Great Start to a Great Series
594503
What a fantastic book!

Our book begins with a thief running away, a teacher down on his luck, and a magic user with rather dubious motives.  The teacher blunders through a  doorway and into a weird place--a castle filled with magic, weird rooms, lots of "Guests" (others who have wandered in over the years), and (eventually) our mysterious Host--a wizard king named Incarnadine.  Over the course of the book we discover that the castle is *really* a demon with thousands of portals opening to other worlds, that the castle itself is under siege by a group of enemies using powerful magic to capture the castle, and an underlying curse that could make it far worse  than the enemies can imagine. Along the way we have fantastic magical battles, thrilling escapes, mysterious visitors, and all manner of unusual coincidences.

Well recommended and the beginning of what looks to be a quite unusual series.  If you like comedic fantasy with a dash of "it's not all roses out there", you'll like this.
4433877
This feels like the start to a great series. I'm looking forward to the next book. I can really appreciate that not all characters were bland and straightforward. The depth and diversity of personalities made this easier to read.
2018756
Loved this starter for the series. Kian and Syssi's story create a great foundation for all to come. I loved reading the whole series and can't wait for the next one..
243747
A great start to a great series of books, I just love n laugh how Aiden and Meryn meet, their interaction
makes you laugh out loud while reading, would love to see this as a TV or Movie series, absolutely
loved it
3389124
A great start to a series, yes there could have been a bit more added but it's the first in the series so it didn't take away from my review. Jordan was not liked by the town she grew up in because they thought she was a witch. However, this rumor is actually true. She ends up leaving for 11 years without saying anything to anyone. Not even her fianc&eacute; at the time, kind of rude, but whatever. Matt sees her back in town and he's never stopped loving her. Can they rekindle their love even though they have a mean and beautiful girl who wants Matt all for himself and the town trying to pull them apart. And what about this secret that Matt is keeping?
I really did enjoy this story. I like the way Carrie Ann Ryan pulls the reader into a book. She really knows how to keep the reader engrossed!
Voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book
1439152
This book was a great beginning to what should turn out to be a great series. It is well-written and
perfectly paced.

The plotline of a virus being manufactured and dispersed by an unknown organisation is conceivable, but hopefully not in my lifetime. The plague, how it spreads, the attempts to stop it and the inevitable collapse of society is disturbingly realistic, although the control of the infected leans towards the paranormal.

The characters behave and react in a believable way, as they learn to work together to survive and fight against the infected population.

I am looking forward to the second book, and finding out what happens next.

(also reviewed on Amazon.co.uk)
2137495
A great start to a new series. Tracy gives us amazing stories with great characters and this is no exception. The characters are well developed and easily relatable. Sam and Laurel has mega chemistry from the beginning. This is a great quick read and I can't wait for the other ones.
853548
I don't see why some people think so negatively about ths book (read 1-star reviews to see what I mean). In my opinion this is a great beginning to a series. Put aside the grammatical mistakes and enjoy what the book has to offer (not that I have noticed many mistakes). I have already read the full series and it turns out pretty good. I recomend this book for people above 10 years old who like a good eventful book.

Good work here, Kyle. 5 stars
3297309
A great start to the series. Love the character development as well as the plot. A solid, well-written story that takes you along for the ride.
162555
Absolutely wonderful start to a very good series.
The story itself is a little dull, but what makes this book and series very interesting is the love story that is developing.
Witches and vampires; light and dark; all in all I'm glad I started reading this.  It's definitely a twist on the normal vampire and witch books I'm used to reading.
Definitely worth a read.
4858956
A great start to a new series. I'm so glad I picked this one up! I had debated about it for a while and had it on my TBR list, but kept putting it off. I ran across a great review of the third book in the series by someone who I really respect, so I decided to get off my duff and read the first. I was not disappointed. I love shifter books, especially when there's some world building and little different take on the genre. Calmes delivers in spades. Such an enjoyable read. I would recommend this book and the rest of the series to anyone who enjoys a great paranormal read.
2949659
This series is great.  The first in the series was a bit confusing because you are just expected to follow along without much knowledge or description of how this world works.  I think the second through the fourth are my favorite.  The series gets better as it builds.  I will definitely read this one again.
4585359
I was given this book for an honest review.

This is a great beginning to a series that I just know you are all going to love.  Miri has been hurt by her previous boyfriend and has sworn off men completely.  She has had it and doesn't want to be with anyone else for a very long time.  However, her friend Jenn has other ideas and takes her to a shifter bar where she comes in contact with Malcolm who blows her mind but she still resists the temptation.  Malcolm sizes up Miri and loves what he sees although he feels her pain.  There is more to Miri and Malcolm that I am going to write about here, just get the book, right now it is free and once you read this one, you will definitely want the rest, I guarantee it.
4116659
This was a wonderful free read and a great beginning to the series.  It appears that each book will be self contained and yet the Island magic continues thru them all.  I really want to read the story that is the continuation of the Master of the island.  His story Im sure will be very exciting.  Ive read one other of this series and it was great as well.  With what looks to be a great line up of authors
2137680
This first book in Cohen's Halcyone series is a great start. The main character, Ro Maldonado, is a prickly and talented young woman with an abusive father. And let me tell you, her father is a major jackass, a criminal, and an all-round candidate for worst father ever. However, his bad parenting is almost equaled by Micah Rotherwood's dad, a disgraced senator in league with Maldonado senior. All of the despicable behavior is in spoiler territory, so 'nuff said.

When Ro discovers Micah in the crashed derelict ship, she wants to move in as well. She's fascinated by the 40-year-old tech and wants badly to fix this abandoned ship for her own. Micah has been using the space for botany experiments, which involve growing some illegal plant material.

Jem Durbin is a brilliant kid who is a little bit infatuated with Ro and eagerly takes on projects to help her revive the Halcyone. His brother, Barre, is a genius in a completely different way involving music, but has a bit of a drug habit. When Jem finds Barre unconscious, he asks Ro to hack the medical system to get rid of any evidence of drugs in Barre's system. As soon as he can get his brother up and moving, he takes him to the Halcyone to hide out from their parents. Jem knows Barre will be sent to rehab if he's found, so off they go to join Ro and Micah on the derelict ship.

Okay, four brilliant teens messing about with an old ship. What could go wrong? Plenty is barely sufficient to cover it.

Overall this is a great setup for the series as we learn about the main actors in the series books to come (there are three in the series as I'm writing this, so hurry up and get started now).

This is a strong opening to an entertaining series which is not all fluffy YA kid stuff. There is plenty of tech here to satisfy the hardcore Science Fiction fan.

Highly recommended. I'll definitely be hitting the other books in the series soon.
4511059
What a great start to a series!  I was captivated, not only by the known magical creatures, but also by the unique creatures that the author came up with.  The prophecy states that someone of Arturo's descent will kill the Dragon Sorceress and off we go following 2 cousins that are descendents of Arturo.  Along with 2 of their friends, the 4 of them make their way to the castle to confront the Dragon Sorceress.  Along the way, Kali, Drake, Ferra and Harold meet many great creatures, some good, some bad that help them along the way.  My favorites were the wood sprites!
This book is perfect for both kids and adults.  I look forward to reading the next one in the series!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
4584276
A great start for a great series of novels.

Mr. Harper does an amazing job of building a future universe filled with flaws and wonders.  In this book we meet many characters who extend through the series and, like the universe they inhabit, are very real and interesting people.

If you are a fan of future worlds, SF, Fantasy or just like a good story do yourself a favor and get a copy of Dreamer.