this, she is the target of the vampire Zachariah who wants to stop her fulfilling her destiny. Before she even has a chance to figure out what her destiny will be she must deal with Zachariah.
I loved the author’s imagination and deeply appreciated the thoughtful prose. Ms. Elliot did an excellent job of capturing my interest in the first few pages and keeping it throughout the book with inventive and unexpected plot twists. I was able to relate to the main character of Neva and her situation touched a nerve with me. The other characters were also interesting but not as well rounded; yet, I believe the author did this on purpose.
There are a few unresolved issues in the plot. I am hoping that these will be addressed in later books and not left dangling. While there is no cliff hanger, it is clear there is more to come in the story of Neva. I can also see where a whole different set of books could be an off shoot to Snow. Therefore, I have high expectations for what is yet to come.
I received a free copy of Snow in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com
December 30, 2017
(Disclaimer – I received a copy from the Author. This as always does not affect my review in anyway)
Review: Vampires? Check. Good vampires vs Evil? Check. Sword fights? Check. Overused vampire clique? Nope. Perfect onto the review. I really like how it played out, you knew who the bad guy was but at the same time you didn’t really know just how bad he was. He started off good and loved, then time just made him mean. I like how that was kind of explained, he wasn’t evil for the sake of evil. He had his reasons, and you could understand them. Same with the people who joined him, they had their reasons. You couldn’t fault them for it.
I also liked the other elements/concept that were thrown it. It kept the whole vampire side fresh. They were made to fight evil, to keep the balance between the two sides. It not a concept you come across very often, if at all. Like not feeding on humans/changing anyone you liked, isn’t a very common used vampire concept. A lot wasn’t explained straight away, you had to figure it all out at the same pace as the main character. I did feel however that some things could have been explained better, it seemed to jump a bit too much. One second it was on about one thing then it flipped to another thing. It made figuring out the backdrop to the story a lot harder. I also found myself having to reread some sentences a few times, just to understand them. I think some of the sentences could have been shorten or more, used. Not sure whether this was an issue just for me.
“Mikayla holds a Bachelor’s in Business Mangement from the University of Phoenix, and feels the debt deep in her soul and pockets.” I liked this part on the back of the book under About the Author. Made me giggle. Sorry.
Review: Vampires? Check. Good vampires vs Evil? Check. Sword fights? Check. Overused vampire clique? Nope. Perfect onto the review. I really like how it played out, you knew who the bad guy was but at the same time you didn’t really know just how bad he was. He started off good and loved, then time just made him mean. I like how that was kind of explained, he wasn’t evil for the sake of evil. He had his reasons, and you could understand them. Same with the people who joined him, they had their reasons. You couldn’t fault them for it.
I also liked the other elements/concept that were thrown it. It kept the whole vampire side fresh. They were made to fight evil, to keep the balance between the two sides. It not a concept you come across very often, if at all. Like not feeding on humans/changing anyone you liked, isn’t a very common used vampire concept. A lot wasn’t explained straight away, you had to figure it all out at the same pace as the main character. I did feel however that some things could have been explained better, it seemed to jump a bit too much. One second it was on about one thing then it flipped to another thing. It made figuring out the backdrop to the story a lot harder. I also found myself having to reread some sentences a few times, just to understand them. I think some of the sentences could have been shorten or more, used. Not sure whether this was an issue just for me.
“Mikayla holds a Bachelor’s in Business Mangement from the University of Phoenix, and feels the debt deep in her soul and pockets.” I liked this part on the back of the book under About the Author. Made me giggle. Sorry.
August 11, 2018
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I intended to read Blizzard first, but when I scroll through the pages, I saw that Snow is the first book, so here I am. The synopsis suggested that Neva, a newly turned vampire has the power to alter the vampire lineage. At first, I thought maybe because she was turned, the vampire didn't want a turned vampire marrying a full blood vampire or something of the sort. But I was wrong.
The author describes all the scenes perfectly, I felt as if I am Neva, that I am experiencing the same thing as she is. I often dislike lengthy description, but not this time. Mikayla Elliot described the pre-vampire life of Neva a little, how and why she got turned and during the turning. I like that scene a lot.
I also like how each time Neva meets a stranger, she will describe what she sees and feels about said person. Also, the vampire setting is different than the usual settings for a vampire theme. They do not drink human blood, they do not think human as inferior to them. They also live to protect the humans.
I like Thedryk, he's one of the main characters. He is the kind of person that is reliable and responsible. Neva, on the other hand, she's sort of impulsive, well that's because her family is murdered. The other characters, they are too many to remember, some were even just introduced near the end.
I enjoy the book and can't wait to dive into Blizzard. Plus, if you have watched Hotel Transylvania (or an expert at history) there's gonna be a reference to one of the character.
I intended to read Blizzard first, but when I scroll through the pages, I saw that Snow is the first book, so here I am. The synopsis suggested that Neva, a newly turned vampire has the power to alter the vampire lineage. At first, I thought maybe because she was turned, the vampire didn't want a turned vampire marrying a full blood vampire or something of the sort. But I was wrong.
The author describes all the scenes perfectly, I felt as if I am Neva, that I am experiencing the same thing as she is. I often dislike lengthy description, but not this time. Mikayla Elliot described the pre-vampire life of Neva a little, how and why she got turned and during the turning. I like that scene a lot.
I also like how each time Neva meets a stranger, she will describe what she sees and feels about said person. Also, the vampire setting is different than the usual settings for a vampire theme. They do not drink human blood, they do not think human as inferior to them. They also live to protect the humans.
I like Thedryk, he's one of the main characters. He is the kind of person that is reliable and responsible. Neva, on the other hand, she's sort of impulsive, well that's because her family is murdered. The other characters, they are too many to remember, some were even just introduced near the end.
I enjoy the book and can't wait to dive into Blizzard. Plus, if you have watched Hotel Transylvania (or an expert at history) there's gonna be a reference to one of the character.
July 18, 2018
3.5
Of course, the cover drew me in on this one, but also the fact that it is categorized as Teens/YA, which it doesn't fit very well into. After reading, I would put it in New Adult/Adult Paranormal Fiction. It doesn't read like a teen book--the prose, while gorgeously elegant, is very dense and hard to power through. There are many moments where I am taken out and am not quite sure what is going on or why it matters. The other aspect that makes this more adult is the fact that the main character is already married and there are no problems that teens struggle with as a specific age group highlighted in this novel.
On the other hand, while this book was extremely hard to get into, it heftily picks up just over halfway through, and the end is rather action-packed. The end also add intrigue to the plot of the antagonist and does inspire some hope that the second novel will have more action and less dense internal monologue. In my experience, the second book in a trilogy is the best one, and the second book for this series has higher ratings (although probably because the people who really liked this one continued to read), but I will give the second book a shot because I feel like, now that things are set up, the action and plot will be more exciting from the get-go of book two.
Of course, the cover drew me in on this one, but also the fact that it is categorized as Teens/YA, which it doesn't fit very well into. After reading, I would put it in New Adult/Adult Paranormal Fiction. It doesn't read like a teen book--the prose, while gorgeously elegant, is very dense and hard to power through. There are many moments where I am taken out and am not quite sure what is going on or why it matters. The other aspect that makes this more adult is the fact that the main character is already married and there are no problems that teens struggle with as a specific age group highlighted in this novel.
On the other hand, while this book was extremely hard to get into, it heftily picks up just over halfway through, and the end is rather action-packed. The end also add intrigue to the plot of the antagonist and does inspire some hope that the second novel will have more action and less dense internal monologue. In my experience, the second book in a trilogy is the best one, and the second book for this series has higher ratings (although probably because the people who really liked this one continued to read), but I will give the second book a shot because I feel like, now that things are set up, the action and plot will be more exciting from the get-go of book two.
March 19, 2019
Snow by Mikayla Elliot
With a dramatic and gruesome start Neva begins describing, in purple prose, how she was turned into a vampire by Thedryk as he tried to save her. The purple prose continues as Ms. Eliot sets up her world. Mostly told through Neva’s eyes. Her white aura reveals she is a chosen one and Thedryk has been following her for centuries.
Ms. Eliot has developed a new unique vampire story. It takes a while to get into, but it is intriguing. So if you can get past the purple prose you will enjoy this story. There are many supporting characters who are introduced who add tension and drive the story forward. Emotion runs high as Neva comes face to face with a reality she never dreamed could happen.
As this is a trilogy there is a larger story arc that continues past the end of this book. However, this story comes to a satisfying closure. If you are looking for a new vampire story that breaks free from typical vampire trope this might be the book for you. As long as you can tolerate the purple prose that adds far too many descriptive words, which is why I gave this book the rating I did.
FYI: “Snow” is book 1 in Mikayla Elliot’s Black Ice Trilogy. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** February 13, 2019
Format/Typo Issues: No significant issues.
With a dramatic and gruesome start Neva begins describing, in purple prose, how she was turned into a vampire by Thedryk as he tried to save her. The purple prose continues as Ms. Eliot sets up her world. Mostly told through Neva’s eyes. Her white aura reveals she is a chosen one and Thedryk has been following her for centuries.
Ms. Eliot has developed a new unique vampire story. It takes a while to get into, but it is intriguing. So if you can get past the purple prose you will enjoy this story. There are many supporting characters who are introduced who add tension and drive the story forward. Emotion runs high as Neva comes face to face with a reality she never dreamed could happen.
As this is a trilogy there is a larger story arc that continues past the end of this book. However, this story comes to a satisfying closure. If you are looking for a new vampire story that breaks free from typical vampire trope this might be the book for you. As long as you can tolerate the purple prose that adds far too many descriptive words, which is why I gave this book the rating I did.
FYI: “Snow” is book 1 in Mikayla Elliot’s Black Ice Trilogy. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** February 13, 2019
Format/Typo Issues: No significant issues.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews