The Not-So Dead

by Isaiyan Morrison

All Faye wants is another chance at being normal: hanging out with friends, playing video games, reading the latest Manga... As a wraith, her craving for a normal existence seems forever out of reach. When she makes the move to the small town of Hueman, Texas with her not-so dead nomadic family, she prays this fresh start will be the one that sticks.

Until... one of her kind is murdered by a mysterious man in a black mask.

With only Carter, an unlucky human witness, by her side, Faye must find a way to prevent the body count from rising and protect her family’s secret identity. As the man in the black mask lurks in the shadows waiting to strike again, her choice becomes a matter of life and death.

In the face of true evil, being normal is overrated.

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2020

About the author

Isaiyan Morrison was born and raised in Minneapolis, but her heart is in the impressive magical worlds she dreams up. She hopes to share her love for world-building with her readers and help guide them through the extraordinary settings she creates.

Her other passions include reading, and researching historical events. She also enjoys gardening, gaming, spending quality time with her three cherished cats and beloved pitbull, and practicing her Christian faith.


You can find her at:
https://www.wattpad.com/user/isaiyanm...

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming for THE NOT-SO-DEAD Book 1!

5 Stars!

Isaiyan Morrison has scheduled several short stories to introduce her characters leading up to the release of THE NOT-SO DEAD

November 5th: Faye's Story

Faye was a typical teen, in love with online gaming where she could be herself behind the facade of her online character. A trip with her sister would change her life forever and force her to face a new reality, leaving her family behind.

Faye was attacked, but the mysterious attacker was almost kind and although her sister could swear she was dead, Faye seems fine, but is she? Who is Dusk and what part will he play in Faye's future?

November 19th - Maddy's Story

Maddy is young, frustrated with all of the restrictions surrounding her new existence. A rebellious action will teach her the meaning of family and the lengths they will go to protect her.

December 3rd - Salome's Story

Salome is the "Mother" of the group. She has a need to nurture, her past and her present both haunt her and make her the the person she is today.

More short stories leading up to THE NOT-SO DEAD releasing on the following dates:

December 17th - Dusk's story
December 31st - Tristan's Story
January 14th - Essie's Story

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Isaiyan Morrison! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Series: The Dead Series - Book 1
Publication Date: January 21, 2020
Publisher: Isaiyan Morrison
Genre: YA Fantasy
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Inkslinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC provided by XpressoTours and Isaiyan Morrison. All opinions are mine and freely given.

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01-29: No great quotes for this one.. primarily because it didn't have anything worth repeating.

'The Not-So Dead' by Isaiyan Morrison is one of those titles that seems really interesting from the get-go.

It's a pretty modern paranormal story about a group of undead who have been found along the way by their leader, Dusk, and kept together like a family. He and his girlfriend Salome are sort of the parental figures. Rounded out by Tristan.. the century old cowboy, Maddy.. the well.. bratty mean girl, and Faye.. the youngest of the brood, they arrive in a place where they hope to settle down with the help of a human friend, only to find danger lurking in the small town of.. wait for it.. Hueman. Now, if you winced at that like I did, let me just tell you now.. it never stopped being cringey.

I was actually pretty eager to get my hands on this novel because I love paranormal stories, but typically they're written about the more common figures.. vampires.. weres.. fae.. and what have you. What made this story stand out for me was the fact it centered on a group of wraithes and I'd never read a modern story involving them before. The idea that an author thought to tackle something so unusual implied to me that she probably wanted to be able to really define them herself.. what they were like.. what made them unique and interesting.. and so different from all the go-to supernatural figures out there.

Unfortunately, wraithes as a species really didn't get much attention. A couple minor differences are thrown into the story like tokens meant to support the theory they're something else, but it was a really minimal effort. And.. that seemed to be the tone of the book. Minimal effort.

Dusk and Salome have this long time love affair you get glimpses of every time they're in a room together. They barely part. But there's no substance shown to really support that relationship we can tell is there. Even their names imply they should be figures of fascination.. mystery.. sensuality.. something.. but they're as paper thin as everyone else in the book.

Faye, the main character, meets up with a human she finds herself inevitably attracted to. Unfortunately, they have very little chemistry, which I guess is less disappointing that the couple who does.. but never shows it. Carter is sweet though, if not a little reckless, I just found I didn't really care much about anyone but Dusk and Salome.. and having your audience more interested in side characters they barely see.. isn't a good sign.

In fact, the only things that did seem to get more than a cursory bit of development, were the.. let's call them artifacts. The artifacts in the hands of the enemies actually sound really interesting. Of all the squandered potential in the book, these suffer from that the least. But even the group that holds them is just a vague mention here and there despite having caused years worth of strife.

I can say it's a fast read, if you don't feel like you're tormenting yourself. Whenever I was able to push myself to continue it, the chapters went by quickly, but it was a chore. It's not a bad story, it's just not an interesting one either.. and it wasn't worth my time.

--------------------------

01-28: Finally finished this book today. My whole weekend went sideways with a family member in the hospital.. and it took me a bit to get going again.. in no small part due to the fact I was not enjoying the read. I'll post a review in the next day or so.

01-23: Going to start this one tomorrow or the next day. We'll see about it. The synopsis is interesting, but it really could go either way.

[Michelle VanDaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced page turner - Faye's story will grab you from the start and won't let go. I absolutely love the unique world this author has created and cant wait for more.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good story with characters that can draw you in, and there is so much potential for continuation. There were two reasons I couldn't give this book five stars: There is a cliff hanger, which forces you to wait for the next book to even address any potential closure, (or will the next book be a cliff hanger too?) Secondly, the characters are captivating and the story is good, I felt it could've been just a touch more developed. The premise is unique and excellent, as a fan of paranormal, this is a storyline I've never come across before, and it is completely engaging! There is a little bit of love infused between the characters which leaves room for further development in future books but for now, it is more sweet than anything else. The humans that are involved make for an interesting twist and the way they are woven in lets you use some imagination as you read. All in all, a good read if you don't mind waiting for the next book in the series, which I am anxiously awaiting. I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my own unsolicited opinion.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Isaiyan Morrison. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.




The Not So Dead is about a "not so dead" teenager, going through the angsty transition to not being quite human anymore. In fact, she is a wraith and is living with her new wraith family. If you're wondering what a wraith is, it's a being that feeds off human's, but not their blood - their essence. It is a lot like the Succubus in Lost Girl, feeding off people's Chi.

I enjoyed this being the book creature since I haven't read a story about wraiths before. And I like unique creatures!

The main plot follows Faye, who is just a gamer teen and who just wants to be a regular gamer teen. She meets this human and is really into him. This human, Carter, is on his own mission. He is searching to uncover what kind of creature killed his parents. This creature with red eyes. And wraiths have red eyes.

There's some interesting plot development, introducing a creature hunter, of a sort. And an interesting tool/weapon/artifact that can be used to hurt these creatures of darkness.

The book was short, a fun taste of a paranormal story. I would have enjoyed more character development and a lot more detail about the artifact. But I feel this is to going to build on in further books in the series. The romance between our main characters could definitely use more development. It was a bit funny that a secondary character even commented something like "oh you've kissed and now you're in love."

The audio narration was good, lots of different voices being done by the narrator. Some of the voices I liked more than others, but overall it was enjoyable.

Overall a quick, fun paranormal story. 3.5 stars.

[Leelynn (Sometimes Leelynn Reads) ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Isaiyan Morrison. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

First of all, I was really happy to see that Faye was an Asian MC. I am sad that she’s not-so dead, meaning she’s a wraith that needs to feed on humans’ essence in order to survive, but hey. I love that she’s so into video games and manga and just wants to have a normal life. She kind of reminds me of Bo from Lost Girl, except Faye leeches from life force and Bo sucks some sexual chi. But they both are trying to figure out how to manage their intense hunger and make some sort of life in the after-life.

I liked the work that Turret did for Faye’s voice, although I definitely wasn’t getting any Asian vibes from Faye except when it was specific. I think that Turret did a good job voicing her and the other characters though, and I like that she was the only narrator for this book. I think she was a great neutral voice for the book and gave the book that Faye voice that I liked a lot.

I also liked that this wasn’t your typical – I’m a vampire needing to learn how to feed – type of book, although it’s a wraith with similar issues. I haven’t come across a book about wraiths before, and I think that this found family that Faye has with her other fellow wraiths were great. They are under the protection of Dusk, who seems to be the oldest of them all, and wants to make sure that they are all protected since they are his family. But when one of them gets killed by a “human” that seems to know how to kill wraiths, then things start to hit the fan.

I can’t wait to see how the second one in this installment comes out, and I think Faye is a great character to get to know! Even though she’s only been a wraith for about two years, she’s still learning what it means to be not-so dead and ends up making a friend that likes some of the same things she does. Even though he’s a human and she’s… well not, I hope that they are still able to maintain that friendship in future books.

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 4 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars

Different. Unique. Interesting. Entertaining. Uncommon. Wonderful characters. Drawing story. Fast paced. Flowing audio. Creative imagery.

Narrator Samantha gave depth to a story that was already intriguing with her voice and levels of tone, pitch, and emotion.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Isaiyan Morrison. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faye is a teenager and ends up not-so dead, a wraith, which before this book I had not heard of, apparently they are very similar to vampires but don’t suck on blood, instead going for human essence.
She is the youngest in the group of wraiths and when one is killed they have to find out who did it.
This book has it all, paranormal, mystery, a love interest and kept me interested with the different elements. I am not going to go into real detail as that would spoil it for those wanting to listen or read it. But it was well thought out, the world and character detail was great and the author did a wonderful job describing it.

The narrator made this flow so well, her voice was pleasant to listen to.

Ending on a cliffhanger leaving you eager for the next installment.

It was a great start to a series.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Faye just wants a normal life, but being a Wraith makes that almost impossible. You just keep reading to find out what happened. Enjoyable

[Rayanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Read

This is a fun fast book to read! It’s a great story of people who are not human and have bonded together to form a family. Faye the newest member of the family hadn’t been a wraith very long and is still coming to terms with all that it entails. She is not to keen on leeching as she hasn’t got it down as when to stop so that the person doesn’t die. She is dealing with human emotions for a human boy but she knows it’s not a good idea to be involved with him. The family has just moved to a new town where they are suppose to be safe, but there is someone hunting them. He shoots them with poisoned arrows and has a stone around his neck that burns their skin. Faye is trying to find out what the dark magic is and how it affects them all the while being hunted by this man. Carter the human, knows there is something different about Faye and is trying to figure it out and also who killed his parents 10 years earlier. The two of them together put the story together and start asking questions, they don’t realize that the person they seek answer from is not the good guy! Now they will all have to fight for their lives. The ending is really good! You’ll have to read the book to find out who lives and who dies!

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Not-So Dead by Isaiyan Morrison is a book I could not stop reading. This is book number one in this series, it had me on the edge of my seat from the start till the end of the book and now I can barely wait to read book number two. I very highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about a fantasy that have you wanting to read more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brandy Mulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an unexpected treat. It's a mix of paranormal, mystery and almost elements of horror. Faye isn't happy with her new life as a wraith and not having anything normal except her video games. When her adopted family moves to a new town she hits it off with a guy but he's human and that's not allowed. Only problem is he saves her from a hunter who wants to kill anyone like her. He just wants to find out the truth about his parent's muder and now they're all in a race to find out who the hunter is before he kills them all. It's not a long book but it's got some really good elements.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Faye wanted was to be normal , she wanted to hang out , play video games and do what any normal teenager does . But her life isn't normal being a wraith puts a real damper on the whole normal thing . When they move to a small town. They think that they might have a chance at normal until they start dying at the hands of a mystery man in a black mask . Now Faye needs to find out who is trying to kill the family . Also trying to keep the body count from rising and keep her family safe .
The characters are well written and you will really like Faye . She is you typical teen ager when you first meat her. She loves gaming and reading Manga and just wants to be normal.Being a wraith doesn't let her do that . She is one gutsy, feisty girl who you will love to read . Carter is the human who is actually falling for Faye and he is sweet and kind and just wants to keep Faye safe . They are so cute when they are together and they can kick some butt also ,
This is an interesting book the first one I have actually read about Wraiths . The author sets them up very well . I love the whole family aspect of them and how they keep each other safe . The book is a dark , daunting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat . The action will have you turning pages all night long . I do feel that there are a few parts of the story drug just a little. Over all i truly enjoyed getting to know about Wraiths and can't wait till the second book . So check it out .

[Mrs. Varela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Not So-Dead by Isaiyan Morrison is a skillfully crafted paranormal story. Faye is a teenager whose life was changed when she unwittingly becomes not so-dead. All she desires is to return to her old life with her family and friends. Instead she travels from place to place with her new family who are like her. The only thing that keeps her ‘alive’ are her video games that she would play 24 hours day if she could. When they settle down in Hueman, Texas, she comes face to face with the reality what it means to be not so-dead.

When a member of her new family is killed by a mysterious man in a black mask Faye’s curiosity is peaked about the secrets of the not so-dead. As she befriends a human named Carter who witnesses the murder, he becomes more involved in her life and some of her family members are not happy about their new found friendship. They insist she not be involved with humans. Nonetheless, Carter wants to keep Faye safe from the murderous masked man and begins to wonder if there is any connection between her family and his parents murder ten years earlier. As Carter becomes drawn closer into Faye’s family drama he learns much more than he bargained for.

While I am not a fan of the paranormal genre, the author keeps the story flowing with action and an oddly realistic spin on things. This is only the first of the The Dead Series for new fans of the author to enjoy.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE INTERESTING ADVENTURE!!!
Intense! Isaiyan unleashes this nailbiting, heart pounding, pulse racing, adrenaline pumping, mind-bending bombshell that hooks you from the start and reels you in for the duration. A tightly coiling vortex of daunting contingencies and a bevy of unintentional events launch this baby into a tizzy with stunning impacts. Struggling with the drama, tension, intrigue, danger and soaring suspense, keeping you riveted on a razors edge. Add distress, secrets and turmoil along with perplexing situations and a boatload of dark dastardly deeds, makes for one thrilling rollercoaster ride. Boasting well rounded scenario's that punch dead center with such exuberance and style, thrusting this gem into the eye of the storm, breaking it down, blasting it into a tailspin with an astonishing culmination. Blundering through the trials and tribulations, along with unexpected twists and crisp turns, testing our characters in ways they could have never anticipated. The characters are authentic and realistic with traits and qualities that blend into outstanding personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions, it gives the illusion you were right there in the middle of ground zero with them. Remarkable job Isaiyan, thanks for sharing this baby with us.

[Christi Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title:The Not-So Dead
Author: Isaiyan Morrison
Format: Audio
Narrator: Samantha Turret
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal (Wraith), Suspense
Standalone: Not really, The last chapter leads into the next book
Part of a Series: Book 1 of The Dead Series
POV: Faye and Carter
Steam Level: Clean, some kissing
4/5

The Not-So Dead is a great start to The Dead Series. I don't think I've ever read a book about wraiths (or if I have it's been a while). I liked the mystery surrounding the person trying to kill Faye and Carter tenacity to find out the real creature behind his parent's deaths. I also liked the different characters in Faye's family.

What I didn't like was the narration. The voices were a bit over the top but were definitely... unique. The part of the narration that bugged me the most though, the narrator's consistent muddling of the "T"'s in the middle of words. "Button-up shirt" sounded like "buddon-up shirt," "battle" vs "baddle", etc. It became distracting, detracting from an otherwise pretty fun story.

I received this audiobook for free from StoryOrigin. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Anaba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb of this book caught my interest and it was easy to sink in this story. It starts with Faye and her not-so dead family on their way to start a new life in a new town.
Faye and the others are wraith – a special kind of (not-so dead) supernatural beings. Even they need humans to survive they all trey to stay away from them as much as possible. But soon Faye’s family is hunted and Faye starts to ask questions. Carter a young human man believes in supernatural beings and got his own reason to search for answers.
The story switches between Faye and Carter and I enjoyed both sides. Both have to face danger and the protective behaviour of Fayes family. Between Faye and Carter is a tension and some sparks – but I couldn’t feel the emotions.
The story is breathtaking and full of dangerous situations and I enjoyed it a lot. The epilogue makes me looking forward to the next book in this series.
The audiobook is narrated by Samantha Turret. Her voice got a youthful sound and I think it fits quite well with the story.

[Tammy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by saying that my expectations of the book in the beginning were grim however, I am so glad I gave this book a chance. It is a great story that leads you down a dark twisted path of the life of the paranormal. It's a thrilling story with dark attributes. Not So Dead takes you through a series of winding, bent paths that make the paranormal come alive. I enjoyed the characters they were very well written and came to life from the very start and kept me interested for the entire story. I felt there pain, anger, happiness and fear. I would highly recommend this book to any person who enjoys the paranormal side of things.

[Viridiana Dimas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gritty paranormal you must read!

Another well written, intriguing and addictive read from Isaiyan Morrison. I really enjoy the world and characters this author brings to life. They totally suck you in to the story and keeps you turning page after page. It is recommended to read the short stories before reading book 1 of this series, but not necessary. You get to know better and build on each of the other members' backstory.

Not only is The Not So Dead very unique with its originality of the dark and gritty themes in this story, but also hitting its mark for another must read for me. Definitely recommend and waiting to see what happens in the next book!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. Definitely YA, but it certainly crosses over to a light fantasy read for adults. I enjoyed it immensely and could not put it down. The characters were interesting, and the plot was well thought out. The language was clean, and there was nothing too graphic. I would find this age appropriate for middle graders on up, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre and is young at heart.

"I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

[Roger]

The Not-So Dead (The Dead Series, #1), my first read from author Isaiyan Morrison. I was gifted an Audible copy of this book a year ago and just lost track of it until now. Well-written with memorable characters that make you want to read more about them. December seemed to be my month for new authors, January & February & then March continued the trend, and now April, so good I went out & bought book 2, The So-So Dead while listening to it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Antoinette Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing

I liked how the story flowed. I had never heard of a wraith, but i liked how is twist on energy vampires. I will be looking for next installment of the series, i can't wait to see how this story plays out and what other twist comes our way.

[Lynn 2 Girls & A Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first wraith book and I loved it. The narrator, Samantha Turrett, did a fantastic job with the voices and brought the story to life for me.

Author Isaiyan Morrison created loveable, snarky characters that I want to hang out with.

[Tobyann Aparisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book (Kindle version) for an honest review.
Well written, very entertaining. A page turner that will have you up till dawn to finish this in one go.

[Ruth Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really understood what a wraith was until now. I couldn't put it down waiting for the next surprise in the story. The characters are engaging and I love the descriptions of them like Dusk