Clare had an ideal life. She lived in the perfect little town, had a great family and four of the best friends in the world. She also had nightmares, nightmares that plagued her for almost a decade. But these are not ordinary nightmares; they are premonitions, warnings of what is to come and what she will become.
She discovers that she isn’t alone in these vile dreams; her friends are having them too. They are dreaming of their ancestors and their own future... The discovery of their destiny and the future they must embrace is shocking and terrifying.
"The Four" series summary: They do exist and they always have. They live, love, and work amongst us and they are part of us. But they are different too, they are stronger and they live longer. They are the topic of many books, movies and myths, but their existence remains a secret, not everyone would accept them. And like us, they have those that are simply evil. Keeping these evil ones under control is the price they must pay to continue the lives they love. They must protect their human brethren from the Dark Ones, those that would rather kill than preserve.
Century after century the good battled the Dark Ones, always prevailing and preserving the lives of their beloved humans. In the 17th century, two powerful Dark leaders emerged, they organized their forces and a bitter war ensued. It was a fight to the death and the good thought they’d won. Four warriors led the battle, four warriors whose strength was beyond anything they knew, four warriors whose legacy had to be protected…
The good formed a consortium and with the help of a powerful sorcerer, a spell was cast; a spell that would follow the warriors’ lineage in case their power was needed again. The warriors are long dead, but their heirs are not, and now they must fight. The Dark Ones have re-emerged, they are more powerful, more resourceful and they want to control mankind and the world.
She discovers that she isn’t alone in these vile dreams; her friends are having them too. They are dreaming of their ancestors and their own future... The discovery of their destiny and the future they must embrace is shocking and terrifying.
"The Four" series summary: They do exist and they always have. They live, love, and work amongst us and they are part of us. But they are different too, they are stronger and they live longer. They are the topic of many books, movies and myths, but their existence remains a secret, not everyone would accept them. And like us, they have those that are simply evil. Keeping these evil ones under control is the price they must pay to continue the lives they love. They must protect their human brethren from the Dark Ones, those that would rather kill than preserve.
Century after century the good battled the Dark Ones, always prevailing and preserving the lives of their beloved humans. In the 17th century, two powerful Dark leaders emerged, they organized their forces and a bitter war ensued. It was a fight to the death and the good thought they’d won. Four warriors led the battle, four warriors whose strength was beyond anything they knew, four warriors whose legacy had to be protected…
The good formed a consortium and with the help of a powerful sorcerer, a spell was cast; a spell that would follow the warriors’ lineage in case their power was needed again. The warriors are long dead, but their heirs are not, and now they must fight. The Dark Ones have re-emerged, they are more powerful, more resourceful and they want to control mankind and the world.
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Find Margaret Millmore on: Her Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: World Castle Publishing
Find Margaret Millmore on: Her Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: World Castle Publishing
Four friends grow up together having the same dreams. With the help of a close, mutual friend, they set to find out what it means—only to learn about their destinies they have absolute no control over. They will change into paranormal beings whether they want to or not, and each of their roles are paramount to the races.
While it's not a new concept, I did find the story and ancestry aspects intriguing. The Peruvian, English, and Irish heritages of the characters certainly added flavor. The symbols and their origins, though not unique, were also interesting with the family history timelines.
But the beginning of the book, with its fast-pace timeline going over 13 years in a span of eight chapters (sometimes with no more than a paragraph) read more like a detailed outline in prose. The recounting of the characters' childhoods, their relationships, and the dreams came off as telling rather than showing—not evoking (or even invoking) but mundane, like the lives they're supposedly living.
I also didn't connect with or know the characters at all. I couldn't say if one was more caring than the other or who was more apt to do this or that. I found them one-dimensional—if that—except maybe for Kate, the only friend in the group who doesn't have the dreams, and she barely toes the deep end.
When Charlie, the stalker and man with the answers, steps into the picture, the plot picks up a tad, gaining speed during a trip to England with Sam, the oldest boy in the group. Yet, again, I felt most of it was telling—a "he said, she said" (more like he just keeps saying) with very little interaction and personality reveals. The book was also extremely short for my tastes—83 pages in .pdf format.
I think The Beginning was just that: The beginning, a foundation, to what could be a great series. The story has potential. I'd like to know what happens, but I'm hoping the storytelling—showing—improves.
On Goodreads
LUV'NV Rating:
Amazon.com Rating as 10/25/2012: 3.6 stars out of 5
The Beginning is free on Amazon for Kindle-owning Prime Members. Get your copy here!
Note: Courtesy of the Lovers of Paranormal Read to Review program, I received a free copy of The Beginning
from the author in exchange for an honest review.
from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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