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zooloo1983's review
5.0
The beautiful book cover is what caught my eye first, the main character called Ariel…well, I am in!
So angels are real! Yes, I said it! They walk around our world but we can not see their wings! Awesome right! Well….not so much if you are Ariel and you have an all-powerful essence hidden away within you!
I loved getting to know Ariel, she is the “nerdy” kid, the one from a broken home, the one who does not want to socialise. However, three new kids come to her school, all of them make a beeline for her! But why?
Upon discovering Ariel’s backstory, it made my heart break for her, to go through what she has done and still fight, well that is no small feat. Ok, so sometimes her attitude needs to be kept in check, and her Rage, who has its own personality!!, but in some respects, she owns it and is entitled to it.
This book starts out at what you might think is a typical “Young Adults” love story, but what unfolds is something much more beautiful and darker! The action starts so much quicker than I anticipated and I loved it! One huge scene in the book, I actually thought it was a dream, I was waiting for Ariel to wake up and the nightmare to be over……then I realised this nightmare was a reality and then the fun began!
When I was reading this, and if you have read this you know which bit I mean, but boy did I have chills! When Tabby and Ariel are travelling towards the lighthouse – oh boy oh boy, that was truly horrifying! I felt like I was there, the sand and the dust in my face, I felt like grit was in my mouth, the sounds, the wind, the stink and the darkness, the true darkness from the fields, I was there with Ariel. Urging her to get through, just get to the gate and get passed the field and lighthouse as QUICK AS POSSIBLE!
Ariel had to pick up her pace and learn quickly, and you feel that when reading. An element near the end of the book was action packed and everything was driven so quickly as the excitement and anticipation ramped up urgently as the chess pieces were being put in place. I am really excited to see where Ariel’s story takes us! You know as well that there is so much more to come with the Angels, the fight of good vs bad and especially with more revelations to come.
I have not read anything by Olga before, and she has given me a right treat with Heavenwards. A story unlike any I have read before. I did not want to do any adulting this weekend, this book was constantly playing on my mind. I was just too eager to get back into the action and pronto! It is the sort of book, that when you are putting it down you are fearing for what is going to happen, fearing that some might not make it back out alive!! As soon as I read the last page, I jumped straight into Hallow (book 2), I am not ready for any of this to be over yet.
So angels are real! Yes, I said it! They walk around our world but we can not see their wings! Awesome right! Well….not so much if you are Ariel and you have an all-powerful essence hidden away within you!
I loved getting to know Ariel, she is the “nerdy” kid, the one from a broken home, the one who does not want to socialise. However, three new kids come to her school, all of them make a beeline for her! But why?
Upon discovering Ariel’s backstory, it made my heart break for her, to go through what she has done and still fight, well that is no small feat. Ok, so sometimes her attitude needs to be kept in check, and her Rage, who has its own personality!!, but in some respects, she owns it and is entitled to it.
This book starts out at what you might think is a typical “Young Adults” love story, but what unfolds is something much more beautiful and darker! The action starts so much quicker than I anticipated and I loved it! One huge scene in the book, I actually thought it was a dream, I was waiting for Ariel to wake up and the nightmare to be over……then I realised this nightmare was a reality and then the fun began!
When I was reading this, and if you have read this you know which bit I mean, but boy did I have chills! When Tabby and Ariel are travelling towards the lighthouse – oh boy oh boy, that was truly horrifying! I felt like I was there, the sand and the dust in my face, I felt like grit was in my mouth, the sounds, the wind, the stink and the darkness, the true darkness from the fields, I was there with Ariel. Urging her to get through, just get to the gate and get passed the field and lighthouse as QUICK AS POSSIBLE!
Ariel had to pick up her pace and learn quickly, and you feel that when reading. An element near the end of the book was action packed and everything was driven so quickly as the excitement and anticipation ramped up urgently as the chess pieces were being put in place. I am really excited to see where Ariel’s story takes us! You know as well that there is so much more to come with the Angels, the fight of good vs bad and especially with more revelations to come.
I have not read anything by Olga before, and she has given me a right treat with Heavenwards. A story unlike any I have read before. I did not want to do any adulting this weekend, this book was constantly playing on my mind. I was just too eager to get back into the action and pronto! It is the sort of book, that when you are putting it down you are fearing for what is going to happen, fearing that some might not make it back out alive!! As soon as I read the last page, I jumped straight into Hallow (book 2), I am not ready for any of this to be over yet.
shealwaysreads's review
3.0
When I approached reading this on my Kindle I should have reread the synopsis. Due to me not reading it I was left in the dark wondering about the backstory of our seemingly multi-personality protagonist Ariel. But it is vaguely mention that she suffered from trauma in her past, I really hadn't understood why or how she became living in what seems to be a foster/ orphanage type of home. For me there just wasn't enough backstory, and that left me feeling as though that was supposed to be the purpose of the story. But at about 50% I realized I was way off based.
Besides being utterly confused with the storyline, Heavenward offers some very dramatic scenes that leave entranced with its descriptive surrounds that lock you front center. I can still vividly see the worlds in which Gibbs created for us. The plots itself seemed just mixed up for me. I felt as if scenes changed either extremely slow or moved rapidly.
The characters while some seemed to be endearing seemed to also match my feeling towards Ariel multi-personality. There would be moments when the actions or words just didn't match up with what was previously told of them. I found them hard to connect with. The insta-connections between friends and foe wore thin for me as Ariel seemed to think that everyone was good. It was a little much to take on.
While I finished the book, I didn't find myself being drawn to want more which is odd because as I reread the synopsis multiple times I want more, and I find the same pull I originally had to the book.
For more reviews visit https://shealwaysreads.com/
Besides being utterly confused with the storyline, Heavenward offers some very dramatic scenes that leave entranced with its descriptive surrounds that lock you front center. I can still vividly see the worlds in which Gibbs created for us. The plots itself seemed just mixed up for me. I felt as if scenes changed either extremely slow or moved rapidly.
The characters while some seemed to be endearing seemed to also match my feeling towards Ariel multi-personality. There would be moments when the actions or words just didn't match up with what was previously told of them. I found them hard to connect with. The insta-connections between friends and foe wore thin for me as Ariel seemed to think that everyone was good. It was a little much to take on.
While I finished the book, I didn't find myself being drawn to want more which is odd because as I reread the synopsis multiple times I want more, and I find the same pull I originally had to the book.
For more reviews visit https://shealwaysreads.com/
jferrell526's review
4.0
She didn't want to be involved but somehow is anyway. Olga Gibbs introduces us to Angels and other creatures in this epic fantasy. I found it a very good read.
bridgets_books's review
5.0
Heavenward: Dark Fantasy on Celestial Lore is the perfect book for lovers of dark fantasy, angels, demons, and epic adventures.
The author’s world building skills are superb. As I read, I felt the heat of the scorched wastelands, I shivered with cold, I felt the wretchedness of Ariel as she dealt with the different species. My heart ached for Ariel as her past was revealed and her future seemed so bleak. And yet through it all, there is always a glimmer of hope.
The characters are well-developed. You are drawn into the story instantly and it’s very hard to put this book down. Other reviewers have mentioned the abundance of details as a bad thing. I loved the level of detail. I need to know the colors, settings, etc in great detail. It helps me stay in the story by bringing the book to life in my head. Seriously, I thought the bright, colorful, unique clothing that Tabby wore was a wonderful addition to counter the dark clothing Ariel favors. These type of details make or break a book for me and the author did a fabulous job with the details on this one.
The author’s world building skills are superb. As I read, I felt the heat of the scorched wastelands, I shivered with cold, I felt the wretchedness of Ariel as she dealt with the different species. My heart ached for Ariel as her past was revealed and her future seemed so bleak. And yet through it all, there is always a glimmer of hope.
The characters are well-developed. You are drawn into the story instantly and it’s very hard to put this book down. Other reviewers have mentioned the abundance of details as a bad thing. I loved the level of detail. I need to know the colors, settings, etc in great detail. It helps me stay in the story by bringing the book to life in my head. Seriously, I thought the bright, colorful, unique clothing that Tabby wore was a wonderful addition to counter the dark clothing Ariel favors. These type of details make or break a book for me and the author did a fabulous job with the details on this one.
thereadingchemist's review
4.0
I was immediately drawn to Heavenward by the synopsis alone. I am by no means religious, but I love reading stories about celestial beings…especially when said beings are on the brink of war.
Ariel is a refreshing heroine that is much needed in YA fantasy. She’s not average teenage girl that comes from this amazing family and discovers she has supernatural powers and magically wants to save the entire world in an afternoon. Instead, Ariel just wants to go unnoticed and survive. Ariel has a haunting past of abuse from the hands of her step-father. She was removed from her mother’s care by Child Protective Services and put into the system to escape her living hell. However, her younger sister Jess was left behind to endure his wrath. Every single day she grapples with survivor’s guilt because she is no longer around to protect her sister.
Everything changes for Ariel when new strangers show up to her school, which is incredibly rare in her town. Following an attack in her science class by one of the new students, Ariel awakens in a foreign world (with the gorgeous new guy Sam) surrounded by celestial beings. Ariel is now forced to choose a side in this angel war, which is not what she signed up for. All she wants is to get back to Jess.
When it comes to the writing of this story, I really enjoyed the rich, descriptive language because it really made me feel like I was alongside the characters in the story experiencing what they were. There’s a certain scene that describes human beings who sold their souls, and these beings are essentially skinless carcasses. I felt like I could smell the deteriorating flesh from the pages.
As far as characters go, I loved Ariel. I think the fact that she comes from such a dark past made me fall in love with her character faster. I also admired her love for her sister. I’ll be honest, I was not a fan of Sam. He just reminds me of the over the top jock who has a hidden agenda. I loved Rafe though. I can’t wait for book two, so we can learn more about him.
Overall, if you’re looking for a fast paced fantasy that features incredible world building, epic battles, and plot twists then pick up Heavenward now.
Thank you to Olga Gibbs for providing a copy of Heavenward. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Ariel is a refreshing heroine that is much needed in YA fantasy. She’s not average teenage girl that comes from this amazing family and discovers she has supernatural powers and magically wants to save the entire world in an afternoon. Instead, Ariel just wants to go unnoticed and survive. Ariel has a haunting past of abuse from the hands of her step-father. She was removed from her mother’s care by Child Protective Services and put into the system to escape her living hell. However, her younger sister Jess was left behind to endure his wrath. Every single day she grapples with survivor’s guilt because she is no longer around to protect her sister.
Everything changes for Ariel when new strangers show up to her school, which is incredibly rare in her town. Following an attack in her science class by one of the new students, Ariel awakens in a foreign world (with the gorgeous new guy Sam) surrounded by celestial beings. Ariel is now forced to choose a side in this angel war, which is not what she signed up for. All she wants is to get back to Jess.
When it comes to the writing of this story, I really enjoyed the rich, descriptive language because it really made me feel like I was alongside the characters in the story experiencing what they were. There’s a certain scene that describes human beings who sold their souls, and these beings are essentially skinless carcasses. I felt like I could smell the deteriorating flesh from the pages.
As far as characters go, I loved Ariel. I think the fact that she comes from such a dark past made me fall in love with her character faster. I also admired her love for her sister. I’ll be honest, I was not a fan of Sam. He just reminds me of the over the top jock who has a hidden agenda. I loved Rafe though. I can’t wait for book two, so we can learn more about him.
Overall, if you’re looking for a fast paced fantasy that features incredible world building, epic battles, and plot twists then pick up Heavenward now.
Thank you to Olga Gibbs for providing a copy of Heavenward. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
ksmarsden's review
4.0
Ariel hasn't had the easiest life, but she keeps her head down, hoping to stay unnoticed at school, until she can leave. She realises that she's missing a much bigger picture when angels start to fight over her.
I downloaded this for free, in the run up to the release of the second book, Hallow.
Ariel's life is far from perfect. She hears voices, and she's afraid that people are going to figure out she's crazy. She's also stuck in the social system, after she was taken away from her abusive step-father. She has survivor's guilt, and is terrified that she won't be able to protect her little sister from being his new victim.
She has never believed in higher beings, so it is a shock when angels start to track her down, and fight over her.
Ariel is whisked away to another world, in a bid to escape a killer angel, and to learn about her own hidden abilities.
This was a very creative adventure. The history, and warring factions of angels, don't get bogged down into too much detail, but you get the feeling that it's a much bigger world.
Ariel suddenly has to cope with being thrust into the limelight, trying to satisfy all of her new friends; and work out who she can trust.
In a world full of vengeful angels, not everything is as it seems.
This is quite a dark YA fantasy read. It doesn't go into a lot of detail about Ariel's abuse, but there is a lot of violence and betrayal.
Heavenward is clearly the first book in a series, and it spends its time building the foundations; establishing the characters, the histories and the potential villains. As such, it did often feel slow, or like step 1 in Celestial Creatures, rather than a story in its own right.
The copy I got could do with editing/proofreader. There were enough errors to distract from the story overall.
Overall, this was a 3.5 out of 5 for me, and I look forward to the next part in the series.
I downloaded this for free, in the run up to the release of the second book, Hallow.
Ariel's life is far from perfect. She hears voices, and she's afraid that people are going to figure out she's crazy. She's also stuck in the social system, after she was taken away from her abusive step-father. She has survivor's guilt, and is terrified that she won't be able to protect her little sister from being his new victim.
She has never believed in higher beings, so it is a shock when angels start to track her down, and fight over her.
Ariel is whisked away to another world, in a bid to escape a killer angel, and to learn about her own hidden abilities.
This was a very creative adventure. The history, and warring factions of angels, don't get bogged down into too much detail, but you get the feeling that it's a much bigger world.
Ariel suddenly has to cope with being thrust into the limelight, trying to satisfy all of her new friends; and work out who she can trust.
In a world full of vengeful angels, not everything is as it seems.
This is quite a dark YA fantasy read. It doesn't go into a lot of detail about Ariel's abuse, but there is a lot of violence and betrayal.
Heavenward is clearly the first book in a series, and it spends its time building the foundations; establishing the characters, the histories and the potential villains. As such, it did often feel slow, or like step 1 in Celestial Creatures, rather than a story in its own right.
The copy I got could do with editing/proofreader. There were enough errors to distract from the story overall.
Overall, this was a 3.5 out of 5 for me, and I look forward to the next part in the series.
ezzydesu's review
4.0
''You've managed to unlock the door to the library - now it's time to learn how to read.''
★★★★✩
This review is part of the Heavenward blog tour organised by Melanie @ Fraser's Fun House and the author of this book, Olga Gibbs.
I want to start with how amazing the synopsis already is (you can read it below). There aren't many fantasy books out there that focus on celestial beings and I am glad there is a whole series in the making. I am not religious, but I find celestial lore very interesting (The TV-series Lucifer is a big fav because of this). Points for originality for that.
The main character Ariel is written like a realistic girl. She isn't like all the other girls in fantasy that get dragged out of their normal lives, get told about their great destinies, grotesque powers, rare bloodlines, etc. and after a short moment of shock says something like "Where do we start?". Ariel reacts like any girl that just wants to keep her head down. I really love that about her as it is nice to read about a girl like myself who doesn't want to get waltzt over by others without having a say in the matter.
The book itself was even better than imagined. The book was 209 pages long on my e-reader and the pacing was absolutely perfect for the amount of pages. The book starts with how Ariel meets the 'gorgeous strangers' from the synopsis as new students on her school. I was really afraid this would be a long, dragged out introduction of the story before the 'fun' begins. This is because in most fantasy books where the MC is in the 'normal' world at the start and is oblivious of powers/destiny/true home etc. etc. the parts at school or the normal world in general are so long, I lose interest. But not in Heavenward, thankfully. The intro was well paced and not a page to long, but it wasn't rushed either. This is goes for the entire book as all parts of the story had perfect pacing according to whatever was happening and made this book a real page turner.
The story itself was honestly so good. I am not going into too much detail as that will ruin the magic, but the course of the story was very unpredictable, which kept me surprised and curious at all times. Places and situations were described so vividly, you always had a good sense of the surroundings. I kept saying to myself how this book would be amazing as a movie, which is quite rare for me to say.
I gave this book four stars, as it was really good, but it wasn't perfect. But that is okay, as debuts are never perfect. I do think Heavenward is one of the better debuts I have read so far. The level of worldbuilding, complexity of some story aspects and fluidity of the writing are at a point other authors reach in their second (published) book from what I have read so far.
I would definitely recommend this book. It is perfect for lovers of fantasy, magic, all things angels and celestial beings without the religious part, a realistic MC and an amazing worldbuilding. I included a link below, underneath the synopsis, to get a free e-copy of this book, so all my blogreaders can read it!
I can tell you I am very excited for book two and participating in the matching blog tour. Participating in this one was a really amazing experience and I loved working together with Olga Gibbs and the other bloggers. I want to give Olga a shout-out for being so involved in this tour and being so kind, I can't wait till the next tour even though this one is still going.
Book two, HALLOW, is available for pre-order on Amazon, Bookdepository and several digital stores!
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com
booksintheskye's review
4.0
Overall, Heavenward by Olga Gibbs was a successful debut novel. She created such an interesting and colorful world. While some scenes did seem a little long, overall the story and pacing were coherent. Gibbs created a strong and fierce main character with a traumatizing backstory. I am excited to see how her story will continue in book 2. I have a feeling I will also grow to like Ariel more in the future. I recommend this book for those who enjoy paranormal stories where every choice matters.
thecaffeinatedreader's review
2.75
First off I really enjoyed this book. I thought the pacing was great and that the ideas were fun! Gibbs really knows how to capture her target audience and I swear, 15 years old me would be eating this book up in an hour and demanding more, and thankfully there is more! I received a digital copy for this as I'm doing the blog tour for the second book Hallow, and I'm so glad I got a chance to read this and that I have the next book ready because that's quite the ending! The book has you holding your breath at times and you just want to know more. I think my reason for not giving this four stars would only because I would have wanted Gibbs to do just as I stated, you just want to know more. The pacing may have been a bit too fast, but, I can't argue that that is just personal opinion and you can bet this is not a 'con' but a pro for some so if you want something quick paced, this is definitely your book!
Ariel is relatable enough and well, who doesn't swoon over Sam?
I do need to know more about Tabby most of all though.
Anyway, I can't wait to read the next one! I just have another book to get through and then I'm diving back into Gibbs Celestial Creatures and plan on enjoying every moment of it!
Content warning: Mention of rape/sexual assault while being held against will entirely. Also, mental health is a delicate subject.
Thank you to the Author and Blog Tour Organizer for a digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Ariel is relatable enough and well, who doesn't swoon over Sam?
I do need to know more about Tabby most of all though.
Anyway, I can't wait to read the next one! I just have another book to get through and then I'm diving back into Gibbs Celestial Creatures and plan on enjoying every moment of it!
Content warning: Mention of rape/sexual assault while being held against will entirely. Also, mental health is a delicate subject.
Thank you to the Author and Blog Tour Organizer for a digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
ityreadsbooks's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
The book centers around Ariel, a young girl that lives in what seems to be a foster home, who doesn’t really fit in and is pretty much a loner. She has dreams that make her think she’s a little crazy. Three new students start at her school that somehow all want her attention. There are small references throughout the book about religion so it was pretty clear what the book would be about without knowing ahead of time.
“I wonder, if I was to line them up on one side of the table and put her in the middle, would they all look like the scene from the ‘Last Supper’, where Jesus Christ is in the middle with his disciples hanging on his every word?”
It wasn’t my favorite book, there were a lot of issues that I had with the character. She seemed to be overly flawed with her backstory but when it came to it she was able to do pretty much anything without any struggles. It was overly descriptive which I’m not a huge fan of personally. I think it distracts from the characters and the plot when you spent three paragraphs describing a room.
The action wasn’t bad, but the ending was very anticlimactic. I know this is a series so I would believe that things greatly pick up in the next book. The character is torn between two men and I couldn’t really get into the idea of her picking either one. So her declaration for one was a bit of a shocker to be honest.
“You are born with the ability to see a lot more of this world, to see beyond your reality.”
Having said all that, I think it’s a good start, there is a great lore to this book. There is a lot that we still don’t know about the world that Ariel is shoved into and I think that as a first novel it’s not bad at all. I think everyone likes what they like, so I don’t want to say that this is something to be written off at all. There are some fine points in the book and even moments where I was rooting for characters. If you like Young Adult, Fantasy then this is worth a gander even if it wasn’t something that I personally loved.
The book centers around Ariel, a young girl that lives in what seems to be a foster home, who doesn’t really fit in and is pretty much a loner. She has dreams that make her think she’s a little crazy. Three new students start at her school that somehow all want her attention. There are small references throughout the book about religion so it was pretty clear what the book would be about without knowing ahead of time.
“I wonder, if I was to line them up on one side of the table and put her in the middle, would they all look like the scene from the ‘Last Supper’, where Jesus Christ is in the middle with his disciples hanging on his every word?”
It wasn’t my favorite book, there were a lot of issues that I had with the character. She seemed to be overly flawed with her backstory but when it came to it she was able to do pretty much anything without any struggles. It was overly descriptive which I’m not a huge fan of personally. I think it distracts from the characters and the plot when you spent three paragraphs describing a room.
The action wasn’t bad, but the ending was very anticlimactic. I know this is a series so I would believe that things greatly pick up in the next book. The character is torn between two men and I couldn’t really get into the idea of her picking either one. So her declaration for one was a bit of a shocker to be honest.
“You are born with the ability to see a lot more of this world, to see beyond your reality.”
Having said all that, I think it’s a good start, there is a great lore to this book. There is a lot that we still don’t know about the world that Ariel is shoved into and I think that as a first novel it’s not bad at all. I think everyone likes what they like, so I don’t want to say that this is something to be written off at all. There are some fine points in the book and even moments where I was rooting for characters. If you like Young Adult, Fantasy then this is worth a gander even if it wasn’t something that I personally loved.