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A review by lolasreviews
Visions by Kelley Armstrong
5.0
I love Visions, it's the perfect sequel to Omens and even though I read Omens a while ago I easily got back into this world. There are plot lines from the first book which continue onwards, some progress very little, others more. There is also a new murder mystery and plot that get's resolved in this book. While I had expected this book to focus on another murder by Olivia her parents that they would prove they hadn't done, that isn't the case. This one actually focussed on a random character that got murdered and it seems almost irrelevant, but slowly pieces fall on it's place. This book delves deeper into the paranormal aspect, we learn more, get some answers and even more questions. It is well written, with short chapters or page breaks, which made it almost impossible for me to put this down. Every time I was thinking just a few pages more or just one more chapters and I ended up reading much more. This book led me till reading very late in the night on some days, but I didn't mind at all.
There is mystery, the search for answers, paranormal aspects. Clues and hints which we don't fully understand and some we do. Things are revealed and there are hints to even more and other things. Olivia her visions seems to mean something, but I can't fully figure out what. I love the mystery aspect and the wanting to know more. It's all so well done, getting enough hints to keep reading, while also keeping so many things mysterious as well. It's an interesting combination between thriller, mystery, paranormal, romance and urban fantasy.
Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors and every time I pick up one of her books I just get sucked into it. The story is slightly slow paced, but I love the pace and how it fits the story. While there are multiple plot lines going on it's never confusing, there is enough progressing in all of them and while some plot lines basically stand on pause in this book there are still enough hints and mentions that you understand why. I loved the story in this one and how it focusses more on Cainsville and Olivia. We learn more about Olivia and her past and connection with Cainsville and also about Gabriel. Beside the plot there is also a lot of focus on the characters and the interpersonal relationships.
Olivia is a great main character, sensible and down to earth, while still trying to solve things on her own sometimes She doesn't take unnecessary risks, but she does land in some risky situations. There is a lot going on with her in this book, she has visions which she struggles to understand, then she finds a dead girl who looks a bit like her and there are things going on romantically. It isn't really a love triangle, as it's way too well written for that and there isn't really a conflict of who to chose. But there are multiple men who are interested in Olivia. I am still routing for Gabriel and Olivia as I love them together. I didn't like James at all, he seems reasonable, but he shows more of his true self in this book and he is a bit of a creep. Then there is Ricky, I liked Ricky and he can offer Olivia things the other cannot. He is what she needed at this time, but I believe it's temporary. And I still like Gabriel more, he has a hard live and there are hints he is still damaged. And he's such a complex character, who carefully hides his emotions, but Olivia still understand him pretty well. We get a few chapters from his point of view and I loved that. There are a few chapters form other point of views that shed light on different things and I loved those little chapters. It is also very cleverly done with how the normal chapters have a chapter number, but the chapters from other people their point of view have a name in a different font. It's really obvious you are in someone else their point of view.
The romance is slow building, at least the romance between Olivia and Gabriel and yes I still like to believe that's were they're going. Tiny steps, so slowly, but so delicious. I love seeing them get a bit close, then a step back and the something else happens and they are closer again. They thread very carefully, but I love what they already have together. They are so close, yet still not close enough. they trust each other, but still don't fully open up about some things. Gabriel hides his past, Olivia hides her feelings even from herself at times. And there is this scene at the end where Olivia confronts Patrick about something and I loved it and it shows how much she cared. Then the conclusion scene again hints at there being more between Gabriel and Olivia. All those little gestures and signs seem to mean so much.
Beside that romance, there is also something going on with James and Ricky. I liked Ricky. I didn't like James. Olivia genuinely seems happy with Rick and I know there is something going on with Ricky as well, he is involved on this. And while she does share his bed, she doesn't share all the details about her seeing omens and the supernatural. And I have a feeling Ricky has his own secrets as well and is connected to it all.
The world building was amazing. I knew something was up with Cainsville and while it's subtle in the first book, in this book there is more. More paranormal or supernatural or preternatural how you want to call it, it's hard to label it. More mythology and legends and the past and how it all plays a role. The Wild Hunt and more. Every piece that we learn only has me ask more questions, but I loved learning more and having things make sense and how expertly we get more answers and questions and things fall on it's place and more pieces are missing. I can't say anything more for fear of spoiling it, but I can say I love the world building. It's so well done and so original and woven into everything and mysterious.
To conclude: I love this book, I have the feeling my review is a bit all over the place as it's hard to adequately describe what this book did to me, the range of emotions I felt and how invested I feel with this story. I love every aspect of this book, from the story to the character, the romance and the world building. I am happy I waited till now to read it, because it makes the wait for the next book shorter and on the other hand I wish I had waited a month or two longer so I could read the next book right after it. The story was very well done, furthering some plots and a plot of a murder mystery that gets resolved in this book. It's a long book, but it didn't feel long as I loved every page of the story. I also like the characters, Olivia is a great main character and I keep routing for her and Gabriel. Loving how they grow closer and still not close enough. Gah I love this type of romance. Then there are James and Rocky who both play a bigger role in this book. I did like Rick,y although I like Gabriel more. I don't like James. We learn so much about the world and Cainsville and I loved every piece of info we got, even though there are even more questions now. I can't to read the next book! I am sure the wait will be worth it.
There is mystery, the search for answers, paranormal aspects. Clues and hints which we don't fully understand and some we do. Things are revealed and there are hints to even more and other things. Olivia her visions seems to mean something, but I can't fully figure out what. I love the mystery aspect and the wanting to know more. It's all so well done, getting enough hints to keep reading, while also keeping so many things mysterious as well. It's an interesting combination between thriller, mystery, paranormal, romance and urban fantasy.
Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors and every time I pick up one of her books I just get sucked into it. The story is slightly slow paced, but I love the pace and how it fits the story. While there are multiple plot lines going on it's never confusing, there is enough progressing in all of them and while some plot lines basically stand on pause in this book there are still enough hints and mentions that you understand why. I loved the story in this one and how it focusses more on Cainsville and Olivia. We learn more about Olivia and her past and connection with Cainsville and also about Gabriel. Beside the plot there is also a lot of focus on the characters and the interpersonal relationships.
Olivia is a great main character, sensible and down to earth, while still trying to solve things on her own sometimes She doesn't take unnecessary risks, but she does land in some risky situations. There is a lot going on with her in this book, she has visions which she struggles to understand, then she finds a dead girl who looks a bit like her and there are things going on romantically. It isn't really a love triangle, as it's way too well written for that and there isn't really a conflict of who to chose. But there are multiple men who are interested in Olivia. I am still routing for Gabriel and Olivia as I love them together. I didn't like James at all, he seems reasonable, but he shows more of his true self in this book and he is a bit of a creep. Then there is Ricky, I liked Ricky and he can offer Olivia things the other cannot. He is what she needed at this time, but I believe it's temporary. And I still like Gabriel more, he has a hard live and there are hints he is still damaged. And he's such a complex character, who carefully hides his emotions, but Olivia still understand him pretty well. We get a few chapters from his point of view and I loved that. There are a few chapters form other point of views that shed light on different things and I loved those little chapters. It is also very cleverly done with how the normal chapters have a chapter number, but the chapters from other people their point of view have a name in a different font. It's really obvious you are in someone else their point of view.
The romance is slow building, at least the romance between Olivia and Gabriel and yes I still like to believe that's were they're going. Tiny steps, so slowly, but so delicious. I love seeing them get a bit close, then a step back and the something else happens and they are closer again. They thread very carefully, but I love what they already have together. They are so close, yet still not close enough. they trust each other, but still don't fully open up about some things. Gabriel hides his past, Olivia hides her feelings even from herself at times. And there is this scene at the end where Olivia confronts Patrick about something and I loved it and it shows how much she cared. Then the conclusion scene again hints at there being more between Gabriel and Olivia. All those little gestures and signs seem to mean so much.
Beside that romance, there is also something going on with James and Ricky. I liked Ricky. I didn't like James. Olivia genuinely seems happy with Rick and I know there is something going on with Ricky as well, he is involved on this. And while she does share his bed, she doesn't share all the details about her seeing omens and the supernatural. And I have a feeling Ricky has his own secrets as well and is connected to it all.
The world building was amazing. I knew something was up with Cainsville and while it's subtle in the first book, in this book there is more. More paranormal or supernatural or preternatural how you want to call it, it's hard to label it. More mythology and legends and the past and how it all plays a role. The Wild Hunt and more. Every piece that we learn only has me ask more questions, but I loved learning more and having things make sense and how expertly we get more answers and questions and things fall on it's place and more pieces are missing. I can't say anything more for fear of spoiling it, but I can say I love the world building. It's so well done and so original and woven into everything and mysterious.
To conclude: I love this book, I have the feeling my review is a bit all over the place as it's hard to adequately describe what this book did to me, the range of emotions I felt and how invested I feel with this story. I love every aspect of this book, from the story to the character, the romance and the world building. I am happy I waited till now to read it, because it makes the wait for the next book shorter and on the other hand I wish I had waited a month or two longer so I could read the next book right after it. The story was very well done, furthering some plots and a plot of a murder mystery that gets resolved in this book. It's a long book, but it didn't feel long as I loved every page of the story. I also like the characters, Olivia is a great main character and I keep routing for her and Gabriel. Loving how they grow closer and still not close enough. Gah I love this type of romance. Then there are James and Rocky who both play a bigger role in this book. I did like Rick,y although I like Gabriel more. I don't like James. We learn so much about the world and Cainsville and I loved every piece of info we got, even though there are even more questions now. I can't to read the next book! I am sure the wait will be worth it.