Take a photo of a barcode or cover
amber_veer's review
2.0
I bought and read this when it first came out, I then waited to read all the books in one sitting. At the time I loved it, ghoulish, a love story, and with a decently strong heroine, but now, years later, I do not have the same feelings towards this book.
In many ways I feel like it’s an ‘adult’ version of Buffy but without the really likeable characters. I’m not a fan of Carrie in the beginning, and Nathan is a douche canoe at the end.
I will get through the series since I have them all and they are in my ‘potential to be given away’ pile, but I’m not feeling comfortable with saying my opinion is going to change.
In many ways I feel like it’s an ‘adult’ version of Buffy but without the really likeable characters. I’m not a fan of Carrie in the beginning, and Nathan is a douche canoe at the end.
I will get through the series since I have them all and they are in my ‘potential to be given away’ pile, but I’m not feeling comfortable with saying my opinion is going to change.
libraryladyjess's review
5.0
Carrie Ames was a doctor, finally, until she faced her fear. She had to face a dead body that horrified her, to prove that she had what it took to be a doctor. Only this dead body was a vampire, and she was turned. Now she has to decide whether she is a good vampire or a bad one. Only she doesn't like others to control her or to force her to do anything. She meets her sire, Cyrus, and has help from another vampire, Nathan. Both are standing on opposite ends pulling her. Thought this was a good story, and a fresh look at vampires. Can't wait to read the next one.
jeannierose80's review
3.0
I liked this book. I think it did a good job of keeping the focus on the plot and not relationship drama. It was more gory than a lot of the other series out there but that was actually refreshing cause it just seems more realistic (though it's dealing with mythological things) that a book with Vs in it would get a bit bloody.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I picked this up because I liked the author’s blog.
The one thing I really hate about Goodreads is the fact that I can’t give half stars. Sometimes something is more than “liked it” but not quite “really liked it”. This is a 3.5 or higher, but not quite a four. Here’s why it’s not quite a four – the characterization could have been a little better for there are places in the novel where it is a little uneven and there are, quite frankly, a bit too many info-dumps. I may or may not touch on these issues further in this review.
There is far, far, far, far too much urban fantasy out there where a girl with a chip on her shoulder has two men pursuing her. These men are usually supernatural’s and one is the “bad boy” while the other is a “good boy”.
Thankfully, Ms. Armintrout keeps the meaning of bad.
Cause too often in UF the bad boy’s (and sometimes he’s the true love) behavior is stalker like.
Carrie, the heroine of this book, is in fact a woman and not girl. She is in her later twenties and after a rather bad night becomes a vampire. On top of that, she finds herself caught between two men who represent two sides. The first, the bad boy, is her sire Cyrus who is a real vampire. He does not sparkle; he’s like a shark on steroids that is addicted to S&M, and believes vampires should rule the world. The second man, the good boy, is Nathan who is a vampire who is also a vampire hunter. There is just one little problem. Nathan and his quasi son Ziggy are not members of Buffy’s team.
Think Van Helsing times six hundred. Chose us or die.
The decisions Carrie has to make are far more than “Team Cyrus” or “Team Nathan”. The choice is about who she should be as a person- or a vampire – a far more important question than who she should sleep with.
BTW – if you are Team Cyrus, seek help.
And that’s point. Carrie’s choice is compound by the fact that as her sire, her maker, Cyrus has a bond with her. In fact, Carrie’s relationship with Cyrus is one of the few where a writer really takes a look at the idea of control. It’s true that in some cases the excuse of the blood tie is used a bit too much, but it is also immensely refreshing to read a book where the “love” scene with the bad boy are not the be all and end all. There is a load of difference between the interactions between Carrie and Cyrus, and Carrie and Nathan. The scenes where Carrie is with Cyrus are uncomfortable, and seem intended to be that way. And this is because of the question of control and free will. It’s nice to see someone really, truly look at that issue. To take the step and deal with issues like abusive relationships and how some UF stories use them, whether Stockholm syndrome would take place. Is it done perfectly? No, not quite. The characterization could be a little more even or fluid. But Armintrout does really seem to be examining sexual politics in a way that very few others in the paranormal/UF books. The only other writer I can think of it who has touched upon the issue in such a way is Carrie Vaughn.
And that’s why I rounded up. That and the fact that the vampires are not toothless Romeos, and Armintrout does write in such a way that we can see why Carrie is tempted, why she might give into the dark side. And at the end, you really can’t help wanting to shout, ‘You go girl!’. The book isn’t perfect but it is enjoyable and different enough to stand out.
The one thing I really hate about Goodreads is the fact that I can’t give half stars. Sometimes something is more than “liked it” but not quite “really liked it”. This is a 3.5 or higher, but not quite a four. Here’s why it’s not quite a four – the characterization could have been a little better for there are places in the novel where it is a little uneven and there are, quite frankly, a bit too many info-dumps. I may or may not touch on these issues further in this review.
There is far, far, far, far too much urban fantasy out there where a girl with a chip on her shoulder has two men pursuing her. These men are usually supernatural’s and one is the “bad boy” while the other is a “good boy”.
Thankfully, Ms. Armintrout keeps the meaning of bad.
Cause too often in UF the bad boy’s (and sometimes he’s the true love) behavior is stalker like.
Carrie, the heroine of this book, is in fact a woman and not girl. She is in her later twenties and after a rather bad night becomes a vampire. On top of that, she finds herself caught between two men who represent two sides. The first, the bad boy, is her sire Cyrus who is a real vampire. He does not sparkle; he’s like a shark on steroids that is addicted to S&M, and believes vampires should rule the world. The second man, the good boy, is Nathan who is a vampire who is also a vampire hunter. There is just one little problem. Nathan and his quasi son Ziggy are not members of Buffy’s team.
Think Van Helsing times six hundred. Chose us or die.
The decisions Carrie has to make are far more than “Team Cyrus” or “Team Nathan”. The choice is about who she should be as a person- or a vampire – a far more important question than who she should sleep with.
BTW – if you are Team Cyrus, seek help.
And that’s point. Carrie’s choice is compound by the fact that as her sire, her maker, Cyrus has a bond with her. In fact, Carrie’s relationship with Cyrus is one of the few where a writer really takes a look at the idea of control. It’s true that in some cases the excuse of the blood tie is used a bit too much, but it is also immensely refreshing to read a book where the “love” scene with the bad boy are not the be all and end all. There is a load of difference between the interactions between Carrie and Cyrus, and Carrie and Nathan. The scenes where Carrie is with Cyrus are uncomfortable, and seem intended to be that way. And this is because of the question of control and free will. It’s nice to see someone really, truly look at that issue. To take the step and deal with issues like abusive relationships and how some UF stories use them, whether Stockholm syndrome would take place. Is it done perfectly? No, not quite. The characterization could be a little more even or fluid. But Armintrout does really seem to be examining sexual politics in a way that very few others in the paranormal/UF books. The only other writer I can think of it who has touched upon the issue in such a way is Carrie Vaughn.
And that’s why I rounded up. That and the fact that the vampires are not toothless Romeos, and Armintrout does write in such a way that we can see why Carrie is tempted, why she might give into the dark side. And at the end, you really can’t help wanting to shout, ‘You go girl!’. The book isn’t perfect but it is enjoyable and different enough to stand out.
titus_hjelm's review
2.0
Uh-oh... should have checked what other books the publisher puts out before buying. Definitely not for those who like to think of vampires as stuff of horror.
dahi's review against another edition
3.0
Una historia entretenida, un poco absurda por momentos, pero buena para pasar el rato.
Tenemos de protagonista a Carrie, una médica que por error, termina siendo convertida por un vampiro malvado, llamado Cyrus. A partir de ese momento comienza a tener una conexión a través del lazo de sangre con su creador. Una conexión peligrosa ya que involucra deseo, obediencia y cero intimidad ya que puede leer sus pensamientos.
Por otro lado, tenemos a Nathan, "el vampiro bueno" que pertenece al Movimiento. Una especie de secta que se encarga de matar a las criaturas malvadas ( vampiros que también son cazadores de vampiros. Maravilloso servicio!).
Nuestra protagonista se debatirá qué hacer a partir de su transformación: estar junto a su amo/creador, o junto el vampiro, bueno y sexy?
"La fuerza no consiste en cargar con una cruz de vergüenza o dolor. La fuerza consiste en elegir tu propio camino y vivir con las consecuencias.
Y, mientras tuviera la fuerza para seguir viviendo, iba a hacerlo sin lamentarlo".
Tenemos de protagonista a Carrie, una médica que por error, termina siendo convertida por un vampiro malvado, llamado Cyrus. A partir de ese momento comienza a tener una conexión a través del lazo de sangre con su creador. Una conexión peligrosa ya que involucra deseo, obediencia y cero intimidad ya que puede leer sus pensamientos.
Por otro lado, tenemos a Nathan, "el vampiro bueno" que pertenece al Movimiento. Una especie de secta que se encarga de matar a las criaturas malvadas ( vampiros que también son cazadores de vampiros. Maravilloso servicio!).
Nuestra protagonista se debatirá qué hacer a partir de su transformación: estar junto a su amo/creador, o junto el vampiro, bueno y sexy?
"La fuerza no consiste en cargar con una cruz de vergüenza o dolor. La fuerza consiste en elegir tu propio camino y vivir con las consecuencias.
Y, mientras tuviera la fuerza para seguir viviendo, iba a hacerlo sin lamentarlo".
lisa_bookreads's review
3.0
I give the "The Turning" 3.5 stars. This was actually a breath of fresh air. This book is not like your normal paranormal romance novels. It does not follow the typical romance formula. However it is not completely void of all romance. I guess why I liked it so much was that it was a little unpredictable. This was more on the dark side of a vampire story. It had compelling characters and an interesting plot.
I felt the first few chapters where very captivating while during the middle of the book, I felt Armintrout seemed to loose focus. The story seemed to lack direction. It also had a tendency to fall flat in some areas. However, I felt she pulled it off by the end. I will continue reading this series as I am anxious to see how further the tale with unravel.
I felt the first few chapters where very captivating while during the middle of the book, I felt Armintrout seemed to loose focus. The story seemed to lack direction. It also had a tendency to fall flat in some areas. However, I felt she pulled it off by the end. I will continue reading this series as I am anxious to see how further the tale with unravel.
patricia_nascimento's review against another edition
2.0
A Iniciação (Laços de Sangue, #1) RATING: 2 estrelas
Diz-se que o tempo apaga muitas coisas e no caso deste livro tenho de concordar. Li "A Iniciação" pela primeira vez em inglês, ainda antes de ter saído em Portugal e na altura escrevi apenas a minha impressão geral do livro: que tinha sido interessante mas nada de especial.
Vários anos passados, senti curiosidade acerca da série não só pelas críticas favoráveis de outros leitores portugueses mas também pelo facto de ter sido publicado no nosso país. Quando entrei na leitura tinha apenas uma memória muito vaga do que acontecia. Sabia que a protagonista era transformada em vampiro e que havia um triângulo amoroso mas pouco mais. A minha curiosidade levou-me até a duvidar da classificação que lhe havia dado aquando da primeira leitura (duas estrelas).
Devia ter tido mais confiança na minha própria opinião, suponho. "A Iniciação" é de facto tão corriqueiro como me lembro e agora que já li muitos outros livros de fantasia urbana posso dizer que não tem nem uma história nem personagens particularmente interessantes.
A nossa heroína, Carrie Ames é uma médica recém-graduada que é atacada uma noite e passa por um processo de transformação gradual que a torna num vampiro. O seu atacante é Cyrus o típico vilão sobrenatural, um vampiro que se acha superior aos humanos. Claro que para o 'cast' estar completo é necessária uma terceira personagem, masculina, para formar 0 'triângulo amoroso'. Essa personagem é Nathan, um vampiro torturado parte de um movimento que visa exterminar todos os vampiros. Este foi o primeiro aspecto que me fez ficar de pé atrás. Aparentemente os vampiros na sua maioria não têm instinto de auto-preservação e criaram um 'movimento voluntário para a extinção dos vampiros' ou seja a sua missão é matar todo e qualquer vampiro que não se queira juntar ao movimento. Para não estar com muitos rodeios esta premissa pareceu-me simplesmente ridícula.
Ora bem, Nathan aparece e tal e faz um ultimatum a Carrie (que, lembrem-se, ainda mal se habituou à sua nova condição): junta-te ao movimento ou morre. O resto da história prende-se com a indecisão de Carrie que não quer morrer, claro, mas também não quer ser forçada a juntar-se ao movimento. Pelo meio temos um período dedicado a Cyrus, o 'progenitor' de Carrie com quem esta tem uma ligação forte, o "laço de sangue". Esta parte deu-me, para não estar com rodeios, algum nojo. Porque Carrie professa alto e bom som ser 'feminista' e independente mas cortesia do tal laço de sangue deixa-se ser abusada e humilhada pelo tal Cyrus para além de lhe 'desculpar' atitudes altamente questionáveis. Basicamente a autora falhou completamente ao tentar criar uma heroína forte; Carrie, por "amor" tudo desculpa.
Para além do falhanço que é Carrie, as outras personagens têm pouca substância. Não estão muito bem desenvolvidas, são bastante estereotipadas e as suas interacções não me convenceram minimamente.
No geral, "A Iniciação" é um livro bastante fraco em termos de história e personagens. Tem raros momentos de originalidade, mas a maior parte do livro é cliché e as personagens são irritantes e muito pouco carismáticas. Continuarei a seguir as aventuras de Carrie porque já tenhos os livros 2 e 3, mas não é uma série que recomende.
Diz-se que o tempo apaga muitas coisas e no caso deste livro tenho de concordar. Li "A Iniciação" pela primeira vez em inglês, ainda antes de ter saído em Portugal e na altura escrevi apenas a minha impressão geral do livro: que tinha sido interessante mas nada de especial.
Vários anos passados, senti curiosidade acerca da série não só pelas críticas favoráveis de outros leitores portugueses mas também pelo facto de ter sido publicado no nosso país. Quando entrei na leitura tinha apenas uma memória muito vaga do que acontecia. Sabia que a protagonista era transformada em vampiro e que havia um triângulo amoroso mas pouco mais. A minha curiosidade levou-me até a duvidar da classificação que lhe havia dado aquando da primeira leitura (duas estrelas).
Devia ter tido mais confiança na minha própria opinião, suponho. "A Iniciação" é de facto tão corriqueiro como me lembro e agora que já li muitos outros livros de fantasia urbana posso dizer que não tem nem uma história nem personagens particularmente interessantes.
A nossa heroína, Carrie Ames é uma médica recém-graduada que é atacada uma noite e passa por um processo de transformação gradual que a torna num vampiro. O seu atacante é Cyrus o típico vilão sobrenatural, um vampiro que se acha superior aos humanos. Claro que para o 'cast' estar completo é necessária uma terceira personagem, masculina, para formar 0 'triângulo amoroso'. Essa personagem é Nathan, um vampiro torturado parte de um movimento que visa exterminar todos os vampiros. Este foi o primeiro aspecto que me fez ficar de pé atrás. Aparentemente os vampiros na sua maioria não têm instinto de auto-preservação e criaram um 'movimento voluntário para a extinção dos vampiros' ou seja a sua missão é matar todo e qualquer vampiro que não se queira juntar ao movimento. Para não estar com muitos rodeios esta premissa pareceu-me simplesmente ridícula.
Ora bem, Nathan aparece e tal e faz um ultimatum a Carrie (que, lembrem-se, ainda mal se habituou à sua nova condição): junta-te ao movimento ou morre. O resto da história prende-se com a indecisão de Carrie que não quer morrer, claro, mas também não quer ser forçada a juntar-se ao movimento. Pelo meio temos um período dedicado a Cyrus, o 'progenitor' de Carrie com quem esta tem uma ligação forte, o "laço de sangue". Esta parte deu-me, para não estar com rodeios, algum nojo. Porque Carrie professa alto e bom som ser 'feminista' e independente mas cortesia do tal laço de sangue deixa-se ser abusada e humilhada pelo tal Cyrus para além de lhe 'desculpar' atitudes altamente questionáveis. Basicamente a autora falhou completamente ao tentar criar uma heroína forte; Carrie, por "amor" tudo desculpa.
Para além do falhanço que é Carrie, as outras personagens têm pouca substância. Não estão muito bem desenvolvidas, são bastante estereotipadas e as suas interacções não me convenceram minimamente.
No geral, "A Iniciação" é um livro bastante fraco em termos de história e personagens. Tem raros momentos de originalidade, mas a maior parte do livro é cliché e as personagens são irritantes e muito pouco carismáticas. Continuarei a seguir as aventuras de Carrie porque já tenhos os livros 2 e 3, mas não é uma série que recomende.
missrenge's review
2.0
See my other reviews at Never Enough Books
The things that go bump in the night are often the things that fascinate us the most. There is a sort of unknown taboo feeling about them that seem to draw us in. No matter how dangerous these things can be, we humans find them darkly fascinating.
Dr. Carrie Ames is a new resident at her local ER. When a John Doe comes through the doors and subsequently dies from his injuries, it sets Carrie on a path that changes her life forever. Because she ran from the ER originally, Carrie looks to confront her fears in the Morgue and is brutally attacked and left for dead. Though she survived the attack, Carrie is changed and not for the better.
Looking for answers, Carrie finds Nathan Grant, a fellow vampire and member of the Movement. The Movement seeks to eliminate all vampire in order to save mankind and the vampire who turned Carrie, Cyrus Kerrick is enemy number one. Nathan then gives Carrie a choice – join them or be killed by them.
To add insult to injury, Carrie learns of her ‘blood tie’ with Cyrus. A sort of psychic bond it ties Carrie to Cyrus, allowing him to read her thoughts and even control her emotions towards him. She finds herself attracted to Cyrus but also Nathan. What is a girl to do?
Despite the interesting premise, I was rather disappointed by this book. Though the action was fairly solid, the characters were not. I found them all one-dimensional and not at all interesting. The main protagonist, a vampire who is evil and cruel just because he can be. The potential love interest, another vampire with a checkered past who still has feelings for his long dead wife. The main female character, emotionally stunted with a less than loving childhood. Tropes, all of them, and not in a good way. For me, there was only one interesting character I wanted to know more about and he died!
Dark and gruesome at times, eye-rolling bad at others. Personally, I did not enjoy this book and won’t be seeking out the others in the series.
The things that go bump in the night are often the things that fascinate us the most. There is a sort of unknown taboo feeling about them that seem to draw us in. No matter how dangerous these things can be, we humans find them darkly fascinating.
Dr. Carrie Ames is a new resident at her local ER. When a John Doe comes through the doors and subsequently dies from his injuries, it sets Carrie on a path that changes her life forever. Because she ran from the ER originally, Carrie looks to confront her fears in the Morgue and is brutally attacked and left for dead. Though she survived the attack, Carrie is changed and not for the better.
Looking for answers, Carrie finds Nathan Grant, a fellow vampire and member of the Movement. The Movement seeks to eliminate all vampire in order to save mankind and the vampire who turned Carrie, Cyrus Kerrick is enemy number one. Nathan then gives Carrie a choice – join them or be killed by them.
To add insult to injury, Carrie learns of her ‘blood tie’ with Cyrus. A sort of psychic bond it ties Carrie to Cyrus, allowing him to read her thoughts and even control her emotions towards him. She finds herself attracted to Cyrus but also Nathan. What is a girl to do?
Despite the interesting premise, I was rather disappointed by this book. Though the action was fairly solid, the characters were not. I found them all one-dimensional and not at all interesting. The main protagonist, a vampire who is evil and cruel just because he can be. The potential love interest, another vampire with a checkered past who still has feelings for his long dead wife. The main female character, emotionally stunted with a less than loving childhood. Tropes, all of them, and not in a good way. For me, there was only one interesting character I wanted to know more about and he died!
Dark and gruesome at times, eye-rolling bad at others. Personally, I did not enjoy this book and won’t be seeking out the others in the series.