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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I have always intended to read Chloe Neill's popular Chicagoland Vampires series but never found the time, so I leapt at the chance to read The Veil, the first book her new Devil's Isle series.
It has been seven years since the Veil between New Orleans and the supernatural world was torn open permitting the egress of paranormals determined to enslave or wipe out humanity. War raged for a year, leaving thousands dead and the land scarred before the Veil was closed. Magic was banned and the Para's who survived incarcerated in a neighborhood adjoining The French Quarter, nicknamed Devil's Isle.
Claire Connolly owns and runs an antique and supply store, inherited from her late father, at was what 'ground zero'. She refuses to abandon the family store and leave New Orleans even though she risks everything to stay, for after the Veil was reinstated, Claire discovered she was a 'sensitive', a human with the ability to wield magic, and discovery would mean 'containment'.
But when Claire witnesses a woman being attacked by two wraiths (sensitives that have been overwhelmed by their magic) she intervenes and to save herself must use her magic. Certain she will be arrested and imprisoned, assistance comes from an unexpected source, bounty hunter Liam Quinn, who not only helps destroy the evidence of her actions, but also finds her a mentor to teach her to harness her magic.
Walking a fine line between remaining hidden and discovery, everything changes when Claire and Liam discover a dangerous plot to reopen the Veil.
Though New Orleans isn't an unique setting, Neil's worldbuilding is solid. The society has dystopian elements what with almost martial law and street level magic monitoring, and there also an apocalyptic feel given the scorched earth, ruined buildings and communication issues.
There is quite a lot of information to digest in The Veil, including the history of the war, the current status of New Orleans society, the make up of Para's, and the motives of the Beyond. I felt Neil integrated the details well for most part, maintaining a good pace and advancing the plot.
The characters are likeable, Claire is stubborn, resourceful and she has a close knit group of friends that are her substitute family. Liam is essentially a loner, especially since losing his sister. As a bounty hunter he can move quite freely between New Orleans and Devil's Isle where his grandmother is and he has, if not friends then sources, such as Moses, a computer hacker with horns. The attraction between Claire and Liam is immediate and inevitable, and a strong element of the plot.
Though I'm not irreversibly hooked, I did enjoy The Veil. It's a quick and engaging read and I will most likely pick up the next.
The war is over, the veil which separates the worlds has been closed, but New Orleans remains under martial law. Paranormals have been forced into the Devil's Isle, an austere internment camp while bounty hunters hunt down any remaining magic users living outside.
Claire is a Sensitive. She is able to tap into the veil of magic and use it to move things. But she needs to be careful, too much magic will drive her insane and she will become a wraith that wanders the city hunting the innocent. Adding to her problems she has to hide her magic from the all-seeing authorities or she will find herself locked away in Devil's Isle.
After using her magic to help a young girl escape from attacking wraiths, she finds herself caught bang to rights by Liam, a bounty hunter. But rather than handing her over he not only helps her remove the evidence of her magic use, he introduces her to a guide who will help her control her magic.
Working as a team they set about uncovering the cause of the wraith attacks. What they discover could plunge New Orleans back into another brutal war. It's up to them to foil a conspiracy to bring down the veil and return the country to supernatural war.
To be honest I think RachelW summed it up when she said it was 'a good start' but 'bland in places'. I enjoyed the book but it never really grabbed me by the throat, shook me and said "you must read me".
It's probably a little more noticeable because the book I started as soon as I finished this one, [b:From Russia With Claws|25610661|From Russia With Claws|Jacey Conrad|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435845081s/25610661.jpg|45421616] had me by the throat almost from the beginning and it doesn't seem interested in letting go.
So, The Veil is a promising start and hopefully things take off in the next book.
Claire is a Sensitive. She is able to tap into the veil of magic and use it to move things. But she needs to be careful, too much magic will drive her insane and she will become a wraith that wanders the city hunting the innocent. Adding to her problems she has to hide her magic from the all-seeing authorities or she will find herself locked away in Devil's Isle.
After using her magic to help a young girl escape from attacking wraiths, she finds herself caught bang to rights by Liam, a bounty hunter. But rather than handing her over he not only helps her remove the evidence of her magic use, he introduces her to a guide who will help her control her magic.
Working as a team they set about uncovering the cause of the wraith attacks. What they discover could plunge New Orleans back into another brutal war. It's up to them to foil a conspiracy to bring down the veil and return the country to supernatural war.
To be honest I think RachelW summed it up when she said it was 'a good start' but 'bland in places'. I enjoyed the book but it never really grabbed me by the throat, shook me and said "you must read me".
It's probably a little more noticeable because the book I started as soon as I finished this one, [b:From Russia With Claws|25610661|From Russia With Claws|Jacey Conrad|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1435845081s/25610661.jpg|45421616] had me by the throat almost from the beginning and it doesn't seem interested in letting go.
So, The Veil is a promising start and hopefully things take off in the next book.
3.5 stars
There was a lot of set up in the beginning, but things finally started ticking along about halfway through. I'm curious to see what happens in the next book.
There was a lot of set up in the beginning, but things finally started ticking along about halfway through. I'm curious to see what happens in the next book.
full review @ https://saschadarlington.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/review-of-the-veil/
The way some people binge on tv shows, I binge on book series, which constantly has me muttering that famous line: so many books, so little time.
Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires is a series that I happily binged on until I caught up (and then realized that's she's written more since I last caught up-ha!). Now she has the new Devil's Isle series, which if the first book, The Veil, is anything to go on, is going to be fantastic.
The Veil takes place in New Orleans and refers to a type of portal that's opened between worlds letting paranormals, those with powerful magic, slip in. A war was waged and the humans "won," but barely. Now magic is off-limits and anyone seen using it is taken to Devil's Isle, a prison for paranormals and sensitives.
Protagonist Claire Connolly is a Sensitive, a human capable of performing magic. This has dangerous implications not only because if she's caught she could be taken away, but humans using magic can become wraiths, which is like a pained, skeletal version of themselves. They absorb magic, become crazed, and will do anything to get more, even if it means killing. So, Claire has a secret that she keeps even from her best friends.
On War Night, a celebration on the anniversary of the end of the war, Claire sees a tall, dark, and handsome (TDH) man in the crowd. He captures her imagination. On her way home, Claire encounters two wraiths attacking a young woman. Since she can't leave the woman to fend for herself, Claire takes on the fight and uses magic. The TDH, Liam Quinn, sees Claire using magic.
Liam Quinn is a bounty hunter who captures wraiths, but he also has connections that could help Claire learn how to use her magic properly.
While Claire is learning to harness her magic, forces in New Orleans are trying to create upheaval. And because it's what they've been doing for years, albeit separately, Claire and Liam work to save New Orleans (and maybe the world?) again.
The way some people binge on tv shows, I binge on book series, which constantly has me muttering that famous line: so many books, so little time.
Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires is a series that I happily binged on until I caught up (and then realized that's she's written more since I last caught up-ha!). Now she has the new Devil's Isle series, which if the first book, The Veil, is anything to go on, is going to be fantastic.
The Veil takes place in New Orleans and refers to a type of portal that's opened between worlds letting paranormals, those with powerful magic, slip in. A war was waged and the humans "won," but barely. Now magic is off-limits and anyone seen using it is taken to Devil's Isle, a prison for paranormals and sensitives.
Protagonist Claire Connolly is a Sensitive, a human capable of performing magic. This has dangerous implications not only because if she's caught she could be taken away, but humans using magic can become wraiths, which is like a pained, skeletal version of themselves. They absorb magic, become crazed, and will do anything to get more, even if it means killing. So, Claire has a secret that she keeps even from her best friends.
On War Night, a celebration on the anniversary of the end of the war, Claire sees a tall, dark, and handsome (TDH) man in the crowd. He captures her imagination. On her way home, Claire encounters two wraiths attacking a young woman. Since she can't leave the woman to fend for herself, Claire takes on the fight and uses magic. The TDH, Liam Quinn, sees Claire using magic.
Liam Quinn is a bounty hunter who captures wraiths, but he also has connections that could help Claire learn how to use her magic properly.
While Claire is learning to harness her magic, forces in New Orleans are trying to create upheaval. And because it's what they've been doing for years, albeit separately, Claire and Liam work to save New Orleans (and maybe the world?) again.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I liked the idea but the execution was a little flat and chaotic. I don't think I'll be carrying on.
I am a big Chloe Neill fan for her Chicagoland Vampire series. It was only natural for me to follow along and see what new adventures she could create.
The Veil involves a paranormal world that I've never really envisioned before. There is a lot of prejudice against anything magical. There is definitely a cause for that, but like all prejudice, it tries to encompass all instead of allowing for individuality. The world building in The Veil involves a lot of that which causes the conflict with our main character Claire. The setup of the world seems to fill most of the first portion of the book, which is why I think that the major conflict and storyline seemed to light quickly and then turn into a page turning race to find out what happens. I did find that the cast was quite big to start out with. When things got hot, I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. I could never keep Gunnar and Gavin straight. I think it was the G's.
Claire takes quickly to the magic that she has tried to hide for so long and finds herself stubborn enough to try things she's never done before. She's a very smart character and uses the bits she's learned to really put together what she needs to do. It's scary since she always seem to try new things when in the middle of chaos.
I'm excited about the hint of a romance between Liam and Claire. It is going to be a nice slow burn that will probably drive me insane. I live for the little peeks we get into the build up.
I had an instant love for Moses. He was a character I just really connected with and I would love to see more of him too. All of the characters really seemed to get fleshed out nicely, so we have a good idea of where they stand when we get to the next book. We get left with a couple of openings for the next book and I'm excited to see how they go and what surprises are in store for Claire and Liam!
As always, the world building gets to me. It made for a slow start for me, but once we got past that point and really jumped into the meat of the story, I was hooked. However, I felt that once I did get hooked, everything was a bit rushed and stuffed into a small amount of time. For me, this is something I suffer with with every book one of a series. The Veil ended so well for me, that I know I will jump on book two. It seems there are two threads opened up near the end and I'm anxious to see how we follow those up in the next series.
This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
The Veil involves a paranormal world that I've never really envisioned before. There is a lot of prejudice against anything magical. There is definitely a cause for that, but like all prejudice, it tries to encompass all instead of allowing for individuality. The world building in The Veil involves a lot of that which causes the conflict with our main character Claire. The setup of the world seems to fill most of the first portion of the book, which is why I think that the major conflict and storyline seemed to light quickly and then turn into a page turning race to find out what happens. I did find that the cast was quite big to start out with. When things got hot, I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. I could never keep Gunnar and Gavin straight. I think it was the G's.
Claire takes quickly to the magic that she has tried to hide for so long and finds herself stubborn enough to try things she's never done before. She's a very smart character and uses the bits she's learned to really put together what she needs to do. It's scary since she always seem to try new things when in the middle of chaos.
I'm excited about the hint of a romance between Liam and Claire. It is going to be a nice slow burn that will probably drive me insane. I live for the little peeks we get into the build up.
I had an instant love for Moses. He was a character I just really connected with and I would love to see more of him too. All of the characters really seemed to get fleshed out nicely, so we have a good idea of where they stand when we get to the next book. We get left with a couple of openings for the next book and I'm excited to see how they go and what surprises are in store for Claire and Liam!
As always, the world building gets to me. It made for a slow start for me, but once we got past that point and really jumped into the meat of the story, I was hooked. However, I felt that once I did get hooked, everything was a bit rushed and stuffed into a small amount of time. For me, this is something I suffer with with every book one of a series. The Veil ended so well for me, that I know I will jump on book two. It seems there are two threads opened up near the end and I'm anxious to see how we follow those up in the next series.
This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
The Veil is book one in the Devil's Isle series. I've been trying to binge listen to Chloe Neill's other series and enjoy her writing style so I knew I had to grab this one. This series revolves around a world that does not trust magic of any sort. You have characters that are called Sensitives that have magical abilities and they're forced onto Devil's Isle and left there. It's not a pretty world and I just had to know more about it.
We start off The Veil meeting a girl named Claire Connolly. She runs a shop and seems to be an everyday type of gal, but it comes as a surprise to her one day when a large object comes tumbling down to kill her and she manages to stop it with her unknown magical abilities. You see, she's a Sensitive, a person with magical abilities, telekinesis in this case. Living in a world that constantly monitors the streets for magic, Claire knows she has to be careful. The Sensitives that are caught are tossed in Devil's Isle and are left there until they lose control of their magic and wind up turning into wraiths. Knowing that, she's out walking one night and sees two wraiths attacking a woman on the street and is forced to reveal her powers to save her. With the cameras and sensors being tripped by her magic it's just a matter of time before people will be coming for her. Between a rock and a hard place, Claire has to team up and trust a bounty hunter who claims he can help her, even though his job is to throw Sensitives in Devil's Isle.
The Veil was quite a ride. I was so worried that Liam Quinn (the bounty hunter), would double cross Claire. But during the book we learn a lot about him and get to know why he does the things he does. It has me intrigued to see what happens in the next installment. I think my favorite character would have to be Claire, mainly because of the character growth. The magical abilities shown were interesting and it shows how corrupt their government truly is. So basically, the plot kept my interest, I enjoyed the characters and can't wait to see what happens next. If you're fond of Urban Fantasy with paranormal elements, I think you'd love this series.
We start off The Veil meeting a girl named Claire Connolly. She runs a shop and seems to be an everyday type of gal, but it comes as a surprise to her one day when a large object comes tumbling down to kill her and she manages to stop it with her unknown magical abilities. You see, she's a Sensitive, a person with magical abilities, telekinesis in this case. Living in a world that constantly monitors the streets for magic, Claire knows she has to be careful. The Sensitives that are caught are tossed in Devil's Isle and are left there until they lose control of their magic and wind up turning into wraiths. Knowing that, she's out walking one night and sees two wraiths attacking a woman on the street and is forced to reveal her powers to save her. With the cameras and sensors being tripped by her magic it's just a matter of time before people will be coming for her. Between a rock and a hard place, Claire has to team up and trust a bounty hunter who claims he can help her, even though his job is to throw Sensitives in Devil's Isle.
The Veil was quite a ride. I was so worried that Liam Quinn (the bounty hunter), would double cross Claire. But during the book we learn a lot about him and get to know why he does the things he does. It has me intrigued to see what happens in the next installment. I think my favorite character would have to be Claire, mainly because of the character growth. The magical abilities shown were interesting and it shows how corrupt their government truly is. So basically, the plot kept my interest, I enjoyed the characters and can't wait to see what happens next. If you're fond of Urban Fantasy with paranormal elements, I think you'd love this series.
Some parts of this book were really well written, but overall I didn't like the book enough to continue the series. The secondary characters were all pretty one dimensional, which is a pet peeve of mine. I also though it was very obvious who the traitor was, so that reveal didn't shock me like it was supposed to. I also wish Neill gave the reader a better sense of what the country was like outside of Louisiana, and how the government was able to keep Louisiana separate, because that confused/bothered me.
drey’s thoughts:
The Plot: A shopkeeper with a secret puts it all on the line to save a life, and gets help from an unexpected quarter. The Veil shattered seven years ago, bringing war, death, and magic. Closing the Veil contained the threat, and those caught on this side were locked away behind walls. However, the residual magic impacted some of the humans too - and now a new threat is turning them to wraiths.
The Characters: Claire Connelly runs her father's shop, staying under the radar lest she's arrested for practicing magic and locked up in Devil's Isle. When she breaks cover to save someone's life, a bounty hunter comes to her rescue. And Claire learns so much more about what goes on in her NOLA, including who her friends really are.
The Story: The Veil focuses on the background and character development in the beginning, which might be slow for some, but was just right in this instance, for me. Once Neill has everything and everyone set up, the pace picks up considerably and doesn't let up until it's done.
The Veil is a welcome addition to the genre, and I enjoyed Neill's storytelling - though I'm a teensy-weensy bit disappointed that Claire isn't as snarky as Merit. ;) I can't wait to see where this new series goes from here.
drey’s rating: Excellent!
Have you read The Veil? What did you think?This review was originally posted on drey's library