Helpful Score: 1
I got an advanced reading copy of this book through NetGalley(dot)com. It was an okay book, but I had trouble enjoying the characters and picturing the world.
Chalice is a half-angel who has been trained from the age of nine to knife fight and steal. Her mother died during childbirth and her father is a Fallen Angel. Chalice has been bound to a viscous gargoyle and is being used by her guardian, an evil sorceror, to carry out their dirty work. Things change when she meets Aydin, who like her has special abilities, and (like her) is bound to a gargoyle. Chalice is now twenty five and wants her freedom; she will find out that freedom has a cost and along the way she will have some tough choices to make.
There were some things I really liked about this book. The whole theme of angels and gargoyles is unique and interesting. The world built here is complex, yet incomplete.
I had some problems with Chalice as a character. I didn't understand the need for the flashback prologue, I think the story would have been better without it. Chalice always came across as kind of bland to me, she was vindictive but didn't have a lot of dimension to her character outside of that. At many points in time Chalice comes across as much younger than twenty five; she seems like a teenager or even younger. I am not sure if this was intentional, but it was frustrating. She would complain about wanted freedom like a true adult but her actions and complaining would be very childish.
Her love interest in the book, Aydin, was also bland to me. He was kind of funny and cute, but was never very engaging as a character. Aydin and Chalice as a couple were pretty lackluster. The heat between them seemed one-sided (Chalice obviously was into him) and never really got anywhere; I never found myself rooting for them as a couple or really enraptured by any of the scenes they featured in.
Chalice's Fallen angel father, despite his brief appearance, was probably the most interesting character in the book. Followed by a side character who can talk with angels, hopefully he features more in the next book too.
While I found the idea of a world filled with angels, gargoyles, and magic alluring I had trouble wrapping my head around the world in this book. The settings, place in time, and surroundings were hard to picture. Even when the story was in Colorado I had trouble remembering we were in Colorado. I also had trouble making sense of the magic system; it was a blend of super hero like angel abilities, wards, spells, and curses. I could never quite figure out the rationale behind any of them, the rules behind the different types of magic, or really which type of magic was what. It was something that should have been explained better, especially since Chalice is immune to some types of magic but not all.
The plot was mysterious and well done. I did like the inclusion of many different races (Eeves, gargoyles, angels, etc). I enjoyed reading about Chalice's fighting abilities. I also enjoyed Aydin's ghosting abilities. I like the quirky idea of a Saint who is living parcled out in pieces.
Basically I enjoyed a lot of the ideas in this story, just not how the ideas were executed. The story ends well, some things are wrapped up but you can tell Chalice's adventures are just beginning. Definitely the first book in a new series.
Overall an okay read. Some of the concepts in here are very neat: love the gargoyles and bindings, the half angel children, and other magical stuff like that. I wasn't big on our two main characters Chalice and Aydin; they weren't likable or engaging and the chemistry in their relationship felt forced. The world is a bit confusing as the different types of magic are never explained very well; the descriptions were a bit lacking...I kept forgetting where the story was taking place. I personally won't be reading any more of this series, although I will keep an eye on it to see if subsequent books are better. If you are big into angel mythology you might enjoy this, although I would recommend the Remy Chandler series in place of this one.
Chalice is a half-angel who has been trained from the age of nine to knife fight and steal. Her mother died during childbirth and her father is a Fallen Angel. Chalice has been bound to a viscous gargoyle and is being used by her guardian, an evil sorceror, to carry out their dirty work. Things change when she meets Aydin, who like her has special abilities, and (like her) is bound to a gargoyle. Chalice is now twenty five and wants her freedom; she will find out that freedom has a cost and along the way she will have some tough choices to make.
There were some things I really liked about this book. The whole theme of angels and gargoyles is unique and interesting. The world built here is complex, yet incomplete.
I had some problems with Chalice as a character. I didn't understand the need for the flashback prologue, I think the story would have been better without it. Chalice always came across as kind of bland to me, she was vindictive but didn't have a lot of dimension to her character outside of that. At many points in time Chalice comes across as much younger than twenty five; she seems like a teenager or even younger. I am not sure if this was intentional, but it was frustrating. She would complain about wanted freedom like a true adult but her actions and complaining would be very childish.
Her love interest in the book, Aydin, was also bland to me. He was kind of funny and cute, but was never very engaging as a character. Aydin and Chalice as a couple were pretty lackluster. The heat between them seemed one-sided (Chalice obviously was into him) and never really got anywhere; I never found myself rooting for them as a couple or really enraptured by any of the scenes they featured in.
Chalice's Fallen angel father, despite his brief appearance, was probably the most interesting character in the book. Followed by a side character who can talk with angels, hopefully he features more in the next book too.
While I found the idea of a world filled with angels, gargoyles, and magic alluring I had trouble wrapping my head around the world in this book. The settings, place in time, and surroundings were hard to picture. Even when the story was in Colorado I had trouble remembering we were in Colorado. I also had trouble making sense of the magic system; it was a blend of super hero like angel abilities, wards, spells, and curses. I could never quite figure out the rationale behind any of them, the rules behind the different types of magic, or really which type of magic was what. It was something that should have been explained better, especially since Chalice is immune to some types of magic but not all.
The plot was mysterious and well done. I did like the inclusion of many different races (Eeves, gargoyles, angels, etc). I enjoyed reading about Chalice's fighting abilities. I also enjoyed Aydin's ghosting abilities. I like the quirky idea of a Saint who is living parcled out in pieces.
Basically I enjoyed a lot of the ideas in this story, just not how the ideas were executed. The story ends well, some things are wrapped up but you can tell Chalice's adventures are just beginning. Definitely the first book in a new series.
Overall an okay read. Some of the concepts in here are very neat: love the gargoyles and bindings, the half angel children, and other magical stuff like that. I wasn't big on our two main characters Chalice and Aydin; they weren't likable or engaging and the chemistry in their relationship felt forced. The world is a bit confusing as the different types of magic are never explained very well; the descriptions were a bit lacking...I kept forgetting where the story was taking place. I personally won't be reading any more of this series, although I will keep an eye on it to see if subsequent books are better. If you are big into angel mythology you might enjoy this, although I would recommend the Remy Chandler series in place of this one.
Helpful Score: 1
Chalice is a descendant of an ancient order of knights and her powers are great but she is a prisoner of a vicious wizard who belongs to an ancient order of his own and will stop at nothing to make her do his bidding. She has a great destiny but she must embrace who she is and free herself from her curse before she can truly make a difference.
This was a fun and easy read filled with magic, incredible creatures, plenty of action and a heady mixture of present day, myth and biblical legend. The book got off to a relatively slow start with a lot of explaining of what and how and who, setting the scene for the relationship between Chalice and her captor, but once that was established and the author got on with the story it was actually able to keep my interest throughout. The book ended with a satisfactory resolution to the major conflict and without a cliff-hanger but the premise for the next book is thoroughly set up in the final chapters so the reader knows in what direction the story will progress in the sequel.
I enjoyed the varied world of ancient magical beings living side by side with the unsuspecting public and keeping their existence secret. Duvall gives us barely a glimpse of majority of them but the ones that get the attention are developed with much thought and the secondary characters like Elmo and Zee often become scene-stealers. It would be interesting to see what she would do with the rest.
Character development seemed natural and realistic - Chalice has trouble accepting that the things that have been ingrained in her for years aren't actually true, she's wary of everybody she meets and her transformation from someone who believes that all magic is evil to a person who accepts that there's a good side to it too refreshingly takes more than a chapter. I also enjoyed that Chalice's sudden, overwhelming attraction to her warrior protector Aydin isn't set up as a natural thing that happens between two people who barely lay eyes on each other and Bam! they're in love. It is rooted in their magical natures and Chalice's struggle between believing that it's real and wondering whether it's something that wouldn't even exist had it not been for their curse and gives an extra angsty dimension to her character.
There were a number of things that made this book not nearly as enjoyable as it could have been and are the cause of me not particularly hurrying to find out when the sequel will be released. My main gripe is with the fact that Chalice has been Gavin's slave for over a decade and yet in all this time she hasn't wondered how to break herself free, what kind of person her mother really was or how Gavin controls the gargoyle that binds her curse (she must've been paying zero attention to that little detail despite the fact that she has to come into contact with it every three days and Shui is far from tame), she apparently somehow has had no interaction whatsoever with anyone outside of a few members in Gavin's organization and has done no research at all to find out more about her situation. Give me a break, not like the girl was drugged or kept in a cell, she actually has her own apartment. She may be watched, but she's not chained to a guard 24-7! All this could've seemed realistic if she had been a prisoner for months, may be a couple of years (extensive training, they didn't trust her and didn't leave her much alone time, etc.) but not for over a decade. Besides, she's smart and feisty, sitting around being scared of the consequences of her snooping around is very much out of character for Chalice.
All in all this was a fast-paced and entertaining book with a good story and a few plot twists to keep it going and if you're looking for an escapist read that won't keep you up till 3 in the morning because you just can't put it down you might want to check it out.
ARC of this book was received from Luna Books via NetGalley. It is now available in stores and on Amazon.
This was a fun and easy read filled with magic, incredible creatures, plenty of action and a heady mixture of present day, myth and biblical legend. The book got off to a relatively slow start with a lot of explaining of what and how and who, setting the scene for the relationship between Chalice and her captor, but once that was established and the author got on with the story it was actually able to keep my interest throughout. The book ended with a satisfactory resolution to the major conflict and without a cliff-hanger but the premise for the next book is thoroughly set up in the final chapters so the reader knows in what direction the story will progress in the sequel.
I enjoyed the varied world of ancient magical beings living side by side with the unsuspecting public and keeping their existence secret. Duvall gives us barely a glimpse of majority of them but the ones that get the attention are developed with much thought and the secondary characters like Elmo and Zee often become scene-stealers. It would be interesting to see what she would do with the rest.
Character development seemed natural and realistic - Chalice has trouble accepting that the things that have been ingrained in her for years aren't actually true, she's wary of everybody she meets and her transformation from someone who believes that all magic is evil to a person who accepts that there's a good side to it too refreshingly takes more than a chapter. I also enjoyed that Chalice's sudden, overwhelming attraction to her warrior protector Aydin isn't set up as a natural thing that happens between two people who barely lay eyes on each other and Bam! they're in love. It is rooted in their magical natures and Chalice's struggle between believing that it's real and wondering whether it's something that wouldn't even exist had it not been for their curse and gives an extra angsty dimension to her character.
There were a number of things that made this book not nearly as enjoyable as it could have been and are the cause of me not particularly hurrying to find out when the sequel will be released. My main gripe is with the fact that Chalice has been Gavin's slave for over a decade and yet in all this time she hasn't wondered how to break herself free, what kind of person her mother really was or how Gavin controls the gargoyle that binds her curse (she must've been paying zero attention to that little detail despite the fact that she has to come into contact with it every three days and Shui is far from tame), she apparently somehow has had no interaction whatsoever with anyone outside of a few members in Gavin's organization and has done no research at all to find out more about her situation. Give me a break, not like the girl was drugged or kept in a cell, she actually has her own apartment. She may be watched, but she's not chained to a guard 24-7! All this could've seemed realistic if she had been a prisoner for months, may be a couple of years (extensive training, they didn't trust her and didn't leave her much alone time, etc.) but not for over a decade. Besides, she's smart and feisty, sitting around being scared of the consequences of her snooping around is very much out of character for Chalice.
All in all this was a fast-paced and entertaining book with a good story and a few plot twists to keep it going and if you're looking for an escapist read that won't keep you up till 3 in the morning because you just can't put it down you might want to check it out.
ARC of this book was received from Luna Books via NetGalley. It is now available in stores and on Amazon.
Michelle R. (mreneerouser) -
Helpful Score: 1
I can't be too wrong about this book (ok, I can, but I hope not) since Publisher's Weekly has it on its Top 10 Picks for Fall 2011.
The rambling intro that has no real purpose in my review
Im not known for my long reviews. I HATE writing and I love reading. If I am writing, Im not reading. Plus, except for a few select reviewers who write excellent long reviews, I generally dont read long reviews. If I want to read more than three paragraphs, Ill read a book. However, Im the first reviewer for this book on Goodreads AND I loved the book so I feel guilty if I dont do my job as a reviewer & do a complete, thorough review. Guilt makes me do a lot of things (just ask my manipulative hubby and kids that can work me over using their damn puppy dog eyes and dont even get me started on the ACTUAL puppy dog, she pretty much rules the damn house..ok..so off subject here).
The start of the actual review (maybe)
Before I started the book and solely based on the cover
Ok. So I have no clue why I picked this book. What is up with this cover? Is that glass floating in the wind? If so, it did not come from the stained glass window since that looks intact. Is that a girl or a pretty looking guy? What is up with those jeans? Why is she just standing there? I wonder if she is making the wind? Who knows why not read the book and find out?
First an introduction of Chalice
Chalice is different. She has senses that are extraordinary. She can hear like a.like a. dolphin (yeah, I had to look up an animal that has super good hearing). She has vision like a hawk (figured that one out on my own) and the sense of smell better than the bear (again.. all on my own). Her senses are so good, they are debilitating. She has to wear earplugs, nose plug, and contacts just to withstand the everyday overload of stimuli.
Now really, the story
As a child, Chalice is living in a Monastery. Not by choice, but because that is where she was born. Chalice thinks her mom died giving birth to her (the key word is thinks). While her life is simple among the Monks, it is her life and she lives it.
When Chalice was still a child, a man named Gavin comes to the monastery claiming that he is Chalices dad. The monks have no reason to doubt him since he has ways to prove his fatherhood. Chalice instantly knows that Gavin is lying (she heard Gavin talking to his men from miles away before he approached the monastery). Chalice vocalizes her suspicions and in the end, Gavin takes Chalice and kills the monks that raised her.
Fast-forward 12 years. Chalice is bonded to Shui. Not by choice. Shui is a gargoyle and he was one vicious human being before he was turned into a gargoyle. Shui continues his viciousness in gargoyle form and there is no love lost between Chalice and Shui. So why is Chalice bonded with Shui? Because Gavin controls Shui, and unless Chalice makes contact with Shui every 72 hours, Chalice will turn into a gargoyle as well (trust me, these gargoyles are dangerous scary creatures, not the little stone gargoyles you may be used to). Gavin uses this forced bonding to control Chalice and Chalice is forced to use her senses to be a kick ass thief (she can hear when people are approaching from miles away. She can hear the pins in a combination lock as it turns; she can see not only what is in front of her, but also what was in the room previously. She can smell not only blood but also whose blood it is).
Gavin, a member of the Vyantara, uses humans, demons, angels, gargoyles or whatever supernatural he can get his hands on to do his bidding in stealing priceless artifacts, artwork or other curiosities. In return, he sells them and makes a huge profit. As long as he can control his supernatural servants, he has the perfect gig.
Chalice has been trained by Gavin (and other instructors controlled by Gavin), in knife fighting, combat, stealth, and deception. She is good at her job and she hates it. She hates that she has to hurt people, lie to them, and steal from potentially good, honest people. However, due to her indentured servitude, she cant do a damn thing. Or can she?
Aydin comes into the story when Chalice thinks she is going on just another job. Aydin, like Chalice is bonded to a gargoyle named Shojin. Again, like Chalice, Aydin will turn if he does not make contact with his gargoyle within 72 hours. However, Aydin has been around a long time and has quite the story. He has a history that brings to the story more questions than answers, and some conflict that creates some interesting twists.
Chalice hates magic. She hates magic because the Vyantara use it to hurt people and force their hand. However, Aydin shows Chalice another side to magic. He introduces her to wide range of characters that opens Chalices eyes and more importantly gives her hope that one day she can be free of the servitude placed on her. But, at what cost?
The other characters
What makes this book so outstanding is the multitude of characters. Usually I hate many characters because, well, I get confused. That does not happen here. There are bad guys like Zee, Shui, & Gavin but there also a huge cast of great characters such as Shojin, Quin, Elmo, Ling Ling, and my absolute favorite- Ruby.
What I loved
Aydin- not the normal alpha hero. He isnt perfect looking and he isnt super strong with a ton of muscles.
All the other characters. The author really thought out each character, and how the individual characters were important to the story and their relationship to Chalice.
The story. It had action, mystery, and just a small touch of romance (very small, this is definitely not a paranormal romance novel).
What I didnt like
The cover. Chalice has very unique eyes and you cant even see them. In fact, Chalice is so far away, you arent even sure if it is a woman on the cover at first glance. Furthermore, Chalice is an expert at using a specific type of knife. Why not show the knife in her hands? It seems silly to have such a strong female character but than represent her as this tomboyish looking simplistic girl with unknown skills and/or talents.
The book summary. When you read the book summary, you think there is alot of romance in this book (at least I did). There is not. This is definitely Urban Fantasy at its best.
Overall
Except for my dislike for the cover, everything else was pure love. Not only did I love this book from the beginning but I maintained the lovefest throughout the entire novel.
5 out of 5 stars!
The rambling intro that has no real purpose in my review
Im not known for my long reviews. I HATE writing and I love reading. If I am writing, Im not reading. Plus, except for a few select reviewers who write excellent long reviews, I generally dont read long reviews. If I want to read more than three paragraphs, Ill read a book. However, Im the first reviewer for this book on Goodreads AND I loved the book so I feel guilty if I dont do my job as a reviewer & do a complete, thorough review. Guilt makes me do a lot of things (just ask my manipulative hubby and kids that can work me over using their damn puppy dog eyes and dont even get me started on the ACTUAL puppy dog, she pretty much rules the damn house..ok..so off subject here).
The start of the actual review (maybe)
Before I started the book and solely based on the cover
Ok. So I have no clue why I picked this book. What is up with this cover? Is that glass floating in the wind? If so, it did not come from the stained glass window since that looks intact. Is that a girl or a pretty looking guy? What is up with those jeans? Why is she just standing there? I wonder if she is making the wind? Who knows why not read the book and find out?
First an introduction of Chalice
Chalice is different. She has senses that are extraordinary. She can hear like a.like a. dolphin (yeah, I had to look up an animal that has super good hearing). She has vision like a hawk (figured that one out on my own) and the sense of smell better than the bear (again.. all on my own). Her senses are so good, they are debilitating. She has to wear earplugs, nose plug, and contacts just to withstand the everyday overload of stimuli.
Now really, the story
As a child, Chalice is living in a Monastery. Not by choice, but because that is where she was born. Chalice thinks her mom died giving birth to her (the key word is thinks). While her life is simple among the Monks, it is her life and she lives it.
When Chalice was still a child, a man named Gavin comes to the monastery claiming that he is Chalices dad. The monks have no reason to doubt him since he has ways to prove his fatherhood. Chalice instantly knows that Gavin is lying (she heard Gavin talking to his men from miles away before he approached the monastery). Chalice vocalizes her suspicions and in the end, Gavin takes Chalice and kills the monks that raised her.
Fast-forward 12 years. Chalice is bonded to Shui. Not by choice. Shui is a gargoyle and he was one vicious human being before he was turned into a gargoyle. Shui continues his viciousness in gargoyle form and there is no love lost between Chalice and Shui. So why is Chalice bonded with Shui? Because Gavin controls Shui, and unless Chalice makes contact with Shui every 72 hours, Chalice will turn into a gargoyle as well (trust me, these gargoyles are dangerous scary creatures, not the little stone gargoyles you may be used to). Gavin uses this forced bonding to control Chalice and Chalice is forced to use her senses to be a kick ass thief (she can hear when people are approaching from miles away. She can hear the pins in a combination lock as it turns; she can see not only what is in front of her, but also what was in the room previously. She can smell not only blood but also whose blood it is).
Gavin, a member of the Vyantara, uses humans, demons, angels, gargoyles or whatever supernatural he can get his hands on to do his bidding in stealing priceless artifacts, artwork or other curiosities. In return, he sells them and makes a huge profit. As long as he can control his supernatural servants, he has the perfect gig.
Chalice has been trained by Gavin (and other instructors controlled by Gavin), in knife fighting, combat, stealth, and deception. She is good at her job and she hates it. She hates that she has to hurt people, lie to them, and steal from potentially good, honest people. However, due to her indentured servitude, she cant do a damn thing. Or can she?
Aydin comes into the story when Chalice thinks she is going on just another job. Aydin, like Chalice is bonded to a gargoyle named Shojin. Again, like Chalice, Aydin will turn if he does not make contact with his gargoyle within 72 hours. However, Aydin has been around a long time and has quite the story. He has a history that brings to the story more questions than answers, and some conflict that creates some interesting twists.
Chalice hates magic. She hates magic because the Vyantara use it to hurt people and force their hand. However, Aydin shows Chalice another side to magic. He introduces her to wide range of characters that opens Chalices eyes and more importantly gives her hope that one day she can be free of the servitude placed on her. But, at what cost?
The other characters
What makes this book so outstanding is the multitude of characters. Usually I hate many characters because, well, I get confused. That does not happen here. There are bad guys like Zee, Shui, & Gavin but there also a huge cast of great characters such as Shojin, Quin, Elmo, Ling Ling, and my absolute favorite- Ruby.
What I loved
Aydin- not the normal alpha hero. He isnt perfect looking and he isnt super strong with a ton of muscles.
All the other characters. The author really thought out each character, and how the individual characters were important to the story and their relationship to Chalice.
The story. It had action, mystery, and just a small touch of romance (very small, this is definitely not a paranormal romance novel).
What I didnt like
The cover. Chalice has very unique eyes and you cant even see them. In fact, Chalice is so far away, you arent even sure if it is a woman on the cover at first glance. Furthermore, Chalice is an expert at using a specific type of knife. Why not show the knife in her hands? It seems silly to have such a strong female character but than represent her as this tomboyish looking simplistic girl with unknown skills and/or talents.
The book summary. When you read the book summary, you think there is alot of romance in this book (at least I did). There is not. This is definitely Urban Fantasy at its best.
Overall
Except for my dislike for the cover, everything else was pure love. Not only did I love this book from the beginning but I maintained the lovefest throughout the entire novel.
5 out of 5 stars!
