Gale Reads: The Violet Eden Chapters Book1-3

Hello everyone! I'm back with another book review and this time it is an ongoing series by Jessica Shirvington called The Embrace Saga or The Violet Eden Chapters.

The series currently have 3 books released and the fourth is gonna come out on September 2012 which will be titled Endless. According to the author, she is still not sure whether she would still push with a 5th and 6th book or stick with a 4 books saga.

Genre: Young Adult, Love Story, Paranormal (Angels)

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Status of the series: On-going

Synopsis:

Violet Eden is a regular teenager who loves art and coffee, or so she thoughts. She started experiencing changes in her life when she reached 17 and was given a gift by her dead mom. She learned that she is a warrior, a Grigori (half human - half angel), and that her mother was the one who placed her in that situation before she died. 

The story evolves around her adventure into becoming one of the strongest Grigori and also her struggle in keeping her human life intact.

COVER TALK:
Sorry guys for forgetting to post this past...I hope you can still read this now.

I am not a fan of the covers, well, except for Embrace (#1) which is perfect for me because I love the hint of violet wings at her back. It were able to portray what the story is about but it doesn't have an all-out-on-your-face angel image on the cover to say this is about angels.

Personally, I am not fond of books with real persons on the covers because it destroys the image of the character that my mind conjured up. I prefer to imagine what the characters look like and I know fellow book lovers will agree with me on that. Nothing beats your imagination ^_^

With that said, I am giving this series 2/5 for the covers. Sorry, Jessica, they are just boring and not what up to what I like personally.

MY REVIEW:

I really was excited to read this series because it involves angels and it is set in the present. I have this fascination with angel stories since I was in high school but I have a hard time finding good ones. I think what intrigued me in this story is that it revolves a girl who is caught up in between the battles of Grigori and Exiles and she needed to fight in order to survive.. and it is not the typical story of a girl who have fallen in love with a fallen angel.

The first book intrigued me coz I didn't know who she will end up with at all. Unlike other angel books I've read lately, the love triangle in this series is set up quite beautifully and not forced. There's both pull and push for each of the guy and it makes you wonder who is better. Even after the 3rd book, you don't clearly know who she will end up with but you are 100% sure who she really loves with all her heart. I liked Phoenix (the gorgeous angel) compared to Lincoln (her Grigori partner) but that's just my personal preference hehe ^_^

I also want to commend the author because you can really see that she put a lot of effort in researching. The plot even though it is fictional have revolved to a lot of mythology, fables, religious beliefs, folklores etc. She was able to connect everything without making it too preachy and religious. I really liked it whenever she incorporates happenings from old beliefs and stories. For a first book, she really did a good job.

So to summarize, here are the things that I love in this series so far:

- Unique take on the concept of angels (both fallen and not)

- The love triangle is not forced and clear cut like other YA books

- It is full of mythology, fables, and old traditional stories that is well connected (fictionally)

- The main characters have their own strengths and weaknesses that we can relate to

- I love how the author showed what Phoenix feels and thinks even if it's just one chapter.

Note: There might be spoilers in this part so beware and proceed with caution

Now, for the negative areas on this books. If you want to read this because of the action and battle scenes, and also because you love a strong heroine, then you are gonna be disappointed like me. I think it is my mistake of comparing Violet Eden to Rose Hathaway of Vampire Academy or to Kate Daniels of Magic Bites. I thought she is gonna be a strong willed woman and ready to fight for those people she cared about but I was wrong. 

Violet Eden is one hell of a conflicted chick. She have all the power she needs, all the means to improve physically, all the guidance a newbie can have but what does she do? She moped and moped that life isn't fair, that she doesn't want to be special and powerful, and that she hates her mom for putting her in that situation. BUT  whenever there's an enemy and they threatened her love ones she wants to kick ass...well, maybe I just hated the fact that she doesn't do anything to improve her knowledge and skills to make her judgements better and that she can't decide whether to embrace her Grigori self or leave it to become normal. I personally thinks she is just too immature.

Aside from being a whiny teenager, she was also always preoccupied with her intense attraction to the man of her life that it makes me so bored to be in her head. I hate whiny love struck teenager that even in the most crucial of times (as in you're gonna die tomorrow scene), she still thinks of how hot and sexy he is and that he makes her feel all gooey inside when he's near. Come on, there's always time for everything, right?

To summarize the things I hated in this series:

- I hate Violet whenever she becomes a whiny love crazed teenager that keeps on "drooling" whenever the guy she likes is near.

- I can't be sure if she is self sacrificing or suicidal.

- It is hard to know the story through the eyes of the lead character when she is always near death or swooning with sexual tension.

- There's lack of fighting scenes to make me entertained.

OVER-ALL RATING for the 3 books: 3/5

I love the way it was written and how the author incorporated all these folklores seamlessly and how she gave life to all the characters around Violet. I just hoped she did not make this story about a love crazed teenager who can't mature fast enough.

WILL I CONTINUE TO READ THE NEXT BOOK/s? Yes. I am hoping that Endless would bring my opinion up about this book and that it would give a proper closure to everything. I'm really crossing my fingers for that.

RECOMMENDED TO:

- Those who like paranormal, young adult books especially angels.

- Those who like love stories with Romeo & Juliet twist

- Those who want to read a well connected folklores and mythology :)

Thank you so much for dropping by and reading my long review. I hope you guys find this helpful. I still recommend you tried the series for yourself coz to each his own and you might like these kinds of stories.

XOXO,