This is a great concept for a book and I really enjoyed it at the start. The setting is cool and a little creepy, the magical element was done well, but the story fell apart as it continued on. The plot felt really rushed and a little thin, If it were a longer book I think it could have been really great. The characters were compelling but not very fleshed out. There were some interesting twists but because everything was happening so fast they didn't really hit their full impact. Ultimately while I really enjoyed what the book was going for it didn't quite make it.

Awakened by Ciara Duggan was everything I normally look for in a book. I really liked the story and the writing was great. I can’t say I was super invested in the book though. It just didn’t hold my attention like I was hoping. I think it’s a nice story just not the epic I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Parliament House for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read an advanced copy of Awakened by Ciara Duggan. I picked this book partly because of the description and partly because of the gorgeous cover. While it started great, it soon became predicable and I found it an ok book. It was like other teen paranormal books I have read. Nothing new. However for fans of L.J.Smith's The Vampire Diaries, Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Tracy Wolff's Crave, and Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush you may find it is right up your alley. 21/2 stars rounded up to 3

Awakened brings magic back as Hannah opens a cave and wakes up a boy that had sealed magic away over three hundred years ago. However by waking him up she also woke up the devil. I liked this book but it had it's moments where I was bored and I might have even skipped over some chapters just to keep it moving for me. Do I think others are going to like it, yep, but it was just okay for me so it is getting 3 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for this honest review.

I’m not quite sure what I expected when I began to read this book. I think I was looking for a really great magical story. What I got was witches and vampires. Had I read this book back in the days of Twilight, Vampire Diaries and True Blood (Sookie!), I might be writing a different review. But it’s 2021 and I think fantasy stories have evolved beyond just witches and vampires which is why this book was a miss for me.

On the plus side, I think this was a great effort by the author. The writing style and the pace of the book was nicely done. It wasn’t too long and the story didn’t really linger in one place for longer than necessary.

On the minus side, I’m not a fan of reincarnation stories, or stories with vampires. I did enjoy the witches and the attempt to create a type of lore with the behind-the-real-world-world-building but overall, it felt a little deflated. The love interest didn’t interest me. It all felt...well...a little too young.

That being said, I do hope to see more by this author. I may not have loved the story but I always will praise a good attempt.

Dark academia, vampires and magic sets this book off as being the perfect
One to start spooky season with!
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Hannah became an orphan after a tragic car accident. To escape her ghosts she heads cross country to Bellcliff University, where all sorts of dark and magic are awakened, if you will
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This book is out today!
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Thank you @NetGalley and @independentpublishersgroup for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

What I liked more about this book probably is what I didn’t like about it at first: Hannah’s survivor guilt and its consequences.
I admit I’m not triggered by suicidal thoughts, however, I was bothered about them whilst reading the book. At first, it felt as if they both fit and they didn’t, moments in which I said “this is too much, too annoying” - I am quite cynical with fictional characters, sometimes. But then, as the story proceeded, I loved reading how Hannah’s mind changed, mostly about herself, how she was ready to fight, how she was ready to sacrifice herself, and lastly, how she was scared.
Hannah’s growth is not subtle, but it’s not easy to catch either. It’s there, and for a book like this, it’s weirdly but wonderfully slow, perfectly done.
The lore behind the witches, how dark magic created different creatures… that was interesting, really. I adored discovering more about Callan, whom I loved, and how everything ties together. Perhaps, yes, the rhyming spells felt almost corny, but I adore Charmed, so I can’t really judge.
Callan. Now, in the notes on my Kobo I’d hoped Landon wouldn’t be the love interest because he felt bland, and I’m glad he wasn’t. At first, Callan felt the same. But as I read on, as I saw what he’d done and his inner turmoil, I was sold. He’s neither black or white, but something in between, and while you do have a heroine who’s torn between light and dark magic, he is, too. I guess I just love to see different responses to the same problem, and even if the answer is not the “right” one, that doesn’t make Callan any less a hero.
Even for someone who loves dark magic and characters who are tempted - and even forever won over - by it, anti-heroes and morally grey characters, I really liked the book, reminding me of old YA - especially Fallen by Lauren Kate. And when something reminds me of old YA, that’s the first sign it’s going to be a good book.
If you love a light, fast-paced witchy read, this is the right book, not as spooky or scary as the upcoming season requires, but perfect to lazily dive into it.

This book is about 12 years too late.

“Awakened” finds new college student Hannah trying to make a fresh start following the tragic death of her parents when she stumbles upon a book in a cave bring back a man from the 1600s who swears she’s his lost love and together they try to stop a witch from influencing others to do her deadly bidding.

Had this come out when the Vampire Diaries had been at its peak this would have been a hit but now it seems heavy handed with the similarities and a bit too juvenile for my taste.

The characters themselves are cardboard with the side few doing nothing but taking up space and out main trio falters with a love story too instant to be worth anything and a villain too narrow minded to be a threat.

The mythology is flimsy and the plot has been some time and time again both better and worse than what I’ve seen now but if you’re just stepping into the world of fantasy I’m sure this would be a great starter but it does little to show you what the genre can truly offer.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


As soon as I started reading this book, I had major Crave vibes-the pace, the plot line, etc…however that feeling dropped off as quickly as it started. I really enjoyed the pace of this book, although I would say at some points, it felt rushed and it was hard to keep up with what was going on as you essentially are constantly thrown through flashbacks between Raven and Hannah. The writing style was a bit amateur for my preferred reading style, however it makes the book easy to get through! Overall, the plot line could’ve been a little stronger(although it wasn’t terrible) and the writing just a smidge better and this book could have easily been a 4 star book instead

Since I first saw this book be announced I knew I would love it and it did not let me down. The world was incredible and I loved the characters. This was a fast paced book which is a nice quick read.

I received this book as an eARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own!

Hannah is just trying to find a new start after the death of her parents. But when she accidentally wakes up a centuries-old witch and even the devil herself, that new start looks less and less appealing by the hour.

This book is a classic tale of good versus evil, but I loved that it had its own twist on everything! Hannah and Callan aren't entirely good, and I really enjoyed watching them struggle with who they are versus who they actually wanted to be. I did wish at times that they were a little less self-sacrificing, as it just seemed like that was their solution to everything, but I really did enjoy watching their development and their intertwined stories!

I also really enjoyed that this wasn't a "classic" love at first sight kind of romance. I liked that there was a reason behind Hannah's initial attraction to Callan and that they were able to get to know each other and for that romance to actually build instead of just throwing them together and into love.

If you're looking for a good versus evil story that will make you feel good and then a little bad and then good all over again, this is the book for you!

3/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I was very intrigued going into this book. I feel like young adult paranormal can be very hit or miss. This was felt pretty average. I will say that everything felt very surface level. I wanted to dive deeper into a lot of what was happening in this book. The magic, the spells, the reincarnation, and all the other magical things. I felt like we got a very short explanation. I think this book could've been longer or multiple books to explain and go deeper into the topics of magic. It felt way too short for what it was trying to do as far as a paranormal/fantasy book is concerned. I think that the plot and all the ideas for this book are a great starting place but the execution just wasn't there. Overall it was just an okay read for me, but I'll be keeping an eye on this author to see how their writing improves.

☆☆

The book sounded interesting and it was but at times it felt fast and rushed and I just wasn’t that into it, it had potential but in my opinion it just didn’t reach up to what it could have been. From the first chapter I could tell that I wouldn’t love this book (just the way it was written maybe) but I was hoping like a lot of books do it would get better as I went on but it just didn’t. Hannah was an okay mc but I didn’t love her, same with her love interest. I feel the magic (and the romance) could have been developed a little better. The ending was okay but would have been better if it had ended slightly different. I don’t regret picking it up because it was only a short read but if I had known the book was going to be how it was I probably wouldn’t have picked it up.

Definitely not something I would normally pick up but I definitely enjoyed it, especially when we are entering the fall. This would be super interesting to see as movie or limited series.

I read the description of this book and I was very curious about it. At first i wasn't very convinced about the story, but a very important plot twist had changed my mind. Unfortunately I was disappointed by the book's continuation.

The theme of reincarnation was very interesting but in my opinion it was not developed properly, as well as the relationship with the villain.
The romance was pretty enjoyable.
Many things for me were very hasty and senseless.
It was a quite enjoyable read but very delusional.

In conclusion, I rate it 2 stars.

Okay so I had some expectations when I read the premise of the book. It seemed really interesting, but it ended up not being exactly my cup of tea.
It became a sort of mess in the middle and kept being like that till the end.

3 stars ⭐️

Anything with witches and magic gets my interest right away, and this was no exception.
I really liked the premise of this and it sounded like something I would really enjoy, and i did, I did like the story. I just think the book could’ve been a little longer, a few more pages explaining the characters and the magic system and giving them more depth would’ve made this even better. It was overall an easy and fast read, it does have a good concept, but the execution just could’ve been a bit better.

Something I really liked was the fact that this book had a representation of anxiety (being someone that’s struggles with it, i felt seen). the romance was okay and the main character was a little annoying at times but overall good.

It is a book that will grip you to his pages and make you continue reading because you want to find out what happens.

I will probably re-read this once it’s released to see if my opinion changes.

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. i quite liked this book, it was a solid book but still had room for improvements. because of this i am going to give it 3/5 stars.

I enjoyed Awakened a lot more than I expected and I'm just so happy I got the chance to read it. At first I was worried it would be another academia fantasy with too much realism being present, but it was a pleasant surprise to find the story focusing more on magic and actual plot than just college socializing.

It was a quick, fun and easy read that is more on the light-hearted side. It has a strong romance that is "love through time and reincarnated lives", magic being its own entity and every supernatural being you can think of. Even Sirens. I was sold on the Siren.

I really liked how the story wasn't pretentious, trying to be more than what it really was (which is a true YA fantasy) and so didn't fall flat by the end.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Awakened in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not normally a straight paranormal romance fan but Awakened's cover was so stunning and it's description sounded unique enough that I decided to give it a shot. And it was... a straight paranormal romance.

My biggest compliment is probably the narration. It was really strong and competent although I did feel like the protagonist talked as if she was younger than her age. I also found the way the love interest talked extremely hokey and overdone (if I have to read him start one more sentence with prithee I'll explode) and never rooted for much of anything plot or relationship wise.