Reviews

Forsaken by Jacquelyn Frank

romancejunkie1025's review against another edition

4.0

A story of love and redemption, forgiveness and acceptance, with action, emotion, and danger, Forsaken is one of those stories that can’t be missed for any reader of romance. Leo is a character that requires a swift kick in the butt to get his head out of said butt, to be sure, but Faith is just the woman er…Angel to get it done. Leo’s growth from a sullen and resentful victim, back into the strong and determined man he has always been, facilitated by Faith, was an integral part of the story and the catalyst for the relationship between Faith and Leo. Even though there were a lot of emotional barriers Faith had to get past, in the end she was able to bring Leo back to himself and show him that his friends were not so very changed and he could move on from his tragedy with the help of his friends and those that love him. Leo breaks Faith’s heart again and again with his unwillingness to face the truth of his new life, to accept those around him aren't so different from the humans he’s always believed were the top of the food chain, but thankfully he gets past his hang-ups and realizes that he isn't the man he could truly be without Faith by his side. This series had taken a lot of different directions, and swerved a bit even into older series and I foresee this continuing, which only makes me more thrilled to continue the series. I foresee the future requiring a bit of help from the Demons, Lycanthropes, Vampires and other Nightwalkers I have already fallen in love with. I’m biting my nails waiting for the next story and hope that you will join me in the anticipation after you read Forsaken for yourself.

for full review see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.com/2014/01/arc-review-forsaken.html

tamreel_stitches's review against another edition

2.0

I received this book as a goodreads first winner. I found the book boring and I found myself hating the characters. Parts of it were hard to follow, skipping from one point of view to another.

booksabrewin's review against another edition

5.0

I received a physical copy of this book from the publishers via the blog host's request in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.

I had only heard about Leo in passing in the first two books. All I knew was that he was a mercenary that went through and incredible ordeal in Forever. I knew after that experience that he would have issues with most of the Bodywalkers due to the actions of one. I couldn't imagine him actually letting himself fall in love with any superhuman creature, but according to the synopsis he does. I had to find out how this came about.

Leo is deep in the self-loathing abyss in which he has resided since his release from a torturous few days. He doesn't know who to trust anymore now that he knows about the Nightwalker world. He doesn't even know if he can trust his best childhood friend, Jackson, and Jackson's baby sister that he helped raise, Docia. Everyone and everything is foreign to him. And foreign equals an enemy and a force to fight. His feelings on Nightwalker creatures starts to change with the appearance of a Dark Angel ironically named Faith. After Jackson is critically wounded it is up to him and Faith to set out on a journey to find a source who may heal the fallen pharaoh and his best friend. Along the way Leo must confront his prejudices about the Bodywalkers and also fight his mounting feelings for the noir skinned beauty beside him.

Faith knows Leo's type. He is too busy passing judgment on others to really get to know them. She has no reason to allow him to get to know her either. Unfortunately, she seems to have as many prejudices about the human race as Leo does about Nightwalkers. She knows the future of the Nightwalkers rests on the shoulders of the wounded Jackson/Menes. What she doesn't know is what her future holds with the hispanic killer she is starting to grow rather fond of.

Can Faith and Leo overcome both of their prejudices and stubbornness to get to the love that could be a possibility between these two unlikely people?

I absolutely love Leo. He is one of my favorite characters. He is comical as well as deadly. He reminds me a lot of Edward from the Anita Blake series. We get to see a different side of him in Forsaken. We get to see a healthy dose of vulnerability in a man you would never think to be that weak. We see Leo come to grips with a world in which the only family he knows is a part of. We also see Leo start to open up and let someone in. A woman who he despised only because of her inhuman-like existence.

Faith was a fun addition to the cast. She was not quirky like Docia and was not overly serious to the point of being stiff like Marissa. She was blunt but also very sweet. I think she's my favorite female character to date.

I thoroughly enjoyed Forsaken for it's psychological attributes carefully woven into the plot of a stellar work of fiction.

hannas_heas47's review against another edition

3.0

This is the third in this series, and not a stand alone book. You have to have read the former two to even get anything in this one. First I'll be honest, this is by far the worst series of hers so far, and I've pretty much read everything by this author. I dislike this night walker series because they really are body walkers. They find a host and take their bodies after death prolonging their lives. I don't know about you but that's just gross, to share your body with someone else. The gargoyle angle is good, I disliked they were an enslaved race but conveniently it makes sense. This book gave me a head ache at the wealth of information it gives. In fact it's hard to keep anything straight because it's been awhile since the last book. I will however reread this series when she is finished. I believe it will be a better series once it's finished and I can read it beginning to end. I read a lot of books so it's hard to remember what I read fifty books ago. Thanks netgalley for a read in exchange for my opinion.

pebblespenguin1's review against another edition

5.0

Leo and Faith’s story was really intriguing. I liked that Leo got a bigger role than just being a human victim. To me personally I really thought it added a new dimension to the series. I love the introduction of the Night Angels. Faith and her people were very interesting and useful.
Apep definitely got really dangerous in this installment and I cannot wait to see more of a battle.
The tension and emotions between Faith and Leo were palpable. I loved it; I just wanted them together so badly.
‘Forsaken’ was a great addition; it added in more of the Nightwalker races, there was lots of an action, lots of passion, and suspense.
I loved this book, it was well written and irresistible. Overall it was a fantastic read.

raven168's review

3.0

Taking place shortly after the last book, Leo is up and about even though he probably shouldn't be yet. But as he says, he was never very good at being an invalid. Because of his suffering at Chatha's hands he's having a very hard time at reconciling his feelings about Jackson and Docia being these bodywalkers he's never heard of and his only experience with them being at the hands of Chatha and Kamen. He's pretty much pissed off at the world and had everything that made him him shatter and he takes it out on the two he loves the most. Even though he hates himself for it. The story quickly starts when Apep makes a surprise attack at their safe house. Ram's been taken out of commission, Docia is trapped inside(because of Leo), and Jackson is pinned where he's at in the middle of the driveway. When Leo interrupts things, Jackson gets taken out and just before Leo meets his demise he's saved by the night angel Faith. After his attack doesn't go as planned, Apep just up and leaves...huh. Faith was sent to warn the bodywalkers and obviously was too late in that regard, but she was able to save Jackson's and Menes' life. At least for the time being. What they need to actually save him is a very powerful djinn. So Leo and Faith go on a trip. Lucky for them Docia befriended Singsing and with her help they were able to get to the most powerful one in North America. I really liked Grey's character. He was a pretty awesome djinn and I hope to see more of him in the future too. One thing that Faith had always been taught was never to make a wish from one of them, but circumstances what they are she is left with no choice if she is to save Jackson's life and pretty much the world. Of course the wish comes with a price and it's kind of a funny nik they're sent to retrieve, with the whole thing actually seeming a little easy too but we finally get glimpse of what the wraiths are like. Payment fulfilled, Grey and the two of them pop back up at the house to save Jackson just in time. Throughout the whole trip Leo had been finding himself more and more drawn to Faith despite how hard he tried to fight it because of what she was. And once Grey showed them the future should they fail to get his help, it makes it harder for Leo at times to keep his distance. But with Faith's endless understanding and the ease with which he finds himself opening up to her he finds himself doomed. It's also thanks to her that he finally accepts what Jackson and Docia had become and he really needed to do that because he can't see his life without them. And now that he's got his head on straight again, by the end he has even found a place for himself in this world of supernatural creatures.

Apep is pretty crazy in his own right and we see that a few times here. Very very odd god... He's come up with an evil plan and goes forth to enact it. In his own brutal way of course. And we finally learn of all twelve nightwalker races as well as where they came from. Plus now we know how this curse was enacted on them, dividing the races.

loverofromance's review against another edition

4.0

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

In Forsaken, we have the delectable story of our lovely Leo. Now in the previous books he has always been a bit elusive but I have loved his friendship with Jackson/Menes. But In this book we see how he is torn. He has just gone through a terrible ordeal of being tortured over and over again and despises Nightwalkers. Now that he is on the road to recovery, he has many things he needs to come to terms with including his best friend being a Nightwalker. But when Jackson is injured, he joins forces with a Night Angel and find a way to save his friends life. But he discovers a passionate love with the mysterious and beautiful Faith. They go on a journey together of excitement, danger and desire.

I had a blast with this book, and the reader goes through a variety of emotions with this one. Leo is a hero that just calls out to you. You see that the road to healing can be treacherous sometimes and difficult. And oh poor Jackson...he is one of my favorite characters of the series. So it broke my heart when you see what happens to him. But I adored Leo for having the courage to do what it takes to save his friends life even if he has mixed feelings about him. The romance between Leo and Faith was truly wonderful to see unravel. At first they have a chemistry but don't act on it till later. But I admired the way they come together at the right moment. A truly fascinating and thrilling tale to  a fantastic series!!



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amyiw's review against another edition

4.0

The storyline was great and the beginning of the relationship was good too. It was just at the end that the relationship got too complicated with stupidity, convoluted. Still, the world is way more opened up in this one. We get some more Nightwalkers, in fact here she names them all and tells of the reason they were divided and one group doesn't know the other. I thought the Djinn was great. You get the feeling that he is good but damn, if he doesn't want to push the bad, or at least the questionable. Leo's nightangel was just a little too good for my taste but maybe that is what he needs.

keganfrank's review against another edition

5.0

Love this book. But I'm not sure I can ever see Marisa as anything but evil after this. Even if it was just a possible future.

scostner's review against another edition

3.0

Jacquelyn Frank continues to expand her world of species that operate at night. This time around Leo Alvarez (see Forbidden and Forever for his earlier apperances), meets a being known as a Night Angel. He must work with her to find a powerful magical being who can save the two souls within his friend Jackson's body and prevent a terrible future. The problem is that Leo has been introduced to these other species the hard way and has no affection or trust for any of them. The tension between his rage and distrust and what would otherwise be his attraction to his new acquaintance makes for an interesting relationship during their quest.