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reyshine's review against another edition
3.0
A decent YA/NA. The plot feels a little loose and not too new, but that's common with these books. It's a book very much centered on relationships in a group with the girl at center focus, and finding out who's the big bad. I'll read the sequel and see where this goes.
samskiejo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
keikiqueen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
livebythemoon7's review against another edition
5.0
It's not often that a book can get me to cry. The only other books I have cried while reading this year were The Blood and Ash Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and The Addicted to Sin series by Emily Stormbrook.
This book gave me such "F The System" vibes and I am here for it!
This book gave me such "F The System" vibes and I am here for it!
jillsbooknook's review against another edition
4.0
4- ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Zian mouthed the words that had become our mantra over the years as we'd prepared for this moment: We are blood.
Shattered Vow is the first novel in the NA Why Choose Paranormal series, Shadowblood Souls, which following Rivia and her five men, Griffen, Zian, Jacob, Dominic, and Andreas. Rivia and her guys have only ever known the inside of a research facility as they are tested and experimented on for their unique and ever growing abilities. Four years ago they attempted an escape that cost them dearly and separated Rivia from them men who she is inexplicably bound to. Finally Rivia is able to find her way back them them but everything has change and the bond she once had appears irrevocably change as a result of betrayal...yet the men aren't ready to let her go. As they begin the journey of vengeance, Rivia must find a way to navigate her new place and life while also face the true origins of her birth and what it means.
This was an incredibly easy book to fall into and I consumed it within an afternoon. Rivia was a fascinating character and her journey is not easy but her ability to connect with people regardless of what is happening made her POV smooth and defined. The treatment of her by her men (who aren't really her men yet - she has feelings for them but never spoke them aloud) was a good balance of bully and enemies to lovers. Griffin is such a bittersweet character and I hold a candle for him, Jacob is a major alphahole but there is a glimmer in him. He's aggressive and takes charge because he has to and the burden wears on him. Andreas has such a kindness to him as structures to reconcile what he believes to be true and what he remember of Rivia; Zian falls in the middle as cautious and hopeful; Dominic is carrying a great burden he doesn't want to face and his journey to self-acceptance is beautiful. I felt we only touched the surface of these characters and I look forward to learning more.
This book is a slow burn but there is a small amount of spice towards the end. This is definitely a book that will grow in steam but for now she only ends up truly connecting with one of the men. Will see if you can guess!
"Because I hurt people, and even after everything, I don't want to hurt you."
In terms of plot and structure this book has a lot building into it. There is character building as Rivia navigates a new world with them but the plot evolves quite quickly. I admittedly didn't feel the beginning was well defined but as the story went on we got more nuance and even lore, which I love. I hope as the book progress we continue to get more interaction with lore and world as well as more defined plot. I understood the focus on vengeance but wish there had been more time to develop how they made their plans (especially in the beginning). This book doesn't hold back with action and violence and there are a few good twists I didn't see coming. This book also ends in a cliffhanger that has me so curious.
Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to this paranormal world and I cannot wait to see this group truly find their place. There is great promise and I will definitely stay tuned for the next book this month!
Available on KU.
Zian mouthed the words that had become our mantra over the years as we'd prepared for this moment: We are blood.
Shattered Vow is the first novel in the NA Why Choose Paranormal series, Shadowblood Souls, which following Rivia and her five men, Griffen, Zian, Jacob, Dominic, and Andreas. Rivia and her guys have only ever known the inside of a research facility as they are tested and experimented on for their unique and ever growing abilities. Four years ago they attempted an escape that cost them dearly and separated Rivia from them men who she is inexplicably bound to. Finally Rivia is able to find her way back them them but everything has change and the bond she once had appears irrevocably change as a result of betrayal...yet the men aren't ready to let her go. As they begin the journey of vengeance, Rivia must find a way to navigate her new place and life while also face the true origins of her birth and what it means.
This was an incredibly easy book to fall into and I consumed it within an afternoon. Rivia was a fascinating character and her journey is not easy but her ability to connect with people regardless of what is happening made her POV smooth and defined. The treatment of her by her men (who aren't really her men yet - she has feelings for them but never spoke them aloud) was a good balance of bully and enemies to lovers. Griffin is such a bittersweet character and I hold a candle for him, Jacob is a major alphahole but there is a glimmer in him. He's aggressive and takes charge because he has to and the burden wears on him. Andreas has such a kindness to him as structures to reconcile what he believes to be true and what he remember of Rivia; Zian falls in the middle as cautious and hopeful; Dominic is carrying a great burden he doesn't want to face and his journey to self-acceptance is beautiful. I felt we only touched the surface of these characters and I look forward to learning more.
This book is a slow burn but there is a small amount of spice towards the end. This is definitely a book that will grow in steam but for now she only ends up truly connecting with one of the men. Will see if you can guess!
"Because I hurt people, and even after everything, I don't want to hurt you."
In terms of plot and structure this book has a lot building into it. There is character building as Rivia navigates a new world with them but the plot evolves quite quickly. I admittedly didn't feel the beginning was well defined but as the story went on we got more nuance and even lore, which I love. I hope as the book progress we continue to get more interaction with lore and world as well as more defined plot. I understood the focus on vengeance but wish there had been more time to develop how they made their plans (especially in the beginning). This book doesn't hold back with action and violence and there are a few good twists I didn't see coming. This book also ends in a cliffhanger that has me so curious.
Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to this paranormal world and I cannot wait to see this group truly find their place. There is great promise and I will definitely stay tuned for the next book this month!
Available on KU.
taylor_kelsie's review against another edition
I hardly EVER start a series before it is finished. I like instant gratification. This book was great. Strong female FMC. She isn’t bratty or selfish. She wants what is best for them even though they don’t trust her. She hods her own while also trying to rise above their petty bullying. My favorite type of FMC. When it becomes obvious the men were wrong about here she doesn’t just forgive, can’t wait for book 2.
jess_theinkspell's review against another edition
4.0
Il trope iniziale non mi è piaciuto granché, ma devo dire che l'autrice è stata brava a dargli senso.
Rispetto agli altri libri della Chase che ho letto questo è spanne sopra. Lo stile è molto più ricercato, più maturo, coinvolge molto di più.
I personaggi sono caratterizzati bene, anche se la trama resta abbastanza semplice.
La cosa che ho preferito è che nonostante i protagonisti abbiano poteri sovrannaturali, non siano invicibili. Che li temino e non siano completamente in controllo degli stessi.
Li rende molto più umani.
Rispetto agli altri libri della Chase che ho letto questo è spanne sopra. Lo stile è molto più ricercato, più maturo, coinvolge molto di più.
I personaggi sono caratterizzati bene, anche se la trama resta abbastanza semplice.
La cosa che ho preferito è che nonostante i protagonisti abbiano poteri sovrannaturali, non siano invicibili. Che li temino e non siano completamente in controllo degli stessi.
Li rende molto più umani.
mkoehnke's review against another edition
3.0
I think this series has so much potential but it currently fell a little flat and under expectations for me..
I decided to read this book after watching a TikTok that intrigued me, so I sort of already knew what would happen towards the end which may have influenced how I felt throughout the book leading up to that moment. I really liked certain parts of the book, the plot is intriguing and as a series it could seriously get better.
Overall it had good bones and I think it’ll turn into a good series but I struggled to like the male protagonists and at one point didn’t even want her to end up with them. The writing is solid and the world is fascinating enough to keep interest. I will definitely read the next one
SPOILERS:
I could not get over the fact that she did nothing wrong and was treated poorly by people she loved. Even with them having seen a fake tape of her committing the crime it seemed extremely unwarranted for them to want to kill her knowing that they should never trust the guardians and they didn’t even give her a chance to explain at first. I tried not to let it get to me but knowing the truth and then having to see the boys be so cruel when she actually didn’t do anything wrong was extremely difficult.
I also had a hard time understanding the character development of Jacob because he was dead set on being so mean and cruel to her the whole time. Even up until she runs in front of the train then all of a sudden his character switched completely and he was devastated and upset. While someone you care about being hit by a train is massively concerning he showed little to no affection or care for her through the whole book and then after that he believed her and everything was fine, it just didn’t make sense to me because up until then she still hadn’t proved her innocence and no one had even shown her the rape for her to deny it so it was 100% just a random decision to trust her. It honestly made me really upset and I could not get over how much I disliked him. The other boys were fine and I even liked Andreas but Jacob was difficult to like.
I also very much love groveling and a bit of heartbreak and I feel like those were two things that could’ve been really well done in this book and there was definitely space for them to occur after the train but it wasn’t there. I hated so much how that the thing that pushed them all over the edge and then not much was said after. This is dual POV so I was hoping we would’ve gotten to understand the boys more right after this happened but we only get one of their POVs and most of it is focused on saving her life not how any of them are feeling. The best we get is Jacob destroying some trees and being impatient, I think it would’ve been a great chapter to give him so as readers we could understand him better.
My hope is that Riva sticks to her word for a little bit when she said was done and ready to move on after their mission. If she stays true to her word and shows how they have to rebuild their relationships in the next book and there’s a bit of groveling and apologizing it could make up for what lacked in this one. It would also make more sense to me too about how they could be together after everything that they’ve gone through in this book.
I decided to read this book after watching a TikTok that intrigued me, so I sort of already knew what would happen towards the end which may have influenced how I felt throughout the book leading up to that moment. I really liked certain parts of the book, the plot is intriguing and as a series it could seriously get better.
Overall it had good bones and I think it’ll turn into a good series but I struggled to like the male protagonists and at one point didn’t even want her to end up with them. The writing is solid and the world is fascinating enough to keep interest. I will definitely read the next one
SPOILERS:
I could not get over the fact that she did nothing wrong and was treated poorly by people she loved. Even with them having seen a fake tape of her committing the crime it seemed extremely unwarranted for them to want to kill her knowing that they should never trust the guardians and they didn’t even give her a chance to explain at first. I tried not to let it get to me but knowing the truth and then having to see the boys be so cruel when she actually didn’t do anything wrong was extremely difficult.
I also had a hard time understanding the character development of Jacob because he was dead set on being so mean and cruel to her the whole time. Even up until she runs in front of the train then all of a sudden his character switched completely and he was devastated and upset. While someone you care about being hit by a train is massively concerning he showed little to no affection or care for her through the whole book and then after that he believed her and everything was fine, it just didn’t make sense to me because up until then she still hadn’t proved her innocence and no one had even shown her the rape for her to deny it so it was 100% just a random decision to trust her. It honestly made me really upset and I could not get over how much I disliked him. The other boys were fine and I even liked Andreas but Jacob was difficult to like.
I also very much love groveling and a bit of heartbreak and I feel like those were two things that could’ve been really well done in this book and there was definitely space for them to occur after the train but it wasn’t there. I hated so much how that the thing that pushed them all over the edge and then not much was said after. This is dual POV so I was hoping we would’ve gotten to understand the boys more right after this happened but we only get one of their POVs and most of it is focused on saving her life not how any of them are feeling. The best we get is Jacob destroying some trees and being impatient, I think it would’ve been a great chapter to give him so as readers we could understand him better.
My hope is that Riva sticks to her word for a little bit when she said was done and ready to move on after their mission. If she stays true to her word and shows how they have to rebuild their relationships in the next book and there’s a bit of groveling and apologizing it could make up for what lacked in this one. It would also make more sense to me too about how they could be together after everything that they’ve gone through in this book.
wii3rdo's review against another edition
5.0
something about a tortured, found family reverse harem/why choose romance trope will ALWAYS HAVE ME BY THE THROAT!! this is the type of book my 12 year old self wished i could read all the time. in my mind it was like The 5th Wave meets certain aspects of the Shatter Me series.
i loved every second of this book, even when i was ready to climb into these pages and tear these men's heads off. i'm always down for some drama, but when it comes down to it—them grieving aside—they didn't trust Riva. despite knowing her, loving her, and suffering alongside her for years, they trusted what the people who've literally put them through hell their entire lives showed them rather than focusing on the woman they knew her to be. even seeing firsthand how she acted around them after seeing the video they showed them, they didn't believe that she was genuine. i don't care if they were grieving, i don't care if they felt they could only trust each other, they had ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT TO TREAT HER THE WAY THEY DID! and them coming to their senses after she tried to d!e really almost made me cry actually. because what if she hadn't changed her mind at the last possible second?? then they would've lived with the knowledge that she died because of them.
again, i'm all for some drama, but i need more reparations from these men. Jacob and Andreas more than anyone. this has nothing (a very little bit) to do with the fact that i like making men who've wronged my fmcs suffer. :) because right now? THEY'RE ALL ON MY LIST!
i also just want to take a moment to mourn Brooke because shawty ain't deserve to go out like that. and then the only reason she was at the wrong place at the wrong time was because she wanted to try and help Riva...AVENGE MY SISTA! ASAP!
i'm diving into the next book IMMEDIATELY! there's an itch under my skin that only the end of this series can cure rn <33
i loved every second of this book, even when i was ready to climb into these pages and tear these men's heads off. i'm always down for some drama, but when it comes down to it—them grieving aside—they didn't trust Riva. despite knowing her, loving her, and suffering alongside her for years, they trusted what the people who've literally put them through hell their entire lives showed them rather than focusing on the woman they knew her to be. even seeing firsthand how she acted around them after seeing the video they showed them, they didn't believe that she was genuine. i don't care if they were grieving, i don't care if they felt they could only trust each other, they had ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT TO TREAT HER THE WAY THEY DID! and them coming to their senses after she tried to d!e really almost made me cry actually. because what if she hadn't changed her mind at the last possible second?? then they would've lived with the knowledge that she died because of them.
again, i'm all for some drama, but i need more reparations from these men. Jacob and Andreas more than anyone. this has nothing (a very little bit) to do with the fact that i like making men who've wronged my fmcs suffer. :) because right now? THEY'RE ALL ON MY LIST!
i also just want to take a moment to mourn Brooke because shawty ain't deserve to go out like that. and then the only reason she was at the wrong place at the wrong time was because she wanted to try and help Riva...AVENGE MY SISTA! ASAP!
i'm diving into the next book IMMEDIATELY! there's an itch under my skin that only the end of this series can cure rn <33