[Review] Teardrop

English Cover

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‚Teardrop‘
by
Lauren Kate

Teardrop # 1
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Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Eureka won’t let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean.
And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother’s death and Ander’s appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don’t make sense. Can everything you love be washed away? (Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
I really wanted to love the book, at least so far that I may be able to recommend it – I mean, have a look at this wonderful cover and also the synopsis sounded very promising – particularly, because it sounded like a fresh and new story. And also the beginning was really good, has carried me away immediately and I found the writing style nice, even if it was sometimes a little bit too poetic and then at the next moment it was too uncouth again.

At first I could still sympathize with the central character Eureka, understand her thoughts and actions. We accompanied her through the first chapters as she handles the death of her mother and the funereal processing afterwards, with her class-mates, whom now look differently at her or when Eureka visits her psychiatrist. All along her best and cheeky friend Cat is on her side or also her best and the joke-making friend Brooks.
Soon I liked Brooks very much and also up to the end he’s my explained favorite of the story. But unfortunately the author has another love hero in her mind for Eureka and therefore, the mysterious Ander has appeared over and over again. With Ander, only the readers know who he really is, what he wants or why he appears at Eurekas side over and over again. And therefore Eureka asks herself all the time whether he wants to harm her or if he wants to help and besides, she constantly feels drawn to him in a romantic way. Furthermore it also happened, that she kissed Brooks – her best friend – but, actually she thought of Ander at the same time. But no problem in the love-triangle, because Brooks will be turned to the bad person of the story, so then Eureka can snug with Ander without feeling guilty. *jipie*-> YES, this was sarcastic, if you ask yourselves.

Everything was so ridiculously, also the contained love story and how it has developed, or as well the story of the book, which went in a direction I liked less and less. At first old legends were dug out, myths were indicated of the city Atlantis – which I really liked, but then the power of Eureka were for me too much fantasy and also a little absurd. No, maybe that is the wrong saying. It wasn’t due to the fact that there was too much fantasy, but rather how it was described and how Eureka has handled the whole exposures around her person. It was really gross, what she has found out, but she has just swallowed it and has simply used her strength without freaking out. Thereby for me it was, combined with the plot, simply too much and an overkill. So at the end I only could incredulous shake my head. Hence I was disappointed by the initial good book and I will also not continue this series and I’ll also stop my experiment with Lauren Kate. Unfortunately, the book wasn’t meant for me.

Cover:
A wonderful cover, which shows also perfectly the plot of the book and it’s simply charming. *great*

All in all:
Unfortunately, the magnificent cover, which has animated me to read the story, is already the only wonderful thing about the book. The plot, as well as the characters, weren’t understandable for me and everything was too detached for my taste and this, although I usually have no problems with a good fantasy story – but here, everything was too much and too unbelievable.

Rating:
2,5 of 5 points – (it was okay)

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Quotes: (© Kate)

„Love was a dance floor where everyone you loved left a mark behind.“
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„Wisdom holds a candle to experience, but you’ve got to take the candle and walk alone.“.

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Succession:
# 1:  Lauren Kate – Teardrop »»
# 2:  Lauren Kate – Untitled
# 3:  Lauren Kate – Untitled
…

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Lauren Kate:
Lauren Kate grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York.
She is the author of Fallen and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. She lives in Laurel Canyon with her husband and hopes to work in a restaurant kitchen, get a dog, and learn how to surf.
She is currently at work on the sequel to Fallen.
(Source: goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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A huge Thanks for the reviewer’s copty to:

© Random House UK

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[Rezension] Teardrop

English Cover

. . . . . . . . . .

‚Teardrop‘
by
Lauren Kate

Teardrop # 1
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.

..

Inhaltsangabe:
Seventeen-year-old Eureka won’t let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean.
And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother’s death and Ander’s appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don’t make sense. Can everything you love be washed away? (Source: Goodreads.com)

Meine Gedanken zum Buch:
Ich wollte das Buch wirklich lieben, zumindest soweit mögen, dass ich es weiter empfehlen kann – ich meine, seht euch nur dieses wunderschöne Cover an und auch die Inhaltsangabe klang ebenfalls sehr vielversprechend. Besonders, da es sich nach einer frischen, neuen Geschichte anhörte. Und auch der Anfang war richtig gut, hat mich sofort mitgerissen und ich fand den Schreibstil schön, auch wenn er manchmal etwas zu poetisch und dann im nächsten Moment wieder zu flapsig war.

Zuerst konnte ich noch mit der Hauptfigur Eureka mitfühlen, ihre Gedanken und Handlungen nachvollziehen. Die ersten Kapiteln begleiten wir sie, wie sie mit der Trauerverarbeitung nach dem Tod ihrer Mutter umgeht, mit den Klassenkameraden, die sie schräg ansehen oder den Besuchen bei ihrem Psychiater. Die ganze Zeit über ist ihre beste, vorlaute Freundin Cat an ihrer Seite oder auch ihr bester, Witze-machender-Freund Brooks zur Stelle.
Brooks konnte ich von Anfang an ins Herz schließen und er ist auch bis zum Ende mein erklärter Liebling der Geschichte. Leider hat die Autorin aber einen anderen Liebeshelden für Eureka im Sinn und deshalb ist immer wieder der mysteriöse Ander aufgetaucht, bei dem nur die Leser wissen, wer oder was er ist und warum er sich immer wieder blicken lässt. Dabei stellt sich Eureka ständig die Frage, ob er ihr etwas antun möchte oder ihr helfen und fühlt sich dabei auf unerklärliche Weise die ganze Zeit zu ihm hingezogen. Deshalb kommt es auch irgendwann dazu, dass sie Brooks – ihren besten Freund – küsst, aber eigentlich an Ander denkt. Aber keine Sorge, Brooks wird auf eine interessante Weise – naja, mehr oder weniger – zum Bösen gemacht, womit dann Eureka mit Ander herum knutschen kann *juchu*-> JA, falls ihr euch fragt, DAS war Sarkasmus.

So lächerlich, wie sich die enthaltene Liebesgeschichte entwickelt hat, so sehr ist auch die Geschichte in eine Richtung abgedriftet, die mir immer weniger zugesagt hat. Zuerst wurden alte Legenden ausgegraben, Mythen von Atlantis angedeutet, aber dann wurde mir die Macht, die Eureka besitzt einfach zu fantasielastig. Nein, das ist das falsche Wort. Es lag nicht so sehr an dem hohen Fantasieanteil, sondern eher daran, wie es geschildert wurde, wie Eureka mit den ganzen Enthüllungen um ihre Person umgegangen ist. Es war wirklich viel und unglaublich, was sie alles erfahren hat, aber sie hat es einfach so geschluckt und ganz einfach ihre Kraft eingesetzt, ohne auszuflippen. Für mich war es dadurch, gepaart mit der Handlung, einfach zu viel des Guten und es war am Ende nur mehr ein ungläubiges ‚Kopf schütteln‘ meinerseits. Daher war ich doch enttäuscht von dem anfänglichen gutem Buch und ich werde die Reihe auch nicht fortsetzten. Außerdem werde ich auch mein Experiment mit Lauren Kate hiermit wieder abschließen. Sollte leider nicht sein – wir passen wohl nicht zusammen.

Cover:
Ein wunderschönes Cover, das außerdem gut den Inhalt des Buches wiederspiegelt und einfach bezaubernd gestaltet ist.

All in all:
Das grandiose Cover, das mich zum Lesen der Geschichte animiert hat, ist leider schon das einzig Großartige an dem Buch. Die Handlung wie auch die Figuren waren für mich nicht nachvollziehbar und alles drum herum war für meinen Geschmack zu abgehoben und das obwohl ich sonst keine Probleme mit Fantasie habe.

Rating:
2,5 of 5 points – (it was okay)

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Quotes: (© Kate)

„Love was a dance floor where everyone you loved left a mark behind.„

„Wisdom holds a candle to experience, but you’ve got to take the candle and walk alone.“.

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Serienreihenfolge:
# 1:  Lauren Kate – Teardrop »»
# 2:  Lauren Kate – Waterfall
# 3:  Lauren Kate – Untitled
…

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Lauren Kate:
Lauren Kate grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York.
She is the author of Fallen and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. She lives in Laurel Canyon with her husband and hopes to work in a restaurant kitchen, get a dog, and learn how to surf.
She is currently at work on the sequel to Fallen.
(Source: goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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Vielen Dank für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionsexemplares an:

© Random House UK

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[Review] Air

(© goodreads)

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‚Air‚ by
Terra Harmony

The Akasha Serie # 2

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Synopsis:
She carries more than just elemental powers. In ‘Air’, the sequel to ‘Water’ of the Akasha Series, Kaitlyn has a secret. One she won’t be able to hide much longer. As the strongest Gaia the planet has ever seen, she must face mankind’s greatest enemy as he campaigns for ‘One Less: Depopulation’. Everything depends on Kaitlyn fully embracing her role as Gaia. Her family. The Seven. The Earth. Something has to give, and it won’t be Kaitlyn.
(Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
After the great first part which could persuades and inspire me completely, I just had to read the next part. And I’ve been glad about the continuation, because there was a little cliffhanger at the end of the book ‘Water’. When I finally get my hands on ‘Air’ to start reading the book, I was a little disappointed, because it was different than I had expected.

To one side the plot starts some time after the events from part 1, but without much of important thing happened in the world or with the characters. What I find extremely odd, if one remember which relation Kaitlyn and Micah had almost at the end, before the thing with Shawn happened, and that Micah has saved her afterwards.
After that you think that they would talk about it afterwards, or not? But Kaitlyn didn’t and she still couldn’t tell him or the others, that she is pregnant. And funnily enough she holds particularly to Micah an emotional, as well as a physical distance, which was never so big, as in this time.

Also Micah reveals only too little about him or he didn’t makes obvious steps toward Kaitlyn, what I found a great pity. And then suddenly there came the big revelation and from one second to the other, there also came the big, inexplicable turn in their love relationship; when the action all around Shawn and his bad underground organization tapers to a point and the quick and above all complete turnabout of the relationship of Micah and Kaitlyn takes place, which was for me too quickly and also a little illogical.
For weeks there was no real conversation between the two main characters and suddenly Micah is a completely other person and devote all love to Kaitlyn, with all consequences and relations. And what is Kaitlyn doing? Of course not the right thing! And this happens not only in this situation, but also throughout the whole book and particularly at the end, I wanted to punch or shake her so long till she comes to her senses again. Unfortunately a reader can’t intervene in the events of books and thus I was left watching her decisions silently and despairing.

Of course in this part there aren’t only bad things between Micah and Kaitlyn, but there were also really some good, very romantic and crackling scenes of them, which could also score with eroticism. But nevertheless, I’ve not liked the end at all. I almost wanted to start crying or scream or smash something – which on the other side, however show here, that I was completely taken by the characters and that I’ve felt and suffered with them. And that characters not always act like we readers wishes for, is natural, because people also often don’t act like they should. Therefore you could say that the characters and the plot course were realistic and authentic; with people, which make mistakes, act illogically or aren’t perfect and learn from it – hopefully! 😉

What has disturbed me also, beside these points, was the fact that the middle section was to be read a little tenaciously. For me the part with Alex was too extended and drown-out, and in overall the second part couldn’t hold the same tension and speed, like ‘Water’.

As I’ve already mentioned, I’m not happy with the end of the second book at all, and the only bright spot is, that I hope and know, that the author will give us a positive and reasonable end after the fourth part – so, at least we still have two more books, for which we can looking forward to and I really hope sooo much, that after all the up and downs, we’ll get our deserved happy-ending!

Cover:
The cover is again just beautiful and is limited on what is important in the book and what it is about – the element and the ability of handling it.

All in all:
A must-read for all fans of fantasy books which deal with the strength of the elements and which have already read book 1 – it goes on interesting and we still can be glad about two more parts, which will bring us more tension and sizzle.

Rating:
3 of 5 points (I liked it)

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Succession:

# 1: Terra Harmony – Water »»
# 2: Terra Harmony – Air »»
# 3: Terra Harmony – Fire
# 4: Terra Harmony – Earth

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Terra Harmony:
Terra is a debut author, and currently has her first full length novel, ‚Water‘, published. Water is a contemporary eco-fantasy and the first book of a four book series called ‚The Akasha Series‘. The next book, ‚Air‘ will be released mid-February in 2012.
Terra also has a vampire short story anthology. The first two books of ‚The Kindred Curse Anthology‘, ‚Gleaming White‘ and ‚Streaks of Red‘ are self-published as e-books. Three more short stories will follow to complete the anthology. Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina and Virginia. Terra has served a 5½ year enlistment in the Marine Corp, has earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree and presently runs the language services division of a small business.
Terra currently lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her husband of 13 years and three children. (Source: Goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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[Rezension] Air

(© goodreads)

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‚Air‚ by
Terra Harmony

The Akasha Serie # 2

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..

Synopsis:
She carries more than just elemental powers. In ‘Air’, the sequel to ‘Water’ of the Akasha Series, Kaitlyn has a secret. One she won’t be able to hide much longer. As the strongest Gaia the planet has ever seen, she must face mankind’s greatest enemy as he campaigns for ‘One Less: Depopulation’. Everything depends on Kaitlyn fully embracing her role as Gaia. Her family. The Seven. The Earth. Something has to give, and it won’t be Kaitlyn. (Quelle: Goodreads.com)

Meine Gedanken zum Buch:
Nach dem tollen ersten Teil, der mich komplett überzeugt und begeistert konnte, habe ich mich schon besonders auf die Fortsetzung gefreut, da es doch einen Cliffhanger am Ende von ‚Water‘ gab. Als ich das Buch dann endlich zu lesen beginnen durfte, war für mich vieles anders als erwartet.

Zu einem fängt die Handlung einige Zeit nach den Geschehnissen aus Band 1 an, aber ohne das wirklich viel wichtiges passiert ist in der Welt oder mit den Charakteren, die hier beschrieben sind. Was ich äußerst sonderbar finde, wenn man bedenkt, welche Beziehung Kaitlyn und Micah am Ende hatten, bevor das mit  Shawn passiert ist und dass Micah sie danach gerettet hat. Da redet man doch im Nachhinein darüber, oder? Aber Kaitlyn tut das nicht und sie hat es auch noch immer nicht geschafft, den anderen mitzuteilen, dass sie schwanger ist und hält komischerweise besonders zu Micah einen emotionalen, sowie körperlichen Abstand, der nie so groß war, wie in dieser Zeit.

Auch Micah, gibt wenig von sich preis oder macht wirklich offensichtliche Schritte auf Kaitlyn zu, was ich sehr schade fand. Und dann plötzlich kommt die große Offenbarung und von einer Sekunde auf die andere auch die große, unerklärliche Wende in ihrer Liebesbeziehung; als sich die Handlung rund um Shawn und seiner bösen Untergrundorganisation zuspitzt und die rasche und vor allem komplette Kehrtwendung von Micah bzgl. Kaitlyn stattfindet, was für mich zu rasch und auch unlogisch war.
Wochenlang wurde kein richtiges Gespräch zwischen den beiden Hauptcharas geführt und plötzlich ist Micah ein komplett anderer Mensch und erklärt ihr alle Liebe der Welt mit allen Konsequenzen und Verbindungen. Und was tut Kaitlyn? Natürlich nicht das richtige, was nicht nur in dieser Situation so ist, sondern durch das ganze Buch hindurch und besonders am Ende, wo ich sie einfach nur ohrfeigen wollte und solange schütteln, bis sie wieder zu Vernunft kommt. Aber leider kann man nicht in die Geschehnisse von Büchern eingreifen und so musste ich es über mich ergehen lassen und ihre Entscheidungen stumm und verzweifelnd mitansehen.

Natürlich ist es in diesem Teil zwischen Micah und Kaitlyn nicht nur schlecht, sondern es gab auch wirklich ein paar schöne, sehr romantische und knisternde Szenen, die auch mit Erotik punkten konnten. Aber trotzdem hat mir hier der Ausgang überhaupt nicht gefallen. Ich hätte sogar am liebsten zum heulen angefangen – was hier an dieser Stelle dann doch wieder zeigt, wie eingenommen ich von den Charakteren war, mit ihnen gefühlt und gelitten habe. Und das diese nicht immer tun, was man sich als Leser wünscht ist natürlich, den Menschen tun das auch nicht, somit kann man wieder sagen, dass die Charaktere und der Handlungsverlauf echt und authentisch waren, mit Menschen die Fehler begehen, unlogisch handeln, nicht perfekt sind und daraus lernen – hoffentlich! 😉

Was mich neben diesen Punkten noch etwas gestört hat, war die Tatsache, dass der Mittelteil zäh zu lesen war. Für mich war der Teil mit Alex viel zu ausgedehnt und langwierig und generell konnte im zweiten Teil nicht die gleiche Spannung und Tempo gehalten werden, wie im Vorgänger.

Wie schon vorhin erwähnt, kann ich mich mit dem Ende des zweiten Bandes leider überhaupt nicht anfreunden und der einzige Lichtblick ist der, dass ich hoffe und weiß, dass die Autorin uns sicherlich einen positiven und sinnvollen Abschluss liefen wird – immerhin haben wir noch zwei Teile, auf die wir uns freuen können und ich hoffe inständig, dass mich dann, am Ende der auf und up und meinen Gefühlsgalopp ein Happy End erwartet.

Cover:
Das Cover ist wie immer einfach wunderschön und beschränkt auf das was im Buch wichtig ist und worum es geht – das Element und die Fähigkeit, damit umzugehen.

All in all:
Ein Lese-Muss für alle Fans von Fantasiebüchern, die sich mit der Kraft der Elemente beschäftigen und welche bereits Band 1 gelesen haben – es geht munter weiter und man darf sich noch auf zwei weitere Teile freuen, die Spannung und Knistern bringen werden.

Rating:
3 of 5 points (I liked it)

..

Serienreihenfolge:

# 1: Terra Harmony – Water »»
# 2: Terra Harmony – Air »»
# 3: Terra Harmony – Fire
# 4: Terra Harmony – Earth

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Terra Harmony:
Terra is a debut author, and currently has her first full length novel, ‚Water‘, published. Water is a contemporary eco-fantasy and the first book of a four book series called ‚The Akasha Series‘. The next book, ‚Air‘ will be released mid-February in 2012.
Terra also has a vampire short story anthology. The first two books of ‚The Kindred Curse Anthology‘, ‚Gleaming White‘ and ‚Streaks of Red‘ are self-published as e-books. Three more short stories will follow to complete the anthology. Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina and Virginia. Terra has served a 5½ year enlistment in the Marine Corp, has earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree and presently runs the language services division of a small business.
Terra currently lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her husband of 13 years and three children. (Source: Goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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Review: Water

(© goodreads)

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‚Water‚ by
Terra Harmony

The Akasha Series # 1

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..

Synopsis:
All of the elemental powers are in the palm of her hand…and it won’t be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth’s survival. (Quelle: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
This book was a quite roller coaster of my feelings, as well of my enthusiasm for it. I have won it at a Giveaway on a Blog and I started to read it without any informing what it is about exactly. At first it was very difficult to come into the story, because it begins right in the middle and I had no clue who the protagonist was, where she was and in which world the whole story played. I got the information presented only in little pieces, and after the first confusion vanished and some essential questions were answered, I started to like the plot better and better.

It also took some time for me to get into the writing style of the author because she prefers to use short, concise sentences which are equipped with traits to describe the scenery and also the feelings. Because I have read the book in English, it was sometimes hard to follow, especially at the beginning when everything was explained with the earth, the organization and her power. But then with the help of the translation of my Sony reader it was also no problem. 😉 And later I’ve even liked this style of writing because thereby the action was driven and a rapid history was presented.

Furthermore a thing I liked in this book very much, and which is the reason I think the book should earn 5 points, is the fact that the author also addressed to the environmental topic and cared for things like clean water and topics alike. Not only that this problem was brought up, but I also caught myself thinking about these things and I believe this is a very good and wonderful fact which lets me wish that many others will read this book as well.

Now I want to go on to the characters and I can say that I’ve found once more a book in which almost every character persuades me or where they appeared real and likeable and weren’t constantly whiny like characters in other books … here they managed to face their destinies and to stand up against.
The main character Kaitlyn is really quite tough and scalded by which she perhaps could come out a little too hard or too unapproachable, but with her humor and inner attitude she compensates that. Not only that she had already to bear the death of her parents, now she finds out what her true nature is and masters all obstacles and tests which are put in her way just courageously and with a sympathetically sarcasm, which win everybody over.
Also the male part in the story has a quite attractive and sexy representative called Micah who scores with his determination and callousness, thereby he sometimes also goes too far and shocks the readers, but which makes this complex character only more interesting. And also his green, to enchanting-eyes, are another ‘dot-on-the-i’, which nobody can defend oneself and which makes me wish that Kaitlyn and Micah find to each other in the end.

This all would have been the positive things, but I would also like to come briefly to the facts which didn’t work completely for me. The first point is that I would have wished for more interpersonal dialogues of Kaitlyn and Micah. Even if they were physically very intimate with each other, I’ve missed the scenes in which they were speaking about it or in which I could also sense Micah’s feelings towards Kaitlyn. Sometimes he simply was too cold for me in dealing with Kaitlyn and I would also have wished for the end that he suffers with her that he despaired and that he desperately searched for her or that afterwards he got furious and wounded because of the behavior and doings of his‚ supposed’ friend.
On top of that some things in the book went on pretty fast and although I am a fan of rapid actions, I have not liked it here that sometimes several days or weeks passed without I got to know exactly what had happened with the characters in the meantime. For my taste there were too many gaps which I would have liked to see filled with interactions of the characters. I have missed all that somehow and moreover, the end didn’t left me with a contented sigh, but with open questions for which I crave and hope to get them answered satisfyingly in the second part.

Nevertheless, this book has more than excelled my prospects because the characters have convinced me and were likeable and attractive and the book was an absolutely ‘page-turner’ which I couldn’t put aside any which I read incredibly fast. Keep it up … I want more! Oh yes, a few more precise and more ‚special‘ scenes wouldn’t be bad as well! 😉

Cover:
A wonderful cover which couldn’t fit the title and the contents of the book any better. However, I’m usually a fan of water or water-drop pictures and here it is especially beautiful.

All in all:
Water is definitively a book I like to recommend and which made me want to read more books from the author and also in this series.

Rating:
3,5 of 5 points (I really liked it)

Quotes:

Micah: „You can’t imagine how much I regret what happened. For some reason, because
of the type of relationship we had, I thought it was an acceptable training exercise; albeit a little extreme. But I’m not going to ask your forgiveness, I don’t want it. I mean to always remember my mistake, so I will never make it again.“

He stepped forward and took the butterfly hanging around my neck between his two fingers: „This will remind me, both of my mistake and how much I care for you.“ He took another step closer so we were only inches apart, and his hand moved to the back of my shoulder where Shawn’s mark still scarred my skin. „And I hope this will never heal. It will remind me to never take anything for granted; other people’s intentions, your safety, or . . . you.“

Micah: „Come, on. Let’s get you out of here.” He began putting his arms under me and lifted me off my bed of rocks.
Kaitlyn: “Oh, no. You can’t just come trotting in here like some hero. I’m saving myself this time. Go away!”
Micah: “And let me just say you were doing a fine job lying there on your back.”

..

Succession:

# 1: Terra Harmony – Water »»
# 2: Terra Harmony – Air »»
# 3: Terra Harmony – Fire
# 4: Terra Harmony – Earth
.

.

(© goodreads)

About the author – Terra Harmony:

Terra is a debut author, and currently has her first full length novel, ‚Water‘, published. Water is a contemporary eco-fantasy and the first book of a four book series called ‚The Akasha Series‘. The next book, ‚Air‘ will be released mid-February in 2012.
Terra also has a vampire short story anthology. The first two books of ‚The Kindred Curse Anthology‘, ‚Gleaming White‘ and ‚Streaks of Red‘ are self-published as e-books. Three more short stories will follow to complete the anthology. Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina and Virginia. Terra has served a 5½ year enlistment in the Marine Corp, has earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree and presently runs the language services division of a small business.
Terra currently lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her husband of 13 years and three children. (Source: Goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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Rezension: Water

(© goodreads)

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.

‚Water‚ by
Terra Harmony

The Akasha Serie # 1

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.

..

Inhaltsangabe:
All of the elemental powers are in the palm of her hand…and it won’t be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth’s survival. (Quelle: Goodreads.com)

Meine Gedanken zum Buch:
Dieses Buch war eine ziemliche Achterbahn der Gefühle, wie auch meine Begeisterung dafür. Ich habe es bei einem Giveaway auf einem Blog gewonnen und es, ohne mich genauer darüber zu informieren, angefangen zu lesen. Zuerst war es sehr schwierig in die Handlung zu kommen, da es mittendrin beginnt und man keine richtige Ahnung hat wer der Protagonist ist, wo er sich aufhält und in welch einer Welt überhaupt alles spielt. Man bekommt es erst stückchenweise zugeworfen und nachdem die erste Verwirrtheit verschwunden und einige essentielle Fragen beantwortet wurden, hat mir die Handlung immer besser gefallen.

Auch dauerte es für mich eine Zeit bis ich in den Schreibstil der Autorin gekommen bin, da sie sehr oft kurze, prägnante Sätze bevorzugt, welche mit Charaktereigenschaften bestückt sind um die Szenerie und die Gefühle zu beschreiben. Da ich aber das Buch auf Englisch gelesen habe, war es teilweise schwer immer zu folgen, besonders zu Beginn, als alles mit der Erde, der Organisation und ihren Kräften erklärt wurde. Aber mit Hilfe der Übersetzung von meinem Sony Reader war es dann auch kein Problem mehr.  🙂 Und später hat mir diese Schreibweise sogar gefallen, weil dadurch die Handlung angetrieben und eine rasante Geschichte präsentiert wurde.

Eine Sache die mir weiters in diesem Buch sehr gut gefiel und alleine schon deswegen 5 Punkte verdienen würde, war die Tatsache, dass sie die Umweltthematik ansprach und sich um Dinge wie sauberes Wasser und dergleichen kümmerte. Nicht nur, dass es angesprochen wurde, sondern man fing auch selber an über diese Dinge nachzudenken und ich finde, das ist ein sehr gute und wundervolle Tatsache, die mich wünschen lässt, dass viele dieses Buch lesen werden.

Zu den Charakteren kann ich sagen, dass ich dieses mal wieder Charaktere gefunden haben, die mich fast alle überzeugt haben, bzw. die echt und liebenswert wirkten und nicht ständig herum jammerten, wie es in anderen Bücher der Fall ist… hier kamen sie mit den ihnen gestellten Schicksalen klar und boten ihnen die Stirn.
Der Hauptcharakter Kaitlyn ist wirklich ziemlich zäh und abgebrüht, wodurch sie eventuell etwas zu hart oder zu unnahbar wirken würde, was sie aber durch ihren Humor und inneren Einstellung wieder wett macht. Nicht nur dass sie bereits den Tod ihrer Eltern verkraften musste, erfährt sie nun was ihr wahres Ich ist und meistert alle ihre gestellten Hindernisse und Tests bravourös und mit einem sympathisch Sarkasmus, der jeden für sich einnimmt. Auch der männliche Part in der Geschichte hat einen ziemlich attraktiven und sexy Vertreter namens Micah, der mit seiner Entschlossenheit und Abgebrühtheit punktet, manchmal dadurch aber auch zu weit geht und schockiert, was seinen vielschichtigen Charakter nur noch interessanter macht. Und auch seine grünen, zum verzaubern einladenden Augen, sind ein weiteres i-Tüpfelchen, gegen das man sich nicht wehren kann und man sich nur wünscht, dass er und Kaitlyn zueinander finden.

Das wären also die positiven Dinge gewesen, aber ich möchte auch kurz auf das eingehen, was mir nicht ganz zugesagt hat. Zu einem hätte ich mir mehr zwischenmenschliches mittels Dialogen bei Kaitlyn und Micah gewünscht. Auch wenn sie körperlich sehr intim miteinander waren, haben mir die Szenen gefehlt, in denen darüber gesprochen wird, bzw. in denen man auch Micahs Gefühle gegenüber ihr spürt. Manchmal war er mir einfach zu kühl im Umgang mit Kaitlyn und ich hätte mir auch für das Ende gewünscht, dass er mit ihr mitleidet, dass er verzweifelt nach ihr sucht oder dass man danach mitbekommt wie wütend und verletzt er ist wegen dem Verhalten seines ‚angeblichen‘ Freundes. Noch dazu ging manches im Buch ziemlich schnell und auch obwohl ich ein Fan von rasanten Handlungen bin, habe ich es hier nicht gemocht, dass manchmal mehrere Tage oder Wochen vergingen, ohne das man genau erfuhr was in der Zwischenzeit mit den Charakteren passiert war. Für meinen Geschmack eine Spur zu viele Lücken, die ich gerne mit Interaktionen der Charaktere gefüllt gesehen hätte. Das alles hat mir etwas gefehlt und außerdem hat mich das Ende nicht mit einem zufriedenen Seufzer zurück gelassen, sondern mit offenen Fragen, nach denen ich mich sehne und hoffe, sie zufriedenstellend im zweiten Teil beantwortet zu bekommen.

Dieses Buch hat aber trotzdem mehr als nur meine Vorstellungen übertroffen, weil die Charaktere überzeugt haben, die sympathisch und ansprechend waren und es ein absoluter Page-Turner war, den ich nicht mehr aus der Hand legen konnte und wahnsinnig schnell verschlungen habe. Weiter so… ich will mehr! Ach ja, ein paar genauere und mehr ‚spezielle‘ Szenen wären auch nicht schlecht 😉

Cover:
Ein wunderschönes Cover, welches nicht besser zum Titel oder auch zum Inhalt des Buches passen könnte. Ich bin aber generell ein Fan von Wasser oder Wassertropfen- Bildern und hier kommt es besonders schön zur Geltung.

All in all:
Water ist definitiv ein Buch das ich gerne weiterempfehle und das mir Lust auf mehr Bücher in dieser Reihe, sowie von der Autorin, macht.

Rating:
3,5 of 5 points

Quotes:

Micah: „You can’t imagine how much I regret what happened. For some reason, because
of the type of relationship we had, I thought it was an acceptable training exercise; albeit a little extreme. But I’m not going to ask your forgiveness, I don’t want it. I mean to always remember my mistake, so I will never make it again.“

He stepped forward and took the butterfly hanging around my neck between his two fingers: „This will remind me, both of my mistake and how much I care for you.“ He took another step closer so we were only inches apart, and his hand moved to the back of my shoulder where Shawn’s mark still scarred my skin. „And I hope this will never heal. It will remind me to never take anything for granted; other people’s intentions, your safety, or . . . you.“

Micah: „Come, on. Let’s get you out of here.” He began putting his arms under me and lifted me off my bed of rocks.
Kaitlyn: “Oh, no. You can’t just come trotting in here like some hero. I’m saving myself this time. Go away!”
Micah: “And let me just say you were doing a fine job lying there on your back.”

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Serienreihenfolge:

# 1: Terra Harmony – Water »»
# 2: Terra Harmony – Air »»
# 3: Terra Harmony
# 4: Terra Harmony
# 5: Terra Harmony

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Terra Harmony:

Terra is a debut author, and currently has her first full length novel, ‚Water‘, published. Water is a contemporary eco-fantasy and the first book of a four book series called ‚The Akasha Series‘. The next book, ‚Air‘ will be released mid-February in 2012.
Terra also has a vampire short story anthology. The first two books of ‚The Kindred Curse Anthology‘, ‚Gleaming White‘ and ‚Streaks of Red‘ are self-published as e-books. Three more short stories will follow to complete the anthology. Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina and Virginia. Terra has served a 5½ year enlistment in the Marine Corp, has earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree and presently runs the language services division of a small business.
Terra currently lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her husband of 13 years and three children. (Source: Goodreads.com)

Visit her Website »»

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