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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
3 stars is more than generous for a book with such enormous potential that couldn’t seem to do anything well. I loved the premise, but the delivery left many, many things to be desired.
Analiese Rising is a supernatural fantasy surrounding a teenage girl, Analiese, who finds her name in a book given to her by a mysterious man right before he dies. She is told to return the book and some of the man’s other possessions to his grandson Marek who is just as determined as Ana to piece together the mysteries surrounding this list. They follow a trail of obscure clues across Europe, solving puzzles in hopes of recovering an ancient artifact hidden by Marek’s family for millennia. This artifact is tied to the lost powers of the ancient gods from every known religion across time and soon the two find themselves in the midst of an epic battle of the immortals thousands of years in the making. Analiese finds herself a central player in this battle when she learns she is a descendant of a Death God and possesses the ability to bring the dead back to life.
This book sounded so good before I picked it up. I struggled to stay engaged with the story which was primarily due to how little I cared about Ana. The author writes her as a bizarre collection of useless knowledge, contradictions and indecisiveness all wrapped up in the body of a clumsy, unaware, hormone-riddled teenage girl. Also, she’s adopted by her uncle’s family pretty early on in her life when her birth parents pass away so she is constantly referring to her cousin as her brother, uncle has her father, and biological parents as her parents. The whole thing is unnecessarily confusing to keep track of who she’s referring to.
One thing the author did well was including lots of minor gods from more well know religions in addition to more obscure deities that don’t often make the headliner on the fantasy scene. The only problem with this was the indeterminate and semi-random way in which gods were cast as either foes or allies to Ana. I couldn’t keep them all straight which led to more than one muttered cursing of the author’s good name.
This book also suffers from serious plot pacing issues. The first 50 pages or so are packed with plot-filled goodies, but once Ana and Marek team up things get pretty repetitive (and by that I mean prepare to read the same rehashed scene again and again and again). It takes the majority of the book for the two to locate the object and less than 30 pages to go through this vast, character heavy battle scene that determines the outcome of the story. And just like that, everything is over and conveniently wrapped up in the last 5 pages of the book with a hastily scrawled ending. I’m not a fan of lots and lots of pages for wrap ups once the story is over, but just like everything else about Analiese Rising, the ending seemed poorly managed. Maybe this ending would be more suited to a book intended to start a series, but it’s hard to tell whether the author plans to go forward with that or not. There is just no consistency throughout the story and it became increasingly frustrating to read at times.
All in all, this is a book I found to be extremely disappointing and likely wouldn’t recommend.
Analiese Rising is a supernatural fantasy surrounding a teenage girl, Analiese, who finds her name in a book given to her by a mysterious man right before he dies. She is told to return the book and some of the man’s other possessions to his grandson Marek who is just as determined as Ana to piece together the mysteries surrounding this list. They follow a trail of obscure clues across Europe, solving puzzles in hopes of recovering an ancient artifact hidden by Marek’s family for millennia. This artifact is tied to the lost powers of the ancient gods from every known religion across time and soon the two find themselves in the midst of an epic battle of the immortals thousands of years in the making. Analiese finds herself a central player in this battle when she learns she is a descendant of a Death God and possesses the ability to bring the dead back to life.
This book sounded so good before I picked it up. I struggled to stay engaged with the story which was primarily due to how little I cared about Ana. The author writes her as a bizarre collection of useless knowledge, contradictions and indecisiveness all wrapped up in the body of a clumsy, unaware, hormone-riddled teenage girl. Also, she’s adopted by her uncle’s family pretty early on in her life when her birth parents pass away so she is constantly referring to her cousin as her brother, uncle has her father, and biological parents as her parents. The whole thing is unnecessarily confusing to keep track of who she’s referring to.
One thing the author did well was including lots of minor gods from more well know religions in addition to more obscure deities that don’t often make the headliner on the fantasy scene. The only problem with this was the indeterminate and semi-random way in which gods were cast as either foes or allies to Ana. I couldn’t keep them all straight which led to more than one muttered cursing of the author’s good name.
This book also suffers from serious plot pacing issues. The first 50 pages or so are packed with plot-filled goodies, but once Ana and Marek team up things get pretty repetitive (and by that I mean prepare to read the same rehashed scene again and again and again). It takes the majority of the book for the two to locate the object and less than 30 pages to go through this vast, character heavy battle scene that determines the outcome of the story. And just like that, everything is over and conveniently wrapped up in the last 5 pages of the book with a hastily scrawled ending. I’m not a fan of lots and lots of pages for wrap ups once the story is over, but just like everything else about Analiese Rising, the ending seemed poorly managed. Maybe this ending would be more suited to a book intended to start a series, but it’s hard to tell whether the author plans to go forward with that or not. There is just no consistency throughout the story and it became increasingly frustrating to read at times.
All in all, this is a book I found to be extremely disappointing and likely wouldn’t recommend.
Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a pretty good start to a great Ya series. Annalise is a complex teen that embarks on a journey to discover who she really is and the mystery behind her parents death. Marek is decent secondary character although we could have benefited from reading his point of view. We only have Annalise perspective.
I was surprised on how modern the novel felt. From the way the characters spoke to the diverse background of each new character. Everything read like it could be happening right now. While this was creative, I did feel a bit disconnected from the whole Greek mythology bit that was thrown in. I felt like it didn't fit in this 21st century world the author has created.
All in all, the novel is interesting and entertaining.
I thought this was a pretty good start to a great Ya series. Annalise is a complex teen that embarks on a journey to discover who she really is and the mystery behind her parents death. Marek is decent secondary character although we could have benefited from reading his point of view. We only have Annalise perspective.
I was surprised on how modern the novel felt. From the way the characters spoke to the diverse background of each new character. Everything read like it could be happening right now. While this was creative, I did feel a bit disconnected from the whole Greek mythology bit that was thrown in. I felt like it didn't fit in this 21st century world the author has created.
All in all, the novel is interesting and entertaining.
I enjoy mythology so I figured I would like this book going in. I like that the story takes you to different locations around the world while Analiese and Marek try to follow the trail his grandpa left for them. It felt like an adventure. The characters were relatable and easy to get to know. The ones who were not likable were that way for a reason of course. The plot did keep me guessing and I never knew who to trust. I'm not sure if there will be more to this, but I wouldn't mind reading more about these characters.
I love mythology and some of my favorite books incorporate mythological characters, creatures, and tales. When I first read the blurb for Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake, I knew I had to read the book.
The story follows Analiese Jordan, a teen who lost her parents when she was very young. She’s been adopted by her uncle and his family that includes her cousin Dalton who over the years has become more like a brother. When Analiese and Dalton witness a hit-and-run, her life begins to change. The dying old man gives her his bag and asks her to get it to his grandson. How can she refuse? But when he calls her by name and tells her she’s in danger and needs to run, Analiese is confused. Then she finds a list of names in the bag. On the list and crossed out are the names of her parents and recently deceased uncle. The list also has her name on it.
Analiese Rising catapults the reader into a world where ancient gods walk among mortals and the Risers can bring the dead back to life, controlling them, but at a terrible cost. Analiese is a Riser, a descendant of the God of Death. When she learns of her true nature, the stakes become even higher. She places her trust in Marek Conte, the old man’s grandson. Together they’ll meet others like Analiese, travel overseas, form alliances, battle enemies, and ultimately be forced to take a stand in the long-simmering war between the immortals.
I enjoyed Analiese Rising from start to finish. Told in first person, present tense from Analiese’s perspective, author Brenda Drake drew me in and I found myself invested in the character and her story. It was fun being in her head, from her introspection regarding the reality of gods and the supernatural to her growing romantic feelings for Marek. In addition, I liked both the characters of Analiese and Marek because their personalities meshed well yet still offered enough conflict to keep me interested. The overall concept of the gods lost powers and their fight to get them back worked well, but it really was the chase that was my favorite part of the story. The journey from the U.S. to Italy and France takes readers on an epic journey and includes many sites that may be familiar.
There’s a lot to like about Analiese Rising--it’s a fast-paced adventure that effortlessly blends romance, intrigue, and mythology.
The story follows Analiese Jordan, a teen who lost her parents when she was very young. She’s been adopted by her uncle and his family that includes her cousin Dalton who over the years has become more like a brother. When Analiese and Dalton witness a hit-and-run, her life begins to change. The dying old man gives her his bag and asks her to get it to his grandson. How can she refuse? But when he calls her by name and tells her she’s in danger and needs to run, Analiese is confused. Then she finds a list of names in the bag. On the list and crossed out are the names of her parents and recently deceased uncle. The list also has her name on it.
Analiese Rising catapults the reader into a world where ancient gods walk among mortals and the Risers can bring the dead back to life, controlling them, but at a terrible cost. Analiese is a Riser, a descendant of the God of Death. When she learns of her true nature, the stakes become even higher. She places her trust in Marek Conte, the old man’s grandson. Together they’ll meet others like Analiese, travel overseas, form alliances, battle enemies, and ultimately be forced to take a stand in the long-simmering war between the immortals.
I enjoyed Analiese Rising from start to finish. Told in first person, present tense from Analiese’s perspective, author Brenda Drake drew me in and I found myself invested in the character and her story. It was fun being in her head, from her introspection regarding the reality of gods and the supernatural to her growing romantic feelings for Marek. In addition, I liked both the characters of Analiese and Marek because their personalities meshed well yet still offered enough conflict to keep me interested. The overall concept of the gods lost powers and their fight to get them back worked well, but it really was the chase that was my favorite part of the story. The journey from the U.S. to Italy and France takes readers on an epic journey and includes many sites that may be familiar.
There’s a lot to like about Analiese Rising--it’s a fast-paced adventure that effortlessly blends romance, intrigue, and mythology.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
Analiese Rising is a young adult novel that is heavily based in the myths of Gods and Goddesses. But not just from one culture. Many are mentioned, from well know ones we all know from comics and movies to ones we may have never heard of.
I had no idea that Gods and Goddesses would be in the story. I forgot what this story was about by the time I got it. And I loved that. I had no idea what I was going to get. Not knowing made it fun.
The story is fast paced. Never a dull moment.
The story starts with Ana and her brother, Dalton, in class. They are to dissect a frog. Ana can't bring herself to make the cut. Commotion happens, pushing Ana into the table where she braces her self and touches the frog. And things go from there.
Going to the coffee shop with her brother that their father would always take them to after a hike, Ana and Dalton witness an accident. Ana rushes to the old man who was hit and tries to help him. Before she can touch him he tells her not to. That he is going to die. He then gives her his bag and tells her to give it to his grandson.
From there the story is not stop. There is a budding romance. But it isn't in your face and all lovey dovey. Ana and her companion learn that almost everything that they were taught was leading them to this.
In all this book was amazing. I loved seeing different Gods and Goddesses. Not just Greek or Norse. It was amazing to learn of them and see the cities of Rome and Paris through Ana's eyes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes mythology.
Analiese Rising is a young adult novel that is heavily based in the myths of Gods and Goddesses. But not just from one culture. Many are mentioned, from well know ones we all know from comics and movies to ones we may have never heard of.
I had no idea that Gods and Goddesses would be in the story. I forgot what this story was about by the time I got it. And I loved that. I had no idea what I was going to get. Not knowing made it fun.
The story is fast paced. Never a dull moment.
The story starts with Ana and her brother, Dalton, in class. They are to dissect a frog. Ana can't bring herself to make the cut. Commotion happens, pushing Ana into the table where she braces her self and touches the frog. And things go from there.
Going to the coffee shop with her brother that their father would always take them to after a hike, Ana and Dalton witness an accident. Ana rushes to the old man who was hit and tries to help him. Before she can touch him he tells her not to. That he is going to die. He then gives her his bag and tells her to give it to his grandson.
From there the story is not stop. There is a budding romance. But it isn't in your face and all lovey dovey. Ana and her companion learn that almost everything that they were taught was leading them to this.
In all this book was amazing. I loved seeing different Gods and Goddesses. Not just Greek or Norse. It was amazing to learn of them and see the cities of Rome and Paris through Ana's eyes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes mythology.
“Analiese Rising” is a YA fantasy romance thriller by Brenda Drake who gave us the Library Jumper series. This book has literally everything in it. From mystery and mythology to romance and tragedy.
Analiese lost her parents when she was little and got adopted by her uncle. Now she lives with her cousin Dalton and his mother. After a series of weird events she witnesses an old man dying and as his last wish goes to deliver his bag to his grandson. Everything is made even more weird when she finds a list in the bag with her family and her name is it. While delivering the bag she meets Marek in his glory of lose curls and beautiful smile.
Then begins their adventure to find the clues Marek’s gramps left behind, discovering more secrets while making new friends and enemies along the way. Also discovering secret powers.
Though the progress was a little fast for my taste, I overall liked it. This book brought all of the mythological gods and goddesses together.
I’m obsessed with mythological and supernatural creatures. This made me look at the gods and goddesses on a very different perspective after the Rick Riordan books.
Analiese lost her parents when she was little and got adopted by her uncle. Now she lives with her cousin Dalton and his mother. After a series of weird events she witnesses an old man dying and as his last wish goes to deliver his bag to his grandson. Everything is made even more weird when she finds a list in the bag with her family and her name is it. While delivering the bag she meets Marek in his glory of lose curls and beautiful smile.
Then begins their adventure to find the clues Marek’s gramps left behind, discovering more secrets while making new friends and enemies along the way. Also discovering secret powers.
Though the progress was a little fast for my taste, I overall liked it. This book brought all of the mythological gods and goddesses together.
I’m obsessed with mythological and supernatural creatures. This made me look at the gods and goddesses on a very different perspective after the Rick Riordan books.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Analiese Rising was definitely one of those books that I was excited to dive into. However, once I did - well, I ended up either bored or excite throughout the entire book. There was no in-between.
In it, you will meet Analiese and Marek. They both are connected to something bigger than themselves. Whether it's Analiese basically being an orphan or being the romantic interest for Marek. He, who just happens to be her keeper and she the riser of the dead. These two were okay characters but if I'm being honest I didn't really feel the whole relationship part. I mean, I liked these two but I wasn't really fully invested into them.
Plus the whole relationship didn't really seem like a thing until the end.. and by then I just didn't care. Other than that, the whole mythology was actually pretty cool. Even if it did get a bit annoying every now and then on who to trust.. because gods are evil and make me second guess myself all the time.
The mystery was an okay kind part of the book. I thought it was interesting that people in her family or that her family knew were dying... but who was behind it all? Now the reveal to the villain wasn't really a surprise to me. Mostly because of mythology books but damn, this was just an eh kind of villain.
Overall, I'm glad that I got this ARC and that I finally dove into it BUT I just feel like I just went with the flow of this book. I didn't really what was going to happen so I didn't really expect anything to really happen. I am, however, glad that I took a chance on this ARC.
Analiese Rising was definitely one of those books that I was excited to dive into. However, once I did - well, I ended up either bored or excite throughout the entire book. There was no in-between.
In it, you will meet Analiese and Marek. They both are connected to something bigger than themselves. Whether it's Analiese basically being an orphan or being the romantic interest for Marek. He, who just happens to be her keeper and she the riser of the dead. These two were okay characters but if I'm being honest I didn't really feel the whole relationship part. I mean, I liked these two but I wasn't really fully invested into them.
Plus the whole relationship didn't really seem like a thing until the end.. and by then I just didn't care. Other than that, the whole mythology
Spoiler
lmfao sorry my laptop died on meThe mystery was an okay kind part of the book. I thought it was interesting that people in her family or that her family knew were dying... but who was behind it all? Now the reveal to the villain wasn't really a surprise to me. Mostly because of mythology books but damn, this was just an eh kind of villain.
Overall, I'm glad that I got this ARC and that I finally dove into it BUT I just feel like I just went with the flow of this book. I didn't really what was going to happen so I didn't really expect anything to really happen. I am, however, glad that I took a chance on this ARC.
I RECIEVED THIS ARC FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR A HONEST REVIEW.
Like I have mentioned before I pick my reads based on the cover. I don’t read much of the summaries. But looking back upon the summary it sounds interesting but I’m not a huge fan of how it was written. The eye catching cover and the publisher were the main reasons why I requested this book.
Analiese wa a very immature character. I didn’t really like her. She is thrusted into this world with magical god and goddess and she just accepts it all. Doesn’t even question it. She meets Marek and instantly trusts him. She goes into the house he’s staying at alone. She’s just begging for trouble. Not only that she goes across the world with him. A guy she just meet. She also gets these panic attacks but it’s never explained why she has them and I don’t think they are really necessary for her as a character. She’s also always checking out Marek which I found just plan creepy. Yes she’s a teenage girl but damn those hormones are strong in her.
Jane is her adopted mother who apparently works at a hospital. She’s so busy with work that we never see her in the book until the end. Who leaves their teenage kids alone by themselves without checking in on them? Jane is just like every other YA parent, non existent.
Marek has been trained his whole life to protect this artifact piece and make sure that Analiese is protected. He isn’t even phased by his grandfathers secret life. If he was my grandpa I would freak out.
Now on with the plot. I like that the author include different gods and goddess but I wish they would have been explained more. Like why were they helping Analiese. Why did it come down to Analiese and Marek? Why not some other death riser?
The book didn’t drag but it did however confuse me. Some parts were added in that were needed to continue the plot. They were mentioned and then never brought back up in the next chapter. Some other things were problematic. The ending was very confusing and I have no clue who won this war or if it’s still going on? With that being said my overall thoughts for this book was that it was very unrealistic where it should have been. I believe this book is meant for a younger audience.
Like I have mentioned before I pick my reads based on the cover. I don’t read much of the summaries. But looking back upon the summary it sounds interesting but I’m not a huge fan of how it was written. The eye catching cover and the publisher were the main reasons why I requested this book.
Analiese wa a very immature character. I didn’t really like her. She is thrusted into this world with magical god and goddess and she just accepts it all. Doesn’t even question it. She meets Marek and instantly trusts him. She goes into the house he’s staying at alone. She’s just begging for trouble. Not only that she goes across the world with him. A guy she just meet. She also gets these panic attacks but it’s never explained why she has them and I don’t think they are really necessary for her as a character. She’s also always checking out Marek which I found just plan creepy. Yes she’s a teenage girl but damn those hormones are strong in her.
Jane is her adopted mother who apparently works at a hospital. She’s so busy with work that we never see her in the book until the end. Who leaves their teenage kids alone by themselves without checking in on them? Jane is just like every other YA parent, non existent.
Marek has been trained his whole life to protect this artifact piece and make sure that Analiese is protected. He isn’t even phased by his grandfathers secret life. If he was my grandpa I would freak out.
Now on with the plot. I like that the author include different gods and goddess but I wish they would have been explained more. Like why were they helping Analiese. Why did it come down to Analiese and Marek? Why not some other death riser?
The book didn’t drag but it did however confuse me. Some parts were added in that were needed to continue the plot. They were mentioned and then never brought back up in the next chapter. Some other things were problematic. The ending was very confusing and I have no clue who won this war or if it’s still going on? With that being said my overall thoughts for this book was that it was very unrealistic where it should have been. I believe this book is meant for a younger audience.
2.5/5 stars
I'm actually really sad that I couldn't get into this book. Entangled Teen has some really great books that I enjoy, and very few ever truly let me down. Unfortunately, Analiese Rising is just one of the few I didn't enjoy reading. The summary for this book soumds intriguing and different than what's currently in the market in terms of YA. The mystery of the list and names was interesting to me, and I was looking forward to see how the author went through the story. While at first I was getting along and somewhat enjoying the mystery, things just took a left turn amd derailed about 25% in. The mystery didn't feel so much as a mystery, we were getting fed tons of unnecessary dialogue, and the romance was only becoming more and more forced. I didn't lile the romance at all in this, which is definitely a big letdown when it comes to Entangled Teen books. Characters are forgettable and I couldn't realpy care less for our 2 main characters. I only even remember Analiese, and that's because she says her name all the time. All in all, I wouldn't really recommend reading this, at least not for those who have the same tastes as I do. Others may enjoy it, but I didnt, which is unfortunate.
ARC received for free by the 0ublisher in exxhange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I'm actually really sad that I couldn't get into this book. Entangled Teen has some really great books that I enjoy, and very few ever truly let me down. Unfortunately, Analiese Rising is just one of the few I didn't enjoy reading. The summary for this book soumds intriguing and different than what's currently in the market in terms of YA. The mystery of the list and names was interesting to me, and I was looking forward to see how the author went through the story. While at first I was getting along and somewhat enjoying the mystery, things just took a left turn amd derailed about 25% in. The mystery didn't feel so much as a mystery, we were getting fed tons of unnecessary dialogue, and the romance was only becoming more and more forced. I didn't lile the romance at all in this, which is definitely a big letdown when it comes to Entangled Teen books. Characters are forgettable and I couldn't realpy care less for our 2 main characters. I only even remember Analiese, and that's because she says her name all the time. All in all, I wouldn't really recommend reading this, at least not for those who have the same tastes as I do. Others may enjoy it, but I didnt, which is unfortunate.
ARC received for free by the 0ublisher in exxhange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book was surprising in many ways. The first 100 pages were really exciting, but after that, the story became a bit dull and repetitive in my opinion. I still enjoyed it, though.