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thegeekyblogger's review against another edition
4.0
Listened for BookClub (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First thought when finished: Solid beginning to a new series! Who knew Omens could be a great foundation for a story?
Story Thoughts:Omens was a fantastic read filled with brilliant hooks/twists/turns that I just didn't see coming. I loved how the Omens were woven into the fabric of the pages becoming part of the story instead of over-powering it. The town of Cainsville was also interesting and I totally believe there is a lot of story left to come where the town is concerned. I really liked that Kelley weaved in the architecture and essence of the town into the story. I love when you feel like you are there. Overall, this is only my 2nd Kelley Armstrong book but it won't be last!
Character Thoughts: Oh Olivia! I wish that it didn't take so long to warm up to you. I just felt you were being to careless/naive where finances were concerned. I don't think you got what it took to really live on your own was concerned. In fact, even though you are a waitress and don't have a great apartment-- you still managed to land on your feet so no real "world" lesson really learned. You did grow on me with your smarts and perseverance. I just know that in the next book that I will adore you because by the end you seemed to have grown. Gabriel, on the other hand, I totally adored. He reminded me of Finn from the Elemental Assassins series by Jennifer Estep. He was just arrogant, self-assured, and a rascal! :) The town folk were interesting and so were Olivia's mom(s)! I have a feeling the characters will totally grow on me through out the series.
Audio Thoughts:
How to tackle the narration *sigh*! I am normally a fan of having two narrators. In fact, I mostly prefer it but both have to be strong (or on the same level). I really adored the older voice in Omens. The pacing, nuances, and emotions were dead on! I felt there was a layer of depth added to the story anytime that voice was there. I wasn't a fan of the younger voice. I felt the pacing was off and Olivia sounded "off". That being said, the voice did grow on me by the end but it just wasn't as strong as the other. I will probably continue this series in audio though because overall the audio was well produced. As always please listen to a sample before purchasing an audio book to make sure the narration is right for you.
Final Thoughts: Looking forward to book 2!
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First thought when finished: Solid beginning to a new series! Who knew Omens could be a great foundation for a story?
Story Thoughts:Omens was a fantastic read filled with brilliant hooks/twists/turns that I just didn't see coming. I loved how the Omens were woven into the fabric of the pages becoming part of the story instead of over-powering it. The town of Cainsville was also interesting and I totally believe there is a lot of story left to come where the town is concerned. I really liked that Kelley weaved in the architecture and essence of the town into the story. I love when you feel like you are there. Overall, this is only my 2nd Kelley Armstrong book but it won't be last!
Character Thoughts: Oh Olivia! I wish that it didn't take so long to warm up to you. I just felt you were being to careless/naive where finances were concerned. I don't think you got what it took to really live on your own was concerned. In fact, even though you are a waitress and don't have a great apartment-- you still managed to land on your feet so no real "world" lesson really learned. You did grow on me with your smarts and perseverance. I just know that in the next book that I will adore you because by the end you seemed to have grown. Gabriel, on the other hand, I totally adored. He reminded me of Finn from the Elemental Assassins series by Jennifer Estep. He was just arrogant, self-assured, and a rascal! :) The town folk were interesting and so were Olivia's mom(s)! I have a feeling the characters will totally grow on me through out the series.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Carine Montbertrand, Mozhan Marno / Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
How to tackle the narration *sigh*! I am normally a fan of having two narrators. In fact, I mostly prefer it but both have to be strong (or on the same level). I really adored the older voice in Omens. The pacing, nuances, and emotions were dead on! I felt there was a layer of depth added to the story anytime that voice was there. I wasn't a fan of the younger voice. I felt the pacing was off and Olivia sounded "off". That being said, the voice did grow on me by the end but it just wasn't as strong as the other. I will probably continue this series in audio though because overall the audio was well produced. As always please listen to a sample before purchasing an audio book to make sure the narration is right for you.
Final Thoughts: Looking forward to book 2!
bookishlyeccentric's review against another edition
5.0
Kelley Armstrong has been a favourite author of mine for a while now and this series certainly doesn't disappoint. Can't wait to see where this goes.
sam_riccio's review against another edition
4.0
It was good. Anticlimactic most of the time and I like both the characters and I want to know what's going to happen in the next books because I'm invested I'm just in it for the drama and I know this book was mostly to get the ball rolling. The next book is where I'm gonna get higher hopes of Drama.
betterbymyshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
necrabelle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
shade_seigo's review against another edition
4.0
great start to a new series, can't wait to see what's next!
lydiaclaire's review against another edition
3.0
This one started out great but really dragged in the end…. To the point where I don’t want to read the series. It was an extremely weird semi conclusion and if I have to use one word to describe it, it would be meh.
kangrove's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
lolasreviews's review against another edition
5.0
I had read quite a lot of review books in a row and suddenly I just needed to read a book that I knew I would enjoy. Although I had some doubts about Omens I knew it would be good, because I love Kelley her writing style and that can compensate for a lot of things. While Omens was different than I expected I still loved it and after the start which was a bit slow I got totally into it and couldn't put it down.
For me the book started off a bit slow, I didn't really knew what to expect yet and at first Olivia wasn't in cainsville and it just took me a while to get into the story, but when I did I couldn't put it down. I found myself wishing to read more and more and staying up late to read a few more chapters and finding excuses to just read again and let other things wait for a while. Omens is really addictive and it has the same writing style as Kelleys earlier books and I really love her writing style.
I rally liked Olivia as a main character, she came across as the victim and a bit weak at first, but soon I realized she actually was a strong character. She was smart and I really liked her personality. And then there is Gabriel, there is nothing I love more than a slow building romance. Gabriel is a great love intereset. He seems hard and cold, but I just knew there was more to him and I kept routing for him and Olivia. ofcourse while I wish their romance developed faster I also loved the slow developing pace. The romance isn't the focus, but I think it's done perfect and I can't wait to read the next book and see how their relationship continues.
I did have some problems to remember some of the side characters though. Even though I read the book in a few days I still had trouble remembering who was who sometimes and how they where connected, but this is an issue I have regulary with murder mystery books, because there are so many different suspects and family members, it is difficult to remember them all.
The most important thing to remember when picking up this book is that the focus isn't on the paranormal. There are paranormal aspects to the story, but in this book it is still a lot that is hinted at and suggested, but it isn't at the forefront. The mystery aspect is at the forefront and Kelley can write great mystery books that's for sure. Research and mystery was always a part of the Otherworld series, but here it's the focus and while I don't read a lot of mysteries I found myself truly enjoying this book and it even made me wonder why I don't read more mystery books. I love guessing who is quilty and who ahs done what and trying to uncover secrets.
There is some world building, but most of that focusses on making the town Cainsville come alive. I really liked the small town and it sounds like a lovely town to live in. Kelley did a great job making the Cainsville seem like a real place (yeah I even checked google maps to make sure it wasn't a real city, just to be sure). There is some world building focussed on dropping supernatural hints and I felt like there is still so much of the story and world that we don't get.
To conclude: I loved Omens! There was a great story and I really liked the characters and the slow building romance. The beginning was a bit slow, but after that I didn't want to put it down. Omens was different than I expected with less focus on the paranormal and more on the mystery aspect than I expected, but I still loved it! I actually really liked the mystery aspect and finding the clues alongside Olivia. I am really looking forward to read the rest of this series! The wait for the next book is going to be a long one.
For me the book started off a bit slow, I didn't really knew what to expect yet and at first Olivia wasn't in cainsville and it just took me a while to get into the story, but when I did I couldn't put it down. I found myself wishing to read more and more and staying up late to read a few more chapters and finding excuses to just read again and let other things wait for a while. Omens is really addictive and it has the same writing style as Kelleys earlier books and I really love her writing style.
I rally liked Olivia as a main character, she came across as the victim and a bit weak at first, but soon I realized she actually was a strong character. She was smart and I really liked her personality. And then there is Gabriel, there is nothing I love more than a slow building romance. Gabriel is a great love intereset. He seems hard and cold, but I just knew there was more to him and I kept routing for him and Olivia. ofcourse while I wish their romance developed faster I also loved the slow developing pace. The romance isn't the focus, but I think it's done perfect and I can't wait to read the next book and see how their relationship continues.
I did have some problems to remember some of the side characters though. Even though I read the book in a few days I still had trouble remembering who was who sometimes and how they where connected, but this is an issue I have regulary with murder mystery books, because there are so many different suspects and family members, it is difficult to remember them all.
The most important thing to remember when picking up this book is that the focus isn't on the paranormal. There are paranormal aspects to the story, but in this book it is still a lot that is hinted at and suggested, but it isn't at the forefront. The mystery aspect is at the forefront and Kelley can write great mystery books that's for sure. Research and mystery was always a part of the Otherworld series, but here it's the focus and while I don't read a lot of mysteries I found myself truly enjoying this book and it even made me wonder why I don't read more mystery books. I love guessing who is quilty and who ahs done what and trying to uncover secrets.
There is some world building, but most of that focusses on making the town Cainsville come alive. I really liked the small town and it sounds like a lovely town to live in. Kelley did a great job making the Cainsville seem like a real place (yeah I even checked google maps to make sure it wasn't a real city, just to be sure). There is some world building focussed on dropping supernatural hints and I felt like there is still so much of the story and world that we don't get.
To conclude: I loved Omens! There was a great story and I really liked the characters and the slow building romance. The beginning was a bit slow, but after that I didn't want to put it down. Omens was different than I expected with less focus on the paranormal and more on the mystery aspect than I expected, but I still loved it! I actually really liked the mystery aspect and finding the clues alongside Olivia. I am really looking forward to read the rest of this series! The wait for the next book is going to be a long one.