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deafandbookish's review
5.0
This book was intense! A complicated and sarcastic heroine, great world building, magick and hot men. I loved Nicole from the beginning and enjoyed her character grow throughout the book!
warriorpickle's review
3.0
2.5 ⭐ It was OK
This book started off incredibly promising. I really liked Nicole as a character. A little disrespectful. A little bit of a ho. And a lot of feisty-ness. She was fun to follow as a main character.
I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding Tribec Insurance. Are they using magick? Blood magick? Something is off, but what is it? It added a sense of turn the next page to see what happens regularly.
Then about halfway through, the book started falling apart for me. See, there is magick in this world, but it never really explained what it is and nobody really uses it until the end, and even then there isn't much explanation. It's not completely devoid of giving some info but it definitely is not satisfying enough. It's like the mystery turned out to be how the magick works and not surrounding Tribec Insurance.
By the time I got to the end I was almost eye rolling with some of the stuff that was "revealed."
There's a pretty interesting world that could be crafted out of this and a fun main character to follow. But unfortunately it just didn't capitalize on this at the end of the day.
I know this review might seem pretty harsh but is wasn't that bad. I will be tempted to pick up book 2, but that will be highly dependent on what I have planned for my reading at that time.
This book started off incredibly promising. I really liked Nicole as a character. A little disrespectful. A little bit of a ho. And a lot of feisty-ness. She was fun to follow as a main character.
I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding Tribec Insurance. Are they using magick? Blood magick? Something is off, but what is it? It added a sense of turn the next page to see what happens regularly.
Then about halfway through, the book started falling apart for me. See, there is magick in this world, but it never really explained what it is and nobody really uses it until the end, and even then there isn't much explanation. It's not completely devoid of giving some info but it definitely is not satisfying enough. It's like the mystery turned out to be how the magick works and not surrounding Tribec Insurance.
By the time I got to the end I was almost eye rolling with some of the stuff that was "revealed."
There's a pretty interesting world that could be crafted out of this and a fun main character to follow. But unfortunately it just didn't capitalize on this at the end of the day.
I know this review might seem pretty harsh but is wasn't that bad. I will be tempted to pick up book 2, but that will be highly dependent on what I have planned for my reading at that time.
nikkiethereader's review
5.0
Nicole is not the type of person to take flack from anybody. She doesn't care who she offends or the consequences it brings her. The problem is her mouth is getting her into a bit too much trouble. She's finding it harder and harder to find a job. She can't control her mouth and has been let go of every place that has hired her. She finally gets a pretty decent job at an insurance company. She immediately has bad feelings about it. She continues working despite multiple warnings telling her to stay away. It's not until an old friend and current co-worker of hers goes missing that she begins to see the true danger she and everybody that works there is in.
I really loved the idea behind this story. It kind of had a very Charmed episode feeling. For those of you who are familiar with that show, it definitely reads like an episode, but without the Charmed Ones. Which makes it sad, but it's still a nice read because of it. It had a lot of great potential and many interesting characters. I didn't write this review right away so I can't remember all the character names sadly, but there were some that just had me laughing out loud with how crazy they could be.
Here's where I have to talk about the things I don't like. It's my least favorite thing to do, but I will never post a review that is not authentic and honest. That means pointing out the praises and the flaws. I'll start with the main character. I couldn't stand her at all. It made me hate my own name. Sadly, this is a thing that happens with many Nicole like characters on shows, movies, and books. It's maddening. But I digress. Also, I really want to put more explanation on the comment I made about loving the idea behind the story. It had so much potential, but in critical moments, it felt really flat in my opinion. It could use a small polish.
This book was narrated by Taylor Barton. I'm pretty amazed by her performance. I'm going to be honest, I think that it's a big reason for the reason I didn't just stop reading it. She took the sting I felt of Nicole's attitude out of it as best as she could. She made the story enjoyable. The way she pitched her voice during the intense times was impressive. I also loved her authentic accents for all of the characters in the book. It was pretty impressive.
Overall, I really thought this book was impressive. It had amazing potential. I do wish that the drama was notched up a bit more. I also wish they would have downplayed Nicole's personality a lot. I really don't feel comfortable giving my full opinion of how she was. I wouldn't want my review taken down for vulgar language. I know that most of that is probably personal considering my name. I don't try to make my reviews too personal. It would just be nice to see an AMAZING Nicole that everybody adores. While I think this book could use a rewrite, I do recommend it.
I really loved the idea behind this story. It kind of had a very Charmed episode feeling. For those of you who are familiar with that show, it definitely reads like an episode, but without the Charmed Ones. Which makes it sad, but it's still a nice read because of it. It had a lot of great potential and many interesting characters. I didn't write this review right away so I can't remember all the character names sadly, but there were some that just had me laughing out loud with how crazy they could be.
Here's where I have to talk about the things I don't like. It's my least favorite thing to do, but I will never post a review that is not authentic and honest. That means pointing out the praises and the flaws. I'll start with the main character. I couldn't stand her at all. It made me hate my own name. Sadly, this is a thing that happens with many Nicole like characters on shows, movies, and books. It's maddening. But I digress. Also, I really want to put more explanation on the comment I made about loving the idea behind the story. It had so much potential, but in critical moments, it felt really flat in my opinion. It could use a small polish.
This book was narrated by Taylor Barton. I'm pretty amazed by her performance. I'm going to be honest, I think that it's a big reason for the reason I didn't just stop reading it. She took the sting I felt of Nicole's attitude out of it as best as she could. She made the story enjoyable. The way she pitched her voice during the intense times was impressive. I also loved her authentic accents for all of the characters in the book. It was pretty impressive.
Overall, I really thought this book was impressive. It had amazing potential. I do wish that the drama was notched up a bit more. I also wish they would have downplayed Nicole's personality a lot. I really don't feel comfortable giving my full opinion of how she was. I wouldn't want my review taken down for vulgar language. I know that most of that is probably personal considering my name. I don't try to make my reviews too personal. It would just be nice to see an AMAZING Nicole that everybody adores. While I think this book could use a rewrite, I do recommend it.
a_potter_nerd's review
4.0
I received this audiobook at no-cost from Audiobookworm Promotions. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
This was super interesting! Almost like Men in Black minus the aliens. It was a slow build but once it picked up, it was full of action.
I love how Lewis wrote Nicole's character. Not afraid to want sex with whomever she wants, something that society still judges women for. So yes, there are some extra steamy parts.
I need more fantasies like this
This was super interesting! Almost like Men in Black minus the aliens. It was a slow build but once it picked up, it was full of action.
I love how Lewis wrote Nicole's character. Not afraid to want sex with whomever she wants, something that society still judges women for. So yes, there are some extra steamy parts.
I need more fantasies like this
lenaf's review
5.0
Wow, this book absolutely blew me away! It has multiple parts to love, from evil corporation, to mysterious ancient magic, to a number of very sexy scenes. Not to mention the ending was incredible!
Lewis has a wonderful knack for piecing together many parts into a whole, cohesive world that makes it easy to fall into. She excels at creating multi-faceted characters to the point that you end up cheering for all of them. You fall in love with them without even realizing it. She slowly builds the magic of the world, dripping out piece by piece of information, until all the puzzle pieces come together. The further you get into the book, the more the train starts to build up speed and you have a hard time putting it down! At the end you are fearing for all of them and horrified by the people they are up against. And boy, are the villains in this tale twisted!
Lewis also tackles some dark themes in this book while also exploring the difficulty in dealing with trauma in a realistic way. Just as the magic system slowly evolves, so too does our lead character Nicole, a woman who has been kicked out of so many places of employment that she has to work for the seedy corporation that appears to be the only option left. Her fiery temper and quick wit make her bristle under authority. I absolutely loved her. She is confident and determined to speak her mind, which of course leads her to making some not-so-great decisions. But you understand why she does it because Lewis is so good at making her believable, relatable, flawed, and human.
A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys complex magic systems, a complex love life, detailed world-buidling, and plenty of hot and heavy moments!
Lewis has a wonderful knack for piecing together many parts into a whole, cohesive world that makes it easy to fall into. She excels at creating multi-faceted characters to the point that you end up cheering for all of them. You fall in love with them without even realizing it. She slowly builds the magic of the world, dripping out piece by piece of information, until all the puzzle pieces come together. The further you get into the book, the more the train starts to build up speed and you have a hard time putting it down! At the end you are fearing for all of them and horrified by the people they are up against. And boy, are the villains in this tale twisted!
Lewis also tackles some dark themes in this book while also exploring the difficulty in dealing with trauma in a realistic way. Just as the magic system slowly evolves, so too does our lead character Nicole, a woman who has been kicked out of so many places of employment that she has to work for the seedy corporation that appears to be the only option left. Her fiery temper and quick wit make her bristle under authority. I absolutely loved her. She is confident and determined to speak her mind, which of course leads her to making some not-so-great decisions. But you understand why she does it because Lewis is so good at making her believable, relatable, flawed, and human.
A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys complex magic systems, a complex love life, detailed world-buidling, and plenty of hot and heavy moments!
revadawn's review
35%
#DNF
I received a copy of this book via Parliament House for an Honest Review
.
I #DNF and with my work schedule I missed my post time which Im so apologetic about. IRL just hit my hard today.
.
But on that point. Things I liked from what I read we’re the Egyptian influences, the magic sounded entrusting. Strong female lead. The description was intriguing.
.
I wont be rating it since I did not finish and wont as I personally couldn’t enjoy the story so far. But believe others will really enjoy it, I lean more heavily to faster passed stories and this one moved to slowly for me. The main was also un relatable as a person who is very driven and self motivating she came across lazy to me.
.
#cvonzalelewis #lineage #egyption #fantasyreads #theparliamenthousepress #TPHTours #bookstagram #bookish #bookworm #booknerd #read #reading #alwaysreading #coverlove #tbr #ireadya #bookishgiveaway
#DNF
I received a copy of this book via Parliament House for an Honest Review
.
I #DNF and with my work schedule I missed my post time which Im so apologetic about. IRL just hit my hard today.
.
But on that point. Things I liked from what I read we’re the Egyptian influences, the magic sounded entrusting. Strong female lead. The description was intriguing.
.
I wont be rating it since I did not finish and wont as I personally couldn’t enjoy the story so far. But believe others will really enjoy it, I lean more heavily to faster passed stories and this one moved to slowly for me. The main was also un relatable as a person who is very driven and self motivating she came across lazy to me.
.
#cvonzalelewis #lineage #egyption #fantasyreads #theparliamenthousepress #TPHTours #bookstagram #bookish #bookworm #booknerd #read #reading #alwaysreading #coverlove #tbr #ireadya #bookishgiveaway
bookly68's review
5.0
THIS WAS THE COOLEST, MOST UNIQUE BOOK THAT I’VE EVER READ!!!!!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
To think that this is the author’s debut book, it just blows me away!! It is labeled as Fantasy, but it is so much more than that! It has a little bit of everything. The world building - she writes a world so vividly that i could see it in my mind as if I’d been there. The characters, oh my goodness the characters!! I loved them!! Even the bad ones!! They were just sooo real, so believable!!! The growth we see in especially Nicole’s character is so effective, so moving!! The writing was very impressive, plot flowed smoothly, seamlessly & at a nice pace!! The more i read, the more I could not put the book down!! THE ROMANCE, WOW!!!!! I’d say Nicole has found the one! There was A LOT of hot, sexy guys and some hot, steamy scenes.😍 Nicole must wear some nice perfume, because she was getting all the hot men. Her friend Kara wanted one and couldn’t get him. Anyway this is book one in a series, but no big cliff hanger or anything. Thankfully!! BUT I STILL CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK!!!!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!!
To think that this is the author’s debut book, it just blows me away!! It is labeled as Fantasy, but it is so much more than that! It has a little bit of everything. The world building - she writes a world so vividly that i could see it in my mind as if I’d been there. The characters, oh my goodness the characters!! I loved them!! Even the bad ones!! They were just sooo real, so believable!!! The growth we see in especially Nicole’s character is so effective, so moving!! The writing was very impressive, plot flowed smoothly, seamlessly & at a nice pace!! The more i read, the more I could not put the book down!! THE ROMANCE, WOW!!!!! I’d say Nicole has found the one! There was A LOT of hot, sexy guys and some hot, steamy scenes.😍 Nicole must wear some nice perfume, because she was getting all the hot men. Her friend Kara wanted one and couldn’t get him. Anyway this is book one in a series, but no big cliff hanger or anything. Thankfully!! BUT I STILL CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK!!!!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!!
candacerobinsonauthor's review
5.0
After reading the blurb and seeing this cover, I knew I had to see what this story was about. Right off the bat, I was hoping for something similar to the Mummy but what I got was so much more.
Nicole! I loved her! She did what she wanted and had no regrets! Why should a guy character only be this way? It was super refreshing to see a female character in this sort of light. You learn about her background, and her flaws, and along the way, you really start to feel for her.
My favorite sort of fantasy is one that also has a contemporary feel to it, so this was right up my alley! And I loved the side characters—there were quite a few swoony ones!
The writing and world building were on point. And now I want some magick! Can I have some magick?
Nicole! I loved her! She did what she wanted and had no regrets! Why should a guy character only be this way? It was super refreshing to see a female character in this sort of light. You learn about her background, and her flaws, and along the way, you really start to feel for her.
My favorite sort of fantasy is one that also has a contemporary feel to it, so this was right up my alley! And I loved the side characters—there were quite a few swoony ones!
The writing and world building were on point. And now I want some magick! Can I have some magick?
sometimesleelynnreads's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by The Parliament House. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
I don’t know if I’ve ever read a contemporary fantasy before but it was pretty interesting! In a world where there is Magick, I always find it interesting when a character refuses to use it when they have the choice. I feel like for me, I’d want to be able to have the option to use magick, but I guess it also depends on what kind of magick it would be. In Nicole’s case, her father uses Earth Magick, which doesn’t seem like it would be inherently evil. I mean, think about Toph with her Earth Bending. Or, just witches that commune with the Earth. Those seem like more positive magicks right?
I guess I could say that I was pretty impressed with her resolve to not work for her dad even though she wasn’t able to hold a job. But then again, some people would have probably felt like she was making things harder for herself. I don’t know yet though. I understand not wanting to feel like you got a handout from your family, but her reason was more because of the magick. But of course, the more you try to run away from something, the more you end up finding a path towards the thing you’re running away from.
I can understand being wary of Blood Magick, especially when it seems like Nicole’s employers are using it for evil. But now Nicole is going to have to figure out how to fight against it, and she may already be at a disadvantage.
This was an interesting novel, and I feel like Barton did a great job with the narration. This is supposed to be the first novel in a new series so I’m really curious to see the rest of it come out, and see what ends up happening with Nicole and everything going on. I also really liked how Lewis was able to combine the contemporary world with the world of magick in a way that didn’t make it that too confusing or over the top.
I don’t know if I’ve ever read a contemporary fantasy before but it was pretty interesting! In a world where there is Magick, I always find it interesting when a character refuses to use it when they have the choice. I feel like for me, I’d want to be able to have the option to use magick, but I guess it also depends on what kind of magick it would be. In Nicole’s case, her father uses Earth Magick, which doesn’t seem like it would be inherently evil. I mean, think about Toph with her Earth Bending. Or, just witches that commune with the Earth. Those seem like more positive magicks right?
I guess I could say that I was pretty impressed with her resolve to not work for her dad even though she wasn’t able to hold a job. But then again, some people would have probably felt like she was making things harder for herself. I don’t know yet though. I understand not wanting to feel like you got a handout from your family, but her reason was more because of the magick. But of course, the more you try to run away from something, the more you end up finding a path towards the thing you’re running away from.
I can understand being wary of Blood Magick, especially when it seems like Nicole’s employers are using it for evil. But now Nicole is going to have to figure out how to fight against it, and she may already be at a disadvantage.
This was an interesting novel, and I feel like Barton did a great job with the narration. This is supposed to be the first novel in a new series so I’m really curious to see the rest of it come out, and see what ends up happening with Nicole and everything going on. I also really liked how Lewis was able to combine the contemporary world with the world of magick in a way that didn’t make it that too confusing or over the top.
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