Omens (Cainsville, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Jun 21, 2017 Cee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, paranormal, mythology, thriller

Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, featuring werewolves and vampires and witches, is one of my favourite series of all time. It took me a long time to pick up Omens because how would it compare? Would it measure up to my expectations?

Actually, yes. It did.

Though it has to be said that Cainsville is a whole other beast than WotO. Where her first series is in-your-face supernatural, Cainsville starts off subtle, with the merest hint of otherworldly. Main character Olivia discovers ...more

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Sep 09, 2013 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-audio-books, books-read-2013

If you’re picking this up hoping that it will have any semblance with Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series, then keep on walking. Other than the fact that the writing is superb, you won’t find much else that will put these two in the same category. For starters, even though OMENS is supposed to have a paranormal element to it, it’s very small so far and lightly woven in with the story. To me, this reads more like a mystery with a hint of paranormal. Mostly because of where the h

If you’re picking this up hoping that it will have any semblance with Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series, then keep on walking. Other than the fact that the writing is superb, you won’t find much else that will put these two in the same category. For starters, even though OMENS is supposed to have a paranormal element to it, it’s very small so far and lightly woven in with the story. To me, this reads more like a mystery with a hint of paranormal. Mostly because of where the heroine was in her discovery.

The most important thing about writing a book like this is to make your heroine likeable and relatable, and OMENS hit that in the head. I love Olivia. From the very beginning, when she had a life of luxury and everything in her favor, she was an independent chick who didn’t want to be confined to other people’s ideas of what she should be. Then quickly her life got turned upside down.

Olivia finds out she was adopted by her rich parents, and that her real parents are a famous convicted couple who allegedly committed a series of murders. Violent and cult like killings. And as the daughter of such monsters, she’s shunned by her peers, harassed by the media and forced into living a different life. One in which maybe she would be open to proving that her parents didn’t really commit those crimes.

The town of Cainsville was very interesting to discover and the slow progression of how Olivia integrated herself with the people and started figuring out the OMENS was interesting and nicely done. No info dump here. We learn about things as Olivia does. And see everything through her rational eyes. Omens, premonitions and even old folk tales. It all added to the charm of the town and the story.

Of course then there’s Gabriel. Bad boy turned lawyer who will scam anyone if it serves his purpose. He’s the perfect counterpart for Olivia. She’s lived her life in the complete opposite to him and what he represents that it was wonderful to see him stretching her limits and helping her see who she really is, while being instrumental in her accomplishing her goals.

Kelly Armstrong does it again. OMENS is definitely an engaging read, full of mystery and unexpected twists. What I liked best? That this was so far off from what I was expecting! And now I am anxiously awaiting the next installment. ...more

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Feb 24, 2018 Stacey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library

This was almost a 4 star read for me, as I loved the world building, enjoyed the h and think the H is fascinating. It lost a star in the middle because it just sloooowed down too much and it was a struggle to get through until the action picked up again at the end.

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