Reviews

Sanctuary by Melle Amade

kayladbruns's review

Go to review page

3.0

I like this story but it just wasn't all there for me. The beginning was also king of hard to struggle through. The love triangle was confusing as hell. There was really no chemistry between her and either of the guys. She just kept pining after these two guys and always kissing one or the other. Man she was so indecisive! I also couldn’t see why she was friends with these people, Zan especially. It sure didn’t seem as if she and Zan were really friends at all. Towards the end some things got cleared but it also left some more unanswered questions. It wasn’t terrible so I might read the next installment since its on Kindle Unlimited.

jlaynereads's review

Go to review page

5.0

Surprisingly great

I am part of the author Melle's newsletter & ARC group, I recieved this book free I hopes I would love it & review it.

I fell in love with this strange group of friends from the beginning. There were times I wanted to smack them all Shae included but that is just the Mom in me. I wanted to hug Shae & protect her & Henry. I wanted Aiden to make up his mind & for Shae to do the same ... Callum & Zan deserve at least that! I wanted to right the injustices and make their world a better place. I was moved to tears more than once & this is not an easy feat! I was sad at the end but now ... On to the next in the series Remnants (which I received as an ARC!)

lolasreviews's review

Go to review page

4.0

Sanctuary is a great Young Adult book about shifters. And I really enjoyed reading this one. I got this one a while ago when it was free, but had forgotten about it again until I read one of this author's short stories in the Marked by Fate Origins set. I really liked her style and wanted to read more of her books. Then I realized I already had one of her books. I had read another short story, Heritage, as well before I started this one. So I had a bit of background knowledge as well, which I think worked well. Some events at the start of the book were less mysterious, but I liked knowing what was going on.

Sanctuary follows Shae, who has a bit of a boring summer as all her friends were on Camp in Europe. Now they're finally back, but something has changed and they're acting different now. And then slowly Shae finds out what is going on and discovers the shifter world. As I already read two short stories before reading this book I had a bit of extra knowledge and knew more of what was going on as Shae, but I kinda liked this as it gave me a better understanding of what was happening here.

The introduction doesn't go on too long and quickly Shae discovers that shifters exist. There are some great twists and surprises in this book and I liked how the author gave an original twist on this genre. The world building is a tad dark. These shifters aren't all nice, they have a dark and violent history. Shae lands in a difficult situation with no easy solution. There are difficult choices the characters need to be made where they risk a lot.

I really enjoyed this book. It was exactly the type of book I was in the mood for and I found it an addictive read. Before I finished this book I had already bought two more books by this author and I can't wait to delve more into this world of shifters he has created. I also liked how the author used some dutch words as the Netherlands is a location were part of the shifters live. It was fun to be able to recognize some of the words and it gave a certain flavor to the world and lore. Another part I thought was well done is how there were many different types of shifters, the focus is mostly on a few of them, but from what I understood all type of animal shifters are possible in this world.

I liked Shae as a main character. I thought she felt like a pretty realistic character, she could be a bit impulsive at times and a bit too curious, but I did mostly like her. I also liked how she showed forgiveness later on int he book when she understood another character better. She lands in a difficult situation and she just wants to know what happened with her friends and then when she discovers the dangerous world of shifters she has some more difficult choices to make. I also liked getting to know her friends and while at first they seemed distant and cold, eventually it makes sense why they acted that way and I think they showed their true colors later on. And I grew to like them all even more then.

There is a bit of drama and angst, but that mostly is related to the plot. There is a set-up for romance or even a possible love triangle, but it stays mainly to the background. I wouldn't have minded a bit more attention to it, but with everything going on it also made sense they didn't have time for romance or talks at times. It mostly stays with a few kisses and some conflicting emotions. I also appreciated that Shae tried to do the right thing, even though it was difficult.

To summarize: Sanctuary was a great read! It gives an original twist on the shifter genre and it was an addictive read. I liked reading about this world, were shifters exist, but there is a lot of darkness too. The shifters have a dark and violent history, lots of rules and many shifters aren't likeable at all, but they did all have their own motivations and their actions made sense. But there are also some very loyal and caring shifters among them. This book had some great twists and I am eager to see how the story continues and to learn more about this world. I thought the world building was well done and it gave the world a unique feel. I liked the few dutch words the author used and how all types of animal shifter seemed possible. The characters were fun to read about, the world seemed unique and the story kept my attention. All in all a great read and I hope to return to this world soon.

angelakparker's review

Go to review page

3.0

Interesting and different. Good start to the series if you like a love triangle of sorts. Shae & Aiden have a connection but can't be together because his girlfriend, Zan, is friends with them both. Shae also has a connection with Callum. Interesting story line. It's just a little weird. If you're age 16 & younger you'll enjoy this book. Not the usual young adult fantasy. I followed the story fairly well. The pace was quick. Overall it's a good read, just not what I was expecting.

jworthen94's review

Go to review page

3.0

I really loved the story concept and the idea that this book had, but there were a few things that lacked for me. I definitely don't think this should be considered a romance. There were like 3, maybe 4 kisses and nothing really developed between her and callum or Aiden. Maybe its a really, really, really slow burn romance?

kristangrace's review

Go to review page

3.0

Was good fun and interesting and I didn't see some of the twist coming which was fun to guess and try to piece things together!
I liked the main character and especially her friendships and family relationships, they were sweet and I always love a good trustworthy, strong friendships and family's in story's.
The plot was interesting as well and the mythology was cool to learn about.
It did feel a little rushed at times and I wanted things to develop a bit slower and take its time a bit more but I still had fun reading this and read it in one sitting, was fast paced and real easy to read.

michaelap0511's review

Go to review page

5.0

Very fast paced and well written book! It piqued my interest from the start! I would definitely read the next one when it comes out!
More...