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Feathers and Fire #1
Unchained
My name is Callie Penrose - and I'm a rookie spell-slinger from Kansas City. I work part-time for the Vatican Shepherds, hunting monsters for them, but you won't find me in the pews on Sundays. Not really my thing.
But when my boss is injured by a werewolf, it's time for me to put my big girl pants on. Because the Spear of Longinus - the one that allegedly stabbed Jesus on the Cross - has surfaced, and it's going up for auction. And every flavor of monster in my city wants it. Even a demon and a Nephilim, just for fun.
The only way to survive the war and get the spear first is to team up with Nate Temple, a handsome, reckless wizard from St. Louis. But he has a dark side, too, and I don't fully trust him, despite what my body tells me.
Framed for murders I didn't commit, I find I've become Kansas City's most hated wizard overnight. Because keeping the spear will get me killed, but giving it away will get everyone else killed. And letting Nate handle it will only paint me as weak. What's a girl to do?
Especially when Hell knows more about my past than I do...
But when my boss is injured by a werewolf, it's time for me to put my big girl pants on. Because the Spear of Longinus - the one that allegedly stabbed Jesus on the Cross - has surfaced, and it's going up for auction. And every flavor of monster in my city wants it. Even a demon and a Nephilim, just for fun.
The only way to survive the war and get the spear first is to team up with Nate Temple, a handsome, reckless wizard from St. Louis. But he has a dark side, too, and I don't fully trust him, despite what my body tells me.
Framed for murders I didn't commit, I find I've become Kansas City's most hated wizard overnight. Because keeping the spear will get me killed, but giving it away will get everyone else killed. And letting Nate handle it will only paint me as weak. What's a girl to do?
Especially when Hell knows more about my past than I do...
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2017
About the author
Shayne Silvers
54 books2,106 followersLet's cut to the chase. You read stuff. I write stuff. So, If you want to nab a few of my free Amazon Best Selling Urban Fantasy books to test the waters, go here: http://www.shaynesilvers.com
Now, let's talk about this specimen of a man named Shayne...
Shayne Silvers writes the "Nate Temple Series" which features a foul-mouthed, flawed, young wizard with a chip on his shoulder attempting to protect St. Louis from the various nasties we all know and fear from our childhood bedtime stories.
Nate's been known to suckerpunch an Angel, cow-tip the Minotaur, and steal Death's horse in order to prove his point. His utter disregard for consequences and self-preservation will have you laughing and cringing on the edge of your seat.
But he has a lot to learn. Namely, how not to be so big of an A-Hole.
Get your FREE Nate Temple Starter Library TODAY at www.shaynesilvers.com.
Shayne holds two high-ranking black belts, and enjoys conversing about anything Marvel, Magical, or Mythological. You might find him writing in a coffee shop near you, cackling madly into his computer screen while pounding shots of espresso.
Now, let's talk about this specimen of a man named Shayne...
Shayne Silvers writes the "Nate Temple Series" which features a foul-mouthed, flawed, young wizard with a chip on his shoulder attempting to protect St. Louis from the various nasties we all know and fear from our childhood bedtime stories.
Nate's been known to suckerpunch an Angel, cow-tip the Minotaur, and steal Death's horse in order to prove his point. His utter disregard for consequences and self-preservation will have you laughing and cringing on the edge of your seat.
But he has a lot to learn. Namely, how not to be so big of an A-Hole.
Get your FREE Nate Temple Starter Library TODAY at www.shaynesilvers.com.
Shayne holds two high-ranking black belts, and enjoys conversing about anything Marvel, Magical, or Mythological. You might find him writing in a coffee shop near you, cackling madly into his computer screen while pounding shots of espresso.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 347 reviews
October 19, 2020
This post is about my experience of reading “Unchained” and how the part of me that was hungry for a new story gradually lost the will to read because of constant complaints from the part of me that pays attention to how a story is written.
I’m going to tell it as it happened.
Reading progress update: I’ve read 9%.
I’m gonna ignore my cranky old guy.
You know when you open a. graphic novel painted by an artist you like, one with a familiar style and a favourite palette and although the novel is about a new character, you immediately feel you’ve read it before? « Unchained » is like that.
The opening is violence in the rain, a young woman haunted by violence in her past, magical weapons, beasts attacking with fangs and claws and an old (at least to the young woman) male mentor playing distant, disciplinarian but loving, father figure. I’ve been here.
Except I’ve not had the old guy work for the Vatican before. Or have a woman, apparently in her twenties, sound so much like a teenager.
It’s formulaic but slick. The images are clear. The pacing is fine. The characterization either hasn’t happened yet or is going to be of the « you could be this young girl » type, which would work better if I wasn’t a man in my sixties.
I’m going to let it entertain me and try to switch off the annoying old guy sitting in my head going, “Ha! You expect ME to believe THAT?”. He sometimes forgets how to have fun.
Reading progress update: I’ve read 13%.
A smile from me and mutterings from the cranky old guy.
So, this is sliding along nicely. Blood has been spilt, secrets sown and backstory partly shared. It’s light but fun.
Meanwhile, the cranky old guy I’m trying not to listen to insists on pointing out inconsistencies in the narrator’s tone (he uses that kind of language). “How,” he askes with a gleam that he will not admit is spiteful pleasure in his eye, “can this twenty-something American narrator use this archaic form of words :
‘Fearing he would harm himself further if he woke to find himself surrounded by strangers, we had decided to keep him here until he woke up.’
and a little later start sounding like a teen when talking about her best friend:
‘Claire had the biggest heart I had ever seen. Simply put, she was the bestest.’
I mean, ‘bestest’? Seriously? It’s not even teen, it’s faux teen.”
I tell him to let it go, relax and enjoy the show.
He mutters something about standards being important and that the show he’s enjoying is just not the same as the one I’m enjoying.
Then we both settle down and read some more.
OK – my cranky old guy won – abandoned at 25% because I can’t take any more of this writing.
I suspect there’s a good story here but I’m only going to find out what it is if someone makes a TV series.
I can’t cope with the text. It doesn’t work and every time it fails. I’m pulled away from the story.
What finally made me give in was a chapter in which our heroine goes to a fancy auction to make a bid on an important artefact. The words used to describe the people in the crowd and our heroine’s reaction to them left me baffled.
It started with describing a man in the crowd by saying:
“He looked deceptively strong.”
What does that mean? If he looks strong then where’s the deception? If he’s stronger than he looks how can you tell you’re being deceived only by looking at him?
Then I got the reaction of the crowd to a dominant male described as:
“Those around him gave him a discreet, but wide berth. Several paces around him remained empty.”
What part of giving someone a wide berth is discrete? How do you do that?
Then I got this description of the route down into the auction hall:
“The stairs were half that of the ones we had entered,”
I think the author means to say there were half as many stairs but WHY NOT SAY THAT.
A paragraph later, as the crowd starts to move to the auction hall, I got:
“I made no move as I turned back to the man who had mistaken me.”
How do you do that? How do you simultaneously make no move and turn back?
What finally broke my will to read were two encounters within a few pages, with the word “belying”:
“Faint creases marred the corners of his eyes, belying that he was no stranger to laughter.”
and
“No one stood near the book now, belying that they had recorded the video prior to auction.”
This made me want to give the author my impersonation of Mandy Patinkin in “The Princess Bride” and say:
"You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means."
I want to read a book to enjoy it, not to have it keep summoning my inner-snark, so I’m going to let "Unchained" remain unfinished.
I’m going to tell it as it happened.
Reading progress update: I’ve read 9%.
I’m gonna ignore my cranky old guy.
You know when you open a. graphic novel painted by an artist you like, one with a familiar style and a favourite palette and although the novel is about a new character, you immediately feel you’ve read it before? « Unchained » is like that.
The opening is violence in the rain, a young woman haunted by violence in her past, magical weapons, beasts attacking with fangs and claws and an old (at least to the young woman) male mentor playing distant, disciplinarian but loving, father figure. I’ve been here.
Except I’ve not had the old guy work for the Vatican before. Or have a woman, apparently in her twenties, sound so much like a teenager.
It’s formulaic but slick. The images are clear. The pacing is fine. The characterization either hasn’t happened yet or is going to be of the « you could be this young girl » type, which would work better if I wasn’t a man in my sixties.
I’m going to let it entertain me and try to switch off the annoying old guy sitting in my head going, “Ha! You expect ME to believe THAT?”. He sometimes forgets how to have fun.
Reading progress update: I’ve read 13%.
A smile from me and mutterings from the cranky old guy.
So, this is sliding along nicely. Blood has been spilt, secrets sown and backstory partly shared. It’s light but fun.
Meanwhile, the cranky old guy I’m trying not to listen to insists on pointing out inconsistencies in the narrator’s tone (he uses that kind of language). “How,” he askes with a gleam that he will not admit is spiteful pleasure in his eye, “can this twenty-something American narrator use this archaic form of words :
‘Fearing he would harm himself further if he woke to find himself surrounded by strangers, we had decided to keep him here until he woke up.’
and a little later start sounding like a teen when talking about her best friend:
‘Claire had the biggest heart I had ever seen. Simply put, she was the bestest.’
I mean, ‘bestest’? Seriously? It’s not even teen, it’s faux teen.”
I tell him to let it go, relax and enjoy the show.
He mutters something about standards being important and that the show he’s enjoying is just not the same as the one I’m enjoying.
Then we both settle down and read some more.
OK – my cranky old guy won – abandoned at 25% because I can’t take any more of this writing.
I suspect there’s a good story here but I’m only going to find out what it is if someone makes a TV series.
I can’t cope with the text. It doesn’t work and every time it fails. I’m pulled away from the story.
What finally made me give in was a chapter in which our heroine goes to a fancy auction to make a bid on an important artefact. The words used to describe the people in the crowd and our heroine’s reaction to them left me baffled.
It started with describing a man in the crowd by saying:
“He looked deceptively strong.”
What does that mean? If he looks strong then where’s the deception? If he’s stronger than he looks how can you tell you’re being deceived only by looking at him?
Then I got the reaction of the crowd to a dominant male described as:
“Those around him gave him a discreet, but wide berth. Several paces around him remained empty.”
What part of giving someone a wide berth is discrete? How do you do that?
Then I got this description of the route down into the auction hall:
“The stairs were half that of the ones we had entered,”
I think the author means to say there were half as many stairs but WHY NOT SAY THAT.
A paragraph later, as the crowd starts to move to the auction hall, I got:
“I made no move as I turned back to the man who had mistaken me.”
How do you do that? How do you simultaneously make no move and turn back?
What finally broke my will to read were two encounters within a few pages, with the word “belying”:
“Faint creases marred the corners of his eyes, belying that he was no stranger to laughter.”
and
“No one stood near the book now, belying that they had recorded the video prior to auction.”
This made me want to give the author my impersonation of Mandy Patinkin in “The Princess Bride” and say:
"You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means."
I want to read a book to enjoy it, not to have it keep summoning my inner-snark, so I’m going to let "Unchained" remain unfinished.
September 28, 2021
There are minor spoilers in this review so fair warning.
A friend got me this book and told me to read it on a few conditions. I was not allowed to read the synopsis on the back or any online reviews.
When I asked if he could give me anything about what I was getting myself into he smirked and said, "Shayne Silvers is a man of mystery and power, whose power is exceeded only by his mystery. In other words, a storyteller." Jeeeeezus.
So the usual warning, this review will be long and container spoilers.
The plot is that Callie Penrose is a wizard being trained by her mentor Roland. Roland works for the Vatican killing monsters, acquiring dangerous artifacts, preventing doomsday that sort of thing. We are introduced to this pair as they team up on Callie's first real mission which is locating three pieces to the spear of Longinus before they fall into the hands of evildoers.
One thing I noticed right away is the writing isn't very good. Shayne Silvers has a habit of making Callie's inner monologue repeat/reiterate things to the reader. In it's least offensive form it looks like this: "pg 8 - I wanted to run. To just sit there. To do something. To do nothing. I didn't know what to do."
This type of laundry listing appears regularly in various degrees throughout the book, which destroys the flow and makes it a chore to read. Much worse examples are when the main character will repeat the same thought in multiple chapters and there's even an instance where she repeats the same observation just a few paragraphs apart. This makes it feel like either the author isn't reading his own book as he's writing it, is trying to pad it with all this reiteration, or Callie has a mild form of dementia.
Silvers also enjoys contradicting himself. A prime example occurs on page 49 as Callie describes herself: "My black dress clung to me like oil had been poured down my shoulders. Falling into place as the contours of my body dictated. Not indecent, but leaving little to the imagination." When clothing leaves little to the imagination, that's the definition of indecent. This also brings up another point, which is the author has no idea how to write a female character.
Callie describes herself as a thirty something male private eye would describe a high-class escort, but that's the least of her problems. Silvers seems to think a believable female character is a bipolar nut job. Callie is easily offended, quick to anger, slow to forgive, petulant, jealous, and has random emotional changes from chapter to chapter. She will talk about how experienced and professional she is one minute only to devolve into insecurity and self-loathing the next.
She has PTSD. Not from a vampire attack that occurred when she was a teenager but from, I kid you not, her mother abandoning her as a baby. The trauma of not feeling worthy of her mother's love causes her to freeze in the face of werewolves and vampires because you know that makes sense.
Callie's radical mood swings aren't limited to how she views herself but also in her feelings toward male characters. One minute they appear in her eyes as the most fabulous person ever and then next she's pitying them, despising them, or mocking them. For instance, at the beginning of the book, she has an intense reverence for Roland. Referring to him at one point as her "titan of a mentor." By the end of the book, it's clear Roland's role is as the punchline for jokes spearheaded by Nate Temple or Callie. Another example occurs when she meets a guy named Johnathan at a bar, they go on a single date, and she seems to think the world of him. She then meets him again by chance at a grocery store and becomes furiously jealous seeing him chat up the female cashier and starts acting like a spoiled brat when he approaches her. He's not your boyfriend after one date!
This chapter ends with her getting into the sports car of the incredibly wealthy Nate Temple who mistakes Johnathan for a bagger, acts like a jerk, and dismissively tips him as he takes the groceries. Johnathan would be way more justified in any anger he had towards Callie for how she let Nate treat him than Callie is for her jealousy watching Johnathan have a pleasant conversation with another woman.
As Callie watches Johnathan angrily drive off on his motorcycle she points out to the reader that his motorcycle is a Ducati and that owning a Ducati means that he "has serious money." I have no idea why the author thought this was relevant information unless he wanted the reader to view Callie as a shallow gold digger.
I should point out that I have not read a single Nate Temple book, and then I learned to my horror that Unchained is a crossover. The minute Nate Temple shows up, Callie starts playing the sidekick in her own book. It becomes abundantly clear at this point that Silvers is using Unchained to advertise for his other series.
Nate Temple is by far the most egregious example of a Mary-Sue I've ever come across in a published work. Nate is a handsome, powerful, billionaire playboy wizard who inherited his wealth from his parents. He's an arrogant jerk, but all the women want him, and all the men want to be him. Any time a character shows disdain toward Nate, it's very clear that they are just totes jealous of how awesome he is. You will find all members of "Team Callie" talking about Nate when he's not around as he quickly cements himself as the center of their world and intricate to the book's plot. The author benches Roland by having him decline Nate's offer to heal an injury he suffered early in the book. This way Callie can spend her time with a young, wealthy hunk of a wizard instead of the doddering grandpa. I hope you like contrived romances.
Nate's presence creates friction between Callie and Roland causing her to distrust Roland; a man she's known for ten years while blindly believing in Nate who she just met yesterday. Her friend Claire who was a shy wallflower gains more confidence and starts flirting with men merely from being around the unshakable bravado of the great Nate Temple. Even Callie's adoptive father who hates Nate at the beginning is singing the praises of "Master Temple" by the end. Nate offers on multiple occasions to call in his crew to aid "Team Callie" in the quest for the spear. Callie refuses and puffs out her chest while going on a tirade about this being "her city" and sharing her reasoning that if she doesn't make herself appear as a threat to the supernatural community, every monster in the city will be gunning for her after Nate leaves.
The problem is Nate's people are hilariously overpowered. Meaning the story would be over in two chapters if Callie accepted their help. But spouting off faux feminist slogans rather than getting help from a man makes Callie look like she cares more about her reputation than the safety of the world. This completely removes any tension the reader might have regarding the protagonist's chances of success and makes it plain as day that the good guys are going to win. Boring.
Silvers makes sure his golden boy is the picture of professionalism next to Callie as there are moments I wonder if she can tie her shoes properly. I understand she's supposed to be the noob while Nate is the veteran, but she's been training for ten years. The kinds of blunders she makes should have gotten her killed within the first few chapters. The Nate/Callie combo is a terrible team-up with Callie only being around to make Nate look good, and become infatuated with him. Good team-ups are characters who complement each other in either personality or ability. Deadpool and Wolverine (buffoon and straight man) Batman and Superman (brains and brawn). Each character brings something to the table, and it's exciting and enjoyable watching them interact with each other.
Nate Temple brings everything to the table while Callie only brings her baggage and neurosis. Nate's got more money and connections. He's got more skill than both the protagonist and her mentor. He does the mission recon without her. He protects her friends and family. He provides transportation via shadow-walking. He relishes battle, and tangles with were-creatures while she stands there wetting herself because her mommy never loved her. It's nauseating how much the author is in love with this douchebag wizard.
Silvers spends the end of the book severely backpedaling trying to make up for the damage he's done to Callie's character. So she predictably gains a butt load of confidence (thanks to Nate) and has a PTSD breakthrough from 10 minutes of meditating in her car. She then acquires a massive amount of magical ability, learns about her past and destiny, and single-handedly defeats the "big bad" thanks to Nate conveniently having to leave to take care something in St. Louis. All of which takes place in the last fifty to sixty pages of the book.
Unchained is an urban fantasy novel suffering from below average writing, a badly written unrealistic main character, and Nate Temple. Temple's presence not only steals the spotlight from Callie but makes the book after his introduction feel like I'm reading a Nate Temple fanfiction.
Callie Penrose needs a massive overhaul just to become a decent character and I will not be reading book 2 to find out if that happens.
A friend got me this book and told me to read it on a few conditions. I was not allowed to read the synopsis on the back or any online reviews.
When I asked if he could give me anything about what I was getting myself into he smirked and said, "Shayne Silvers is a man of mystery and power, whose power is exceeded only by his mystery. In other words, a storyteller." Jeeeeezus.
So the usual warning, this review will be long and container spoilers.
The plot is that Callie Penrose is a wizard being trained by her mentor Roland. Roland works for the Vatican killing monsters, acquiring dangerous artifacts, preventing doomsday that sort of thing. We are introduced to this pair as they team up on Callie's first real mission which is locating three pieces to the spear of Longinus before they fall into the hands of evildoers.
One thing I noticed right away is the writing isn't very good. Shayne Silvers has a habit of making Callie's inner monologue repeat/reiterate things to the reader. In it's least offensive form it looks like this: "pg 8 - I wanted to run. To just sit there. To do something. To do nothing. I didn't know what to do."
This type of laundry listing appears regularly in various degrees throughout the book, which destroys the flow and makes it a chore to read. Much worse examples are when the main character will repeat the same thought in multiple chapters and there's even an instance where she repeats the same observation just a few paragraphs apart. This makes it feel like either the author isn't reading his own book as he's writing it, is trying to pad it with all this reiteration, or Callie has a mild form of dementia.
Silvers also enjoys contradicting himself. A prime example occurs on page 49 as Callie describes herself: "My black dress clung to me like oil had been poured down my shoulders. Falling into place as the contours of my body dictated. Not indecent, but leaving little to the imagination." When clothing leaves little to the imagination, that's the definition of indecent. This also brings up another point, which is the author has no idea how to write a female character.
Callie describes herself as a thirty something male private eye would describe a high-class escort, but that's the least of her problems. Silvers seems to think a believable female character is a bipolar nut job. Callie is easily offended, quick to anger, slow to forgive, petulant, jealous, and has random emotional changes from chapter to chapter. She will talk about how experienced and professional she is one minute only to devolve into insecurity and self-loathing the next.
She has PTSD. Not from a vampire attack that occurred when she was a teenager but from, I kid you not, her mother abandoning her as a baby. The trauma of not feeling worthy of her mother's love causes her to freeze in the face of werewolves and vampires because you know that makes sense.
Callie's radical mood swings aren't limited to how she views herself but also in her feelings toward male characters. One minute they appear in her eyes as the most fabulous person ever and then next she's pitying them, despising them, or mocking them. For instance, at the beginning of the book, she has an intense reverence for Roland. Referring to him at one point as her "titan of a mentor." By the end of the book, it's clear Roland's role is as the punchline for jokes spearheaded by Nate Temple or Callie. Another example occurs when she meets a guy named Johnathan at a bar, they go on a single date, and she seems to think the world of him. She then meets him again by chance at a grocery store and becomes furiously jealous seeing him chat up the female cashier and starts acting like a spoiled brat when he approaches her. He's not your boyfriend after one date!
This chapter ends with her getting into the sports car of the incredibly wealthy Nate Temple who mistakes Johnathan for a bagger, acts like a jerk, and dismissively tips him as he takes the groceries. Johnathan would be way more justified in any anger he had towards Callie for how she let Nate treat him than Callie is for her jealousy watching Johnathan have a pleasant conversation with another woman.
As Callie watches Johnathan angrily drive off on his motorcycle she points out to the reader that his motorcycle is a Ducati and that owning a Ducati means that he "has serious money." I have no idea why the author thought this was relevant information unless he wanted the reader to view Callie as a shallow gold digger.
I should point out that I have not read a single Nate Temple book, and then I learned to my horror that Unchained is a crossover. The minute Nate Temple shows up, Callie starts playing the sidekick in her own book. It becomes abundantly clear at this point that Silvers is using Unchained to advertise for his other series.
Nate Temple is by far the most egregious example of a Mary-Sue I've ever come across in a published work. Nate is a handsome, powerful, billionaire playboy wizard who inherited his wealth from his parents. He's an arrogant jerk, but all the women want him, and all the men want to be him. Any time a character shows disdain toward Nate, it's very clear that they are just totes jealous of how awesome he is. You will find all members of "Team Callie" talking about Nate when he's not around as he quickly cements himself as the center of their world and intricate to the book's plot. The author benches Roland by having him decline Nate's offer to heal an injury he suffered early in the book. This way Callie can spend her time with a young, wealthy hunk of a wizard instead of the doddering grandpa. I hope you like contrived romances.
Nate's presence creates friction between Callie and Roland causing her to distrust Roland; a man she's known for ten years while blindly believing in Nate who she just met yesterday. Her friend Claire who was a shy wallflower gains more confidence and starts flirting with men merely from being around the unshakable bravado of the great Nate Temple. Even Callie's adoptive father who hates Nate at the beginning is singing the praises of "Master Temple" by the end. Nate offers on multiple occasions to call in his crew to aid "Team Callie" in the quest for the spear. Callie refuses and puffs out her chest while going on a tirade about this being "her city" and sharing her reasoning that if she doesn't make herself appear as a threat to the supernatural community, every monster in the city will be gunning for her after Nate leaves.
The problem is Nate's people are hilariously overpowered. Meaning the story would be over in two chapters if Callie accepted their help. But spouting off faux feminist slogans rather than getting help from a man makes Callie look like she cares more about her reputation than the safety of the world. This completely removes any tension the reader might have regarding the protagonist's chances of success and makes it plain as day that the good guys are going to win. Boring.
Silvers makes sure his golden boy is the picture of professionalism next to Callie as there are moments I wonder if she can tie her shoes properly. I understand she's supposed to be the noob while Nate is the veteran, but she's been training for ten years. The kinds of blunders she makes should have gotten her killed within the first few chapters. The Nate/Callie combo is a terrible team-up with Callie only being around to make Nate look good, and become infatuated with him. Good team-ups are characters who complement each other in either personality or ability. Deadpool and Wolverine (buffoon and straight man) Batman and Superman (brains and brawn). Each character brings something to the table, and it's exciting and enjoyable watching them interact with each other.
Nate Temple brings everything to the table while Callie only brings her baggage and neurosis. Nate's got more money and connections. He's got more skill than both the protagonist and her mentor. He does the mission recon without her. He protects her friends and family. He provides transportation via shadow-walking. He relishes battle, and tangles with were-creatures while she stands there wetting herself because her mommy never loved her. It's nauseating how much the author is in love with this douchebag wizard.
Silvers spends the end of the book severely backpedaling trying to make up for the damage he's done to Callie's character. So she predictably gains a butt load of confidence (thanks to Nate) and has a PTSD breakthrough from 10 minutes of meditating in her car. She then acquires a massive amount of magical ability, learns about her past and destiny, and single-handedly defeats the "big bad" thanks to Nate conveniently having to leave to take care something in St. Louis. All of which takes place in the last fifty to sixty pages of the book.
Unchained is an urban fantasy novel suffering from below average writing, a badly written unrealistic main character, and Nate Temple. Temple's presence not only steals the spotlight from Callie but makes the book after his introduction feel like I'm reading a Nate Temple fanfiction.
Callie Penrose needs a massive overhaul just to become a decent character and I will not be reading book 2 to find out if that happens.
July 14, 2018
Swinging in chains
KU
A great new find to add to my series to follow list. A tough female protagonist with some good side kicks. There were, unfortunately, a couple of plot scenarios that the reader can see coming, but it is a rare occurance with any novel where there is a true twist so I can't say that this is a surprise.
I'm desperately waiting for book 2 and keeping an eye open for any fresh work from this author.
KU
A great new find to add to my series to follow list. A tough female protagonist with some good side kicks. There were, unfortunately, a couple of plot scenarios that the reader can see coming, but it is a rare occurance with any novel where there is a true twist so I can't say that this is a surprise.
I'm desperately waiting for book 2 and keeping an eye open for any fresh work from this author.
August 23, 2017
Unchained Review
If you want an urban-fantasy that has a lot of action and excitement then Unchained is a great book for you to read. Unchained is about Callie and her friend, Claire. They work together to stop the end of the world as we know it. Callie is a fierce wizard with white hair. Callie uses mainly magical rods, but also uses fireballs and staves. When contrasting Callie and Nate Temple, the main character of the authors previous series, you could say that Callie is more self reliant, serious and understanding. Compared to WonderWoman and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you could say that Callie is a strong female lead that is just as willing to save a life as they are. Callie, however, is less likely to kill someone or thing, than Buffy or WonderWoman.
Claire, Callie's friend, is a Regular. She has a background in medical training and has saved many life's, including Callie's. She wouldn't kill anyone unless forced to and is very caring. Claire and Callie has been friends for as long as they can remember. Claire knows all of Callie's secrets and has been through a lot with her.
If you compared this book to the first Nate Temple book, this book is more well rounded. This book has a nicer flow than the Nate Temple book. Overall I'd say this is a really great book. When the book slows down it still is interesting and detailed enough to keep the reader's attention until there's more action, which I personally like. This book is one of my favorites and it was a lot of fun for me to read.
This book was also really inspirational, because it has a strong female lead. Part of the reason I compare Callie to WonderWoman and Buffy is because they are also strong female leads and people look up to them. Callie is another hero for people to look up to. She could be the next hero they make a movie about. She is at least a hero in my eyes because she saves people and the world.
Buffy, WonderWoman and Callie also all pass the Bechdel test, a test to see if the movie or book has two women who talk to each other about something other than guys. This test is important to me because it symbolizes the fact that women are important as well and deserve to be treated that way.
- Kate Williams
If you want an urban-fantasy that has a lot of action and excitement then Unchained is a great book for you to read. Unchained is about Callie and her friend, Claire. They work together to stop the end of the world as we know it. Callie is a fierce wizard with white hair. Callie uses mainly magical rods, but also uses fireballs and staves. When contrasting Callie and Nate Temple, the main character of the authors previous series, you could say that Callie is more self reliant, serious and understanding. Compared to WonderWoman and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you could say that Callie is a strong female lead that is just as willing to save a life as they are. Callie, however, is less likely to kill someone or thing, than Buffy or WonderWoman.
Claire, Callie's friend, is a Regular. She has a background in medical training and has saved many life's, including Callie's. She wouldn't kill anyone unless forced to and is very caring. Claire and Callie has been friends for as long as they can remember. Claire knows all of Callie's secrets and has been through a lot with her.
If you compared this book to the first Nate Temple book, this book is more well rounded. This book has a nicer flow than the Nate Temple book. Overall I'd say this is a really great book. When the book slows down it still is interesting and detailed enough to keep the reader's attention until there's more action, which I personally like. This book is one of my favorites and it was a lot of fun for me to read.
This book was also really inspirational, because it has a strong female lead. Part of the reason I compare Callie to WonderWoman and Buffy is because they are also strong female leads and people look up to them. Callie is another hero for people to look up to. She could be the next hero they make a movie about. She is at least a hero in my eyes because she saves people and the world.
Buffy, WonderWoman and Callie also all pass the Bechdel test, a test to see if the movie or book has two women who talk to each other about something other than guys. This test is important to me because it symbolizes the fact that women are important as well and deserve to be treated that way.
- Kate Williams
July 30, 2017
Couldn't finish it
The premise is good: wounded little girl rescued from a vicious attack, but no details. Who attacked her, why when, etc. So now she's caught in extreme PTSD to the point of being helpless under stress. Again, no details: was she treated? Anyway, as far as I read it; it was like that. Constantly, irritatingly vague. Silvers seemed more interested in pacing than in creating a good story.
The premise is good: wounded little girl rescued from a vicious attack, but no details. Who attacked her, why when, etc. So now she's caught in extreme PTSD to the point of being helpless under stress. Again, no details: was she treated? Anyway, as far as I read it; it was like that. Constantly, irritatingly vague. Silvers seemed more interested in pacing than in creating a good story.
December 2, 2019
Here we have a very mediocre Urban Fantasy that unfortunately makes use of many of the UF tropes that make me not overly fond of much of the genre. Balancing this, however, are a few unique elements brought into play in this book.
Nicole Poole provides us with some impressive audio narration. Her voices are varied, distinct, and well crafted. Her male voices are almost as good as the female ones are. Her vocal inflections are top notch, and her tempo shifts throughout are virtually perfect.
From the start we're introduced to Callie, a young-ish girl with a talent for magic and a deep seated subconscious block that makes her freeze up in almost any dangerous situation.
Now, I'm going to side-step the obvious problem here and address something that seems to be a rampant problem in Urban Fantasy:
The tendency to include as many supernatural creatures as possible.
Vampires, werewolves, werebears, demons, angels, nephilim... it all just comes across as a little over the top.
Now, the flow of the plot is pretty solid, though sadly predictable.
One thing I did particularly enjoy is the way bits of real history were tied into the plot and then extrapolated on. Particularly the Spear of Destiny.
All in all, the ending comes together quite well. Predictability aside, there are some interesting facets to the way the threads tie together.
Unfortunately, there is a major problem.
The following is one of my extremely rare spoiler warnings.
*****
*****
This could be considered a major spoiler
*****
*****
If you don't want to know, don't read on
*****
*****
Okay, still here?
*****
*****
You were warned.
*****
*****
Okay, so remember that subconscious problem of Callie's? Well, we all knew from minute one that this was going to be her character arc. She would end up overcoming it near the end.
No problem.
Unfortunately, there's not nearly enough explanation for her overcoming it. This is presented as a completely subconscious problem that is beyond her ability to control, yet at the end she just "decides" not to let it affect her anymore and POOF it's gone.
I can't even express the level of UGH I felt when I read that part.
Nicole Poole provides us with some impressive audio narration. Her voices are varied, distinct, and well crafted. Her male voices are almost as good as the female ones are. Her vocal inflections are top notch, and her tempo shifts throughout are virtually perfect.
From the start we're introduced to Callie, a young-ish girl with a talent for magic and a deep seated subconscious block that makes her freeze up in almost any dangerous situation.
Now, I'm going to side-step the obvious problem here and address something that seems to be a rampant problem in Urban Fantasy:
The tendency to include as many supernatural creatures as possible.
Vampires, werewolves, werebears, demons, angels, nephilim... it all just comes across as a little over the top.
Now, the flow of the plot is pretty solid, though sadly predictable.
One thing I did particularly enjoy is the way bits of real history were tied into the plot and then extrapolated on. Particularly the Spear of Destiny.
All in all, the ending comes together quite well. Predictability aside, there are some interesting facets to the way the threads tie together.
Unfortunately, there is a major problem.
The following is one of my extremely rare spoiler warnings.
*****
*****
This could be considered a major spoiler
*****
*****
If you don't want to know, don't read on
*****
*****
Okay, still here?
*****
*****
You were warned.
*****
*****
Okay, so remember that subconscious problem of Callie's? Well, we all knew from minute one that this was going to be her character arc. She would end up overcoming it near the end.
No problem.
Unfortunately, there's not nearly enough explanation for her overcoming it. This is presented as a completely subconscious problem that is beyond her ability to control, yet at the end she just "decides" not to let it affect her anymore and POOF it's gone.
I can't even express the level of UGH I felt when I read that part.
July 31, 2017
I really wanted to enjoy this. The author has a huge following, so I was sure I was in for a really good read, but I couldn't get past the first few chapters. I can forgive a few typos in the first few pages. They happen. But when the character has three paragraphs, one after another, all with "I realized..." in them, and then we get the "my mentor" repetitions, "he's my mentor" "oh by the way, did I mention he's my mentor" plus the clunky sentences. It's so frustrating because an editor will pick up these silly errors. And I so WANTED TO LOVE IT. But couldn't get past the first few chapters.
August 4, 2017
Great story! Character development for Callie was good, and she was really relatable. She likes to take charge and not rely on anyone, but I think it would've been nice if she were more accepting of Nate's help. There were some cute NatexCallie moments though!
Also it was kind of obvious what Jonathon was, and I think the ending was too rushed. There was a lot of new info at once and it was hard to digest. I'm sure it goes into more detail in the next book though! Overall a great start to a new series.
Summary:
Strong heroine
Action-filled
Good character development
Budding relationship
Also it was kind of obvious what Jonathon was, and I think the ending was too rushed. There was a lot of new info at once and it was hard to digest. I'm sure it goes into more detail in the next book though! Overall a great start to a new series.
Summary:
Strong heroine
Action-filled
Good character development
Budding relationship
May 8, 2018
Made it to Chapter 23 before I finally gave in and put it down. I could go no further. The writing was just too sophomoric and I believe the author was trying to create suspense but in reality just created annoyance. Almost half way through a book and I'm still not sure what's its about... Not for me.
September 18, 2019
What this is not-
Bodice ripping, insecure madden tale. No romance. No partnerbuilding.
What this could be-
Adventure heroine with ass kicking abilities just trying to do the best she can in a shit world (potential).
The friendships are what really make this story special. There are good examples of father/daughter relationships, male/female friendships, and soul sisters. For the ships and the great fight scenes, I give this a 4 star rating. It was an enjoyable read.
As always.... Good reading my friends!
Bodice ripping, insecure madden tale. No romance. No partnerbuilding.
What this could be-
Adventure heroine with ass kicking abilities just trying to do the best she can in a shit world (potential).
The friendships are what really make this story special. There are good examples of father/daughter relationships, male/female friendships, and soul sisters. For the ships and the great fight scenes, I give this a 4 star rating. It was an enjoyable read.
As always.... Good reading my friends!
November 27, 2024
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading
; skaitom nakties rezimu
My Opinion: had that Supernatural tv series vibe to it, felt almost nostalgic. A strange type of fantasy, with many usual elements, but then many more that just felt very odd. Simple characters, nothing major right now, just warming all their feet up in the first book, hopefully will establish themselves later. The plot was good, nicely twisted on the surface level, with a little bit of intrigue underneath, as Callie chases this artifact, and someone chases her, and then another someone chases both, and then a group of others chases either, and so on. Entertaining, worth a read, nice take on the supernaturals.
A 4 out of 5, looking forwards to the next one.
My Opinion: had that Supernatural tv series vibe to it, felt almost nostalgic. A strange type of fantasy, with many usual elements, but then many more that just felt very odd. Simple characters, nothing major right now, just warming all their feet up in the first book, hopefully will establish themselves later. The plot was good, nicely twisted on the surface level, with a little bit of intrigue underneath, as Callie chases this artifact, and someone chases her, and then another someone chases both, and then a group of others chases either, and so on. Entertaining, worth a read, nice take on the supernaturals.
A 4 out of 5, looking forwards to the next one.
February 14, 2018
I first read (The Nate Temple series books 1-6 ) before i started this book and absolutely loved that series although it not necessary they do cross paths in this series.
This arthur has what it take to keep the reader reading so many other worldly creatures you name it this arthur brings them all to life in both series, i really enjoyed Callie and her story strong willed sassy but not overconfident gets as many knock as wins this book was none stop page turner of action i found myself laughing out loud many a time also :-)
This arthur has what it take to keep the reader reading so many other worldly creatures you name it this arthur brings them all to life in both series, i really enjoyed Callie and her story strong willed sassy but not overconfident gets as many knock as wins this book was none stop page turner of action i found myself laughing out loud many a time also :-)
September 6, 2019
3.7 stars. I enjoyed this book, but would have like a little more background. My guess is it will come with other books in the series. I also see Nate Temple has his own series, so maybe I should have read a couple of them first to get the background on the angels vs demon theme. This isn't a normal genre for me to read, but I will pick up book two to see how the story continues.
July 11, 2017
Callie Penrose is a girl wizard. Her mentor, Roland, works for the Vatican as a Shepherd. He and Callie are trying to retrieve a magical artifact for the Church when something goes wrong, and Roland is seriously injured. This leaves Callie to take care of the business on her own. Only she is convinced she isn’t ready.
They have information that a piece of the artifact they want will be up for bid at an auction open only to the very wealthy. Roland sends Callie, and she invites her best friend, Claire, who has no magical powers. At the auction, they run into another wizard – Nate Temple.
At the end of the bidding, the auction venue suddenly breaks out in chaos as monsters attack right and left. Nate runs off to take care of some bear shifters, werewolves, and vampires, but only after noticing that Callie has pulled out some magical weapons. In all the confusion, a demon walks off with the magical artifact they have come to claim.
I think I do like Callie better than Nate on the whole. Callie has an understandable backstory, though even she doesn’t really know all of it. Where Nate is too cocky for his own good, Callie is too unsure of herself – more so than she probably needs to be, because she is actually awesome.
Anyway, Callie and Nate are forced to work together, learning from each other as they go. They have to fight through a lot of chaos, a lot of pain and a stunning betrayal to finally resolve the situation.
They have information that a piece of the artifact they want will be up for bid at an auction open only to the very wealthy. Roland sends Callie, and she invites her best friend, Claire, who has no magical powers. At the auction, they run into another wizard – Nate Temple.
At the end of the bidding, the auction venue suddenly breaks out in chaos as monsters attack right and left. Nate runs off to take care of some bear shifters, werewolves, and vampires, but only after noticing that Callie has pulled out some magical weapons. In all the confusion, a demon walks off with the magical artifact they have come to claim.
I think I do like Callie better than Nate on the whole. Callie has an understandable backstory, though even she doesn’t really know all of it. Where Nate is too cocky for his own good, Callie is too unsure of herself – more so than she probably needs to be, because she is actually awesome.
Anyway, Callie and Nate are forced to work together, learning from each other as they go. They have to fight through a lot of chaos, a lot of pain and a stunning betrayal to finally resolve the situation.
July 8, 2018
Yea so the book description actually gives you more backstory than this whole book did. Was very confusing and frustrating getting thrown into a story that seems to already be taking place.
November 10, 2019
I enjoyed this book more than I expected too after reading some of the reviews both here and on Audible. There were a few annoying parts (repetitive words/odd grammar), and I do agree with the lack of details about the heroin that some people complained about… Nevertheless, I found it to be a good story. It was also interesting seeing more of Nate Temple (he’s only appeared briefly in the Phantom Queen Diaries). On a sidenote, both series make me want to read Nate’s books, but I don’t think I would be able to stand him on his own (going off of the reviews, and what I’ve read thus far.) but I am interested in continuing Callie’s story, and learning more about her powers.
January 9, 2020
2.5 to 3 stars, pretty standard book of this type. I did like some aspect but found others just average. I think I may continue with this series as it does show potential.
October 13, 2019
Woot!
I adore finding an author I have never read with an extensive backlist! I saw this book in my recommendations, took a bite and found a new writer to fill my queue. The writing is smooth and the characters intriguing, and even though this novel features faces seen in other book’s, this one can be read without previous experience (like me!) I’m going back now to see Nate’s beginnings, of I can hold off on Callie’s story, that is.
Pros:
- Smoothly written.
- UF perfection.
- The meta plot is obviously large.
- Honestly, I’m not exactly sure who to trust here.
- I knew that guy was up to no good.
Cons:
- Callie is fascinating, but after 10 years of training, she seems a little.... too scared?
I adore finding an author I have never read with an extensive backlist! I saw this book in my recommendations, took a bite and found a new writer to fill my queue. The writing is smooth and the characters intriguing, and even though this novel features faces seen in other book’s, this one can be read without previous experience (like me!) I’m going back now to see Nate’s beginnings, of I can hold off on Callie’s story, that is.
Pros:
- Smoothly written.
- UF perfection.
- The meta plot is obviously large.
- Honestly, I’m not exactly sure who to trust here.
- I knew that guy was up to no good.
Cons:
- Callie is fascinating, but after 10 years of training, she seems a little.... too scared?
August 30, 2022
I really tried hard with this. When I found I couldn't get into the story I figured maybe I was I the wrong headspace and would come back to. I came back to it 4 times, each time with lower expectations and an expectation I'd walk away angry.
I can't do it anymore, I'm throwing in the towel at 67%. There is such a sexist undercurrent to the whole tale I find myself angry at the author, the whole world and myself for having tried to look past that rubbish one more time.
It's a hard pass from me.
I can't do it anymore, I'm throwing in the towel at 67%. There is such a sexist undercurrent to the whole tale I find myself angry at the author, the whole world and myself for having tried to look past that rubbish one more time.
It's a hard pass from me.
July 14, 2018
Loved the book. It was full of action and some romantic prospect, although not at all in the center of the plot. I like where the story line is heading.
There were of course some things that annoyed me but I got past them.
I love how the heroine is growing with each chapter and how she interacts with her friends.
I will definitely continue with this series.
There were of course some things that annoyed me but I got past them.
I love how the heroine is growing with each chapter and how she interacts with her friends.
I will definitely continue with this series.
January 29, 2020
3 and a half stars
I enjoyed the book and the strong female lead. My only complaint is I still have questions on some aspects that were not explained. So maybe this just means I need to read book two? The narrator is great and embodies the character in her voice well.
I enjoyed the book and the strong female lead. My only complaint is I still have questions on some aspects that were not explained. So maybe this just means I need to read book two? The narrator is great and embodies the character in her voice well.
June 4, 2018
Just can not get into this one, the writing seems a bit repetitive and explanations are very vague.
December 28, 2020
2 Star... This may be something I return to in the future, but for right now I am setting it aside.
October 7, 2019
Unchained - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Well it might be set in Kansas City, but there ain't no Dorothy in Shayne Silvers' Unchained, that's for sure! Instead, with a lot of 'help' from Nate Temple (and strong links to the Templeverse), we have a new hero(ine), Callie Penrose - a female wizard, (shouldn't that be witch?) - whose mentor Roland is teaching her to become a Vatican assassin-cum-'fixer'. That should be an oxymoron, or at least a non-sequitur, as surely Catholics, whose leader the Pope rules Vatican City and, supposedly, adheres to the Christian values of peace and love as God's Vicar on Earth? Clearly not! As with The Wizard of Oz, you'll have to suspend disbelief and pinch yourself every now and then, to remind you that this is a fantasy adventure so there is no truth in the implication herein, that Il Papa really is a 'Godfather' in the literal sense. Enough said!
The main premise of Shayne Silvers' Book 1, in the Feathers & Fire series, Unchained, (which really tells you nothing by its title) sees Callie sent on her first mission, to recover the pieces (I didn't know it got broken), of the spear owned by the Roman centurion Longinius, (that supposedly pierced the side of Our Lord as he hung on the Cross). This fairly repetitive and poorly edited tale doesn't flow very smoothly since Callie herself is portrayed as almost imbecilistic, possibly even bipolar (and therefore deficient in what makes her a potential assassin and activist for the Church), as a laughable 'heroine', who's unworthy as a sidekick of the glorious Nate Temple. He similarly comes across as an arrogant, almost misogynistic, entitled egomaniac, (which doesn't do him any favors in my book) as in his own series he's much more likable - if foul-mouthed - and someone whom you could root for against the 'bad guys'.
Hopefully this spin-off series will feature more of Callie and develop her as a stand-alone character in any future volumes, rather than someone who's barely tolerated in the male-dominated Templeverse, when she appears in the Lazarus Codex novels and any others by Shayne Silvers.
Why not try Unchained and decide for yourself?
Well it might be set in Kansas City, but there ain't no Dorothy in Shayne Silvers' Unchained, that's for sure! Instead, with a lot of 'help' from Nate Temple (and strong links to the Templeverse), we have a new hero(ine), Callie Penrose - a female wizard, (shouldn't that be witch?) - whose mentor Roland is teaching her to become a Vatican assassin-cum-'fixer'. That should be an oxymoron, or at least a non-sequitur, as surely Catholics, whose leader the Pope rules Vatican City and, supposedly, adheres to the Christian values of peace and love as God's Vicar on Earth? Clearly not! As with The Wizard of Oz, you'll have to suspend disbelief and pinch yourself every now and then, to remind you that this is a fantasy adventure so there is no truth in the implication herein, that Il Papa really is a 'Godfather' in the literal sense. Enough said!
The main premise of Shayne Silvers' Book 1, in the Feathers & Fire series, Unchained, (which really tells you nothing by its title) sees Callie sent on her first mission, to recover the pieces (I didn't know it got broken), of the spear owned by the Roman centurion Longinius, (that supposedly pierced the side of Our Lord as he hung on the Cross). This fairly repetitive and poorly edited tale doesn't flow very smoothly since Callie herself is portrayed as almost imbecilistic, possibly even bipolar (and therefore deficient in what makes her a potential assassin and activist for the Church), as a laughable 'heroine', who's unworthy as a sidekick of the glorious Nate Temple. He similarly comes across as an arrogant, almost misogynistic, entitled egomaniac, (which doesn't do him any favors in my book) as in his own series he's much more likable - if foul-mouthed - and someone whom you could root for against the 'bad guys'.
Hopefully this spin-off series will feature more of Callie and develop her as a stand-alone character in any future volumes, rather than someone who's barely tolerated in the male-dominated Templeverse, when she appears in the Lazarus Codex novels and any others by Shayne Silvers.
Why not try Unchained and decide for yourself?
September 23, 2017
OK. Really 2 1/2 stars. Perhaps if I'd started with the origin series and not the spin-off, my experience would've been better. Maybe.
I've been looking for new authors in UFF and SF, and was fed this book via the usual Amazon teaser ads. The carefully crafted blurbs got me interested (yes, I'm a sucker for many of these stories), and having grown up in the town the setting takes place was a big hook. So I bit. About 1/3 of the way through the book I realized two things: One, there's zero depth about the city this takes place, at least nothing you couldn't piece together from a 2 minute scan of the wiki page. Two, I couldn't stand the main characters. It's not a good sign when I start speed scanning page after page to find plot points, avoiding the one-dimensional juvenile emotional interactions that go on and on. The two main characters never seem to self-realize 'ok, time to stop acting like an insufferable douches and grow up just a tiny bit.' Life's too short spend hours reading that stuff.... just saying.
So did I like anything? Yeah. The magic stuff is cool, and the action scenes are well done. It shows that the author really loves writing those parts. Many side characters add to the story in meaningful ways and provide balance to the main characters. The key antagonist could have been better developed, yet did well enough for the story.
Maybe all of this was fleshed out better in the Nate Temple series, and if I'd started there, things would have made a lot more sense. But I can't see myself continuing with the Feathers and Fire series, or going back to read Nate Temple if those books follow the pattern of this book.
I've been looking for new authors in UFF and SF, and was fed this book via the usual Amazon teaser ads. The carefully crafted blurbs got me interested (yes, I'm a sucker for many of these stories), and having grown up in the town the setting takes place was a big hook. So I bit. About 1/3 of the way through the book I realized two things: One, there's zero depth about the city this takes place, at least nothing you couldn't piece together from a 2 minute scan of the wiki page. Two, I couldn't stand the main characters. It's not a good sign when I start speed scanning page after page to find plot points, avoiding the one-dimensional juvenile emotional interactions that go on and on. The two main characters never seem to self-realize 'ok, time to stop acting like an insufferable douches and grow up just a tiny bit.' Life's too short spend hours reading that stuff.... just saying.
So did I like anything? Yeah. The magic stuff is cool, and the action scenes are well done. It shows that the author really loves writing those parts. Many side characters add to the story in meaningful ways and provide balance to the main characters. The key antagonist could have been better developed, yet did well enough for the story.
Maybe all of this was fleshed out better in the Nate Temple series, and if I'd started there, things would have made a lot more sense. But I can't see myself continuing with the Feathers and Fire series, or going back to read Nate Temple if those books follow the pattern of this book.
March 16, 2019
This is where we meet another new character in the Temple-Verse, but we're getting to meet her through her own tales to tell. It's a different perspective, a guy writing a woman as his MC. And usually they don't get it quite right. But Shayne did pretty good!
Callie Penrose is a young wizard being taught her craft by a servant of the Vatican, a wizard who serves God. But this isn't her calling. She's just not feeling the whole religion thing. Doesn't mean she didn't have a lot to learn from her mentor, Roland.
And learn she will. I don't do spoilers, so suffice it to say this new series is definitely worth the read. Somehow I missed writing this review when I first read it, and for that I apologize. We're well into the series now, but if you're just starting, definitely start here, at the beginning of Callie's story.
The only drawback I see in the book is Nate tends to overshadow Callie, which is unfortunate since this is her story. But I imagine that's a hazard of writing a crossover series.
Needless to say, Well Done Mr Silvers, as always! Looking forward to watching Callie blossom as a character on her own as well as an erstwhile member of the Temple-Verse crew.
Callie Penrose is a young wizard being taught her craft by a servant of the Vatican, a wizard who serves God. But this isn't her calling. She's just not feeling the whole religion thing. Doesn't mean she didn't have a lot to learn from her mentor, Roland.
And learn she will. I don't do spoilers, so suffice it to say this new series is definitely worth the read. Somehow I missed writing this review when I first read it, and for that I apologize. We're well into the series now, but if you're just starting, definitely start here, at the beginning of Callie's story.
The only drawback I see in the book is Nate tends to overshadow Callie, which is unfortunate since this is her story. But I imagine that's a hazard of writing a crossover series.
Needless to say, Well Done Mr Silvers, as always! Looking forward to watching Callie blossom as a character on her own as well as an erstwhile member of the Temple-Verse crew.
November 6, 2019
73% of the reviews for this book is 5 Stars. I’m not there…..yet. But it’s a hell of a start. Since this is the introductory book for this character and even though this is still within the fantastic Nate Temple world and he’s even featured in this book to help spin-off this series, we still have to learn about Callie and her city of Kansas City, and the supporting cast.
In this book we don’t really get full answers as to what Callie is or what she’s capable of, it looks like we will learn along with her. There is plenty of action and violence, humor and plenty of Nate, and the first time I’ve read about Nate with him being as the second narrative as this is in Callie’s narrative. I’m still on the fence on that one.
This book starts this series with a bang, I think that Callie will become one of those characters that I love now that the “getting to know her” part is done. I will also see if Callie can hold her own without Nate, time will tell, but I’m along for the ride.
In this book we don’t really get full answers as to what Callie is or what she’s capable of, it looks like we will learn along with her. There is plenty of action and violence, humor and plenty of Nate, and the first time I’ve read about Nate with him being as the second narrative as this is in Callie’s narrative. I’m still on the fence on that one.
This book starts this series with a bang, I think that Callie will become one of those characters that I love now that the “getting to know her” part is done. I will also see if Callie can hold her own without Nate, time will tell, but I’m along for the ride.
May 27, 2019
A fresh take on freaks and regulars
As a TempleVerse addict, I find Shayne Silver’s diversionary tale about Callie Penrose to be a fresh take on Freaks and Regulars. Unchained: Feathers and Fire #1, introduces us to yet another wizard with complicated and yet to be discovered heritage. Like Nate Temple, Callie spends most of her time discovering aspects of her powers from hints, nightmares and cryptic comments from her mentor Roland. With the deck stacked against her, we watch as Callie is thrown into increasingly dangerous missions to recover an artifact that seems to garner everyone’s negative attention.
Of course, I’ve started book two. There was never any doubt in my mind that this splinter in the TempleVerse would be just as informative and entertaining as the Natecenric tales.
As a TempleVerse addict, I find Shayne Silver’s diversionary tale about Callie Penrose to be a fresh take on Freaks and Regulars. Unchained: Feathers and Fire #1, introduces us to yet another wizard with complicated and yet to be discovered heritage. Like Nate Temple, Callie spends most of her time discovering aspects of her powers from hints, nightmares and cryptic comments from her mentor Roland. With the deck stacked against her, we watch as Callie is thrown into increasingly dangerous missions to recover an artifact that seems to garner everyone’s negative attention.
Of course, I’ve started book two. There was never any doubt in my mind that this splinter in the TempleVerse would be just as informative and entertaining as the Natecenric tales.
January 11, 2020
Yuck
I'll be honest, I couldn't finish this. After all the great reviews, I had high hopes and expected decent writing and strong female lead. I'm not exactly sure what Silvers was trying to accomplish, but female characters are not his forte unless you're looking for inexplicable irrationality, weakness, and jealously. The plot was drab and predictable. The writing horrendous and repetitive.... We're taking the same point, explained multiple times, on the same page over and over again. I made it halfway through.
I'll be honest, I couldn't finish this. After all the great reviews, I had high hopes and expected decent writing and strong female lead. I'm not exactly sure what Silvers was trying to accomplish, but female characters are not his forte unless you're looking for inexplicable irrationality, weakness, and jealously. The plot was drab and predictable. The writing horrendous and repetitive.... We're taking the same point, explained multiple times, on the same page over and over again. I made it halfway through.
January 24, 2019
Despite her magic, Callie is an ordinary girl. She struggles with finding a purpose to her life, and with who she really is. Having magic, and being trained to use it by a Catholic priest who is disappointed by her lack of Faith, lead Callie to an auction for the Spear that pierced the side of Jesus and a massive fight by factions of the 'Freak' community. And not all are natives to Kansas City. Or even Earth. 3 minutes seems to long to wait for the sequel. 3 months is torture.
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