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Most Helpful Favorable Review
16 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
Utterly wonderful. Absorbing and moving.
The publisher's synopsis is very accurate but does not fully do justice to the beautifully woven story-line; the depth of the characters and the evocative period, mood and cadence of the story. A friend lent me her advance copy she had been asked to read and she was wil...Read More
The publisher's synopsis is very accurate but does not fully do justice to the beautifully woven story-line; the depth of the characters and the evocative period, mood and cadence of the story. A friend lent me her advance copy she had been asked to read and she was wildly insistent that I read the book, too. Now I know why. The only thing that could spoil this wonderful book for me is if there isn't a sequel. And soon.
The writing, which is highly accessible, quickly immerses the reader into the word of Evie and the challenges she faces. To go into these in detail risks spoiling the story for would be readers (and you should be one!) but suffice to say I just could not put the book down. It excited, moved, and transfixed me all at the same time.Show Less
The writing, which is highly accessible, quickly immerses the reader into the word of Evie and the challenges she faces. To go into these in detail risks spoiling the story for would be readers (and you should be one!) but suffice to say I just could not put the book down. It excited, moved, and transfixed me all at the same time.Show Less
posted by carol777 on April 29, 2009
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14 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
Unfortunately not a great read.
I have to be honest, this isn't a book that I enjoyed. I think it was trying to be too many different things at the same time. Is it a love story? Is it a mystery? Is it a fantasy story riddled with mysticism and evil covens that need to be destroyed? None of the themes...Read More
I have to be honest, this isn't a book that I enjoyed. I think it was trying to be too many different things at the same time. Is it a love story? Is it a mystery? Is it a fantasy story riddled with mysticism and evil covens that need to be destroyed? None of the themes are explored and the plot rushes through what should be longer, more processed elements of the story. The love element has no conviction, and the fantasy seems almost like an afterthought. This really should have been two different books. One where Evie discovers a strong kindred with this girl in the past while falling in love with this dangerous stranger, and another where Evie's powers are awakened and she joins a coven of girls with magical elemental powers and they fight the evil coven. Either that or it should have been longer in order to flush out the story.
Also, a quick word of clarification, the novel advertises itself as dealing with mysticism, but it's very clear that this is Wiccan, and not the love the forest and the trees sort. This is the coven of witches who kidnap girls and murder them to keep their coven master alive sort. Simply put, the 'magic' isn't fun like many fantasy books. This is secret society of evil people sort of magic based much more in literal beliefs than what one would find in Harry Potter or Twilight.
-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.comShow Less
Also, a quick word of clarification, the novel advertises itself as dealing with mysticism, but it's very clear that this is Wiccan, and not the love the forest and the trees sort. This is the coven of witches who kidnap girls and murder them to keep their coven master alive sort. Simply put, the 'magic' isn't fun like many fantasy books. This is secret society of evil people sort of magic based much more in literal beliefs than what one would find in Harry Potter or Twilight.
-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.comShow Less
posted by Lindsey_Miller on August 1, 2009
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Utterly wonderful. Absorbing and moving.
The publisher's synopsis is very accurate but does not fully do justice to the beautifully woven story-line; the depth of the characters and the evocative period, mood and cadence of the story. A friend lent me her advance copy she had been asked to read and she was wildly insistent that I read the book, too. Now I know why. The only thing that could spoil this wonderful book for me is if there isn't a sequel. And soon.
The writing, which is highly accessible, quickly immerses the reader into the word of Evie and the challenges she faces. To go into these in detail risks spoiling the story for would be readers (and you should be one!) but suffice to say I just could not put the book down. It excited, moved, and transfixed me all at the same time.16 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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Unfortunately not a great read.
I have to be honest, this isn't a book that I enjoyed. I think it was trying to be too many different things at the same time. Is it a love story? Is it a mystery? Is it a fantasy story riddled with mysticism and evil covens that need to be destroyed? None of the themes are explored and the plot rushes through what should be longer, more processed elements of the story. The love element has no conviction, and the fantasy seems almost like an afterthought. This really should have been two different books. One where Evie discovers a strong kindred with this girl in the past while falling in love with this dangerous stranger, and another where Evie's powers are awakened and she joins a coven of girls with magical elemental powers and they fight the evil coven. Either that or it should have been longer in order to flush out the story.
Also, a quick word of clarification, the novel advertises itself as dealing with mysticism, but it's very clear that this is Wiccan, and not the love the forest and the trees sort. This is the coven of witches who kidnap girls and murder them to keep their coven master alive sort. Simply put, the 'magic' isn't fun like many fantasy books. This is secret society of evil people sort of magic based much more in literal beliefs than what one would find in Harry Potter or Twilight.
-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com14 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 30, 2009
Wow
When i first saw the cover it called to i just know it was going to be good but when i finished reading it i said wow such amaizing characters and wonderful story i hope theres a sequel
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted September 6, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Immortal Maybe better than Twilight
*scream* I loveeeeeeee this book. So far Its my favorite. Filled with suspense and tragic happenings prepared to fall into the world of love,faith,courage,magic, and a life threatening decision. When I finished the book I practically started to cry. I was so angry cause I had finished it and because there wasnt a sequel...yet. I had never wanted it to end. I have been on my computer for an hour just to find Gillian Shields's email, i foud it but the website said I had to pay to get it so i still dont know it. Read this book or you shall never forgive your self and will enjoy not 1 more book. You will ask your self "What the heck is wrong with me?Why didn't I read Immortal!!!" So thats the all I got to say about the magically tragic book "Immortal"
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Three cheers!
I absolutely loved this book! From the very beginning the author has this wonderful story laid out for us and as you read along you could slowly see the mystery unfold before you. The romance aspect of it was undeniably sweet. I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to read this book. It's just that good!
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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EXTREMELY AWESOME
I cant believe anyone has ever doubted this book! It is so amazingly written and thrilling!I LOVED iIT. Dont you DARE not read this book. You will REGRET it!
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Evie Johnson's life can't possibly get any worse. Her beloved grandmother has taken ill. She has been living with her while her father has been serving in the military. But now, she can't go with her father, her mother is dead, and her grandmother is in a home. So with a little-known scholarship, Evie finds herself sent off to the Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies out in the moors. Evie grew up by the sea, and she can't imagine what it will be like so far removed from the water she loves.
She has to take the train to the school, and the cab driver refuses to take her all the way to the school, calling it a cursed place. In the dark cold rain, Evie struggles with her bags through the trees to the school. It's in the trees that she is hit by a dark brooding boy on horseback. She's tired, dirty, and is distraught to find her mother's photo frame broken on the ground. The mysterious boy helps gather her belongings and murmurs he will see her again.
When Evie sets her picture frame beside her bed, she's surprised to find that it's in one piece, the glass not broken at all. She begins to believe she imagined the encounter and the strange boy, but then she notices the gash on her hand, from a piece of the previously broken glass. This begins her first night at the school. And things do not get better for Evie.
She's taunted by one of her roommates, Celeste. Evie's place at the school is due to the mysterious death of Celeste's best friend. And as part of being a scholarship student, Evie must help crazy Helen Black with some of the chores after dinner. The only bright spot is the friendly gesture by one other girl, Sarah.
The mysterious boy returns, and soon Evie finds herself sneaking out after hours to meet Sebastian. He gives little information about what he does during the day, and Evie makes many requests to have him call properly at the school. The more mysterious Sebastian seems, the more intrigued Evie becomes. When Helen starts to watch over Evie and get her in trouble for sneaking out, hints of stories told to Evie by her grandmother start to make more sense.
IMMORTAL is an intriguing and dark tale that intertwines the past and the present. With glimpses into the past through a character's diary entries, Evie learns who she is and what she must do to survive and protect those around her. The story captures the reader from the first page and draws them in until the final one. There was so much mystery as well as romance throughout the entire story that it should appeal to a large audience.5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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when is the sequel coming out? I can't wati!
This story had me so intrigued and I had to finish it in one sitting. I can't wait for the next book and a book about Sebastiana and Abbey would be nice. There are so many stories within this story and the possibilibies make me so giddy! I love the storyline and the simple way it was brought out. It wasn't tarnished by too much supernatural and brought out a realistic twist to it.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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PatriciaJL
Posted February 14, 2011
An Interesting Story
The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover, the blues are very eye catching. The second thing was the book description that this included a Gothic mansion (I'm a sucker for old mansions and homes, and anything Victorian and Gothic).
Evie is "shipped" off to an all-girl private school and not by choice. Evie's father has to leave and her grandmother can no longer take care of her. From the moment she is dropped off at the gate to the school, by the taxi driver who refuses to take her up to the school doors, strange things start to happen. First, she meets a mysterious guy, Sebastian, riding on a horse; little does she know that Sebastian is going to turn her world upside down wether she likes it or not. She is further met with more strange things when she starts to have "visions" at Wyldcliffe. One of Evie's escapes comes to be Sebastian, who also becomes the person that puts her in danger.
Evie discovers a connection between Sebastian and all the strange things that are happening at Wyldcliffe. The question is, can she trust Sebastian even though she loves him, and does he love her in the right way, or will his love put her in more danger?
While I overall enjoyed this book there were a few things that I did not. There were too many plots going on all at once - it got confusing at times as to what exactly was going and which plot was more important than the other. Also, the love between Evie and Sebastian didn't feel concrete enough, it wasn't completely believable - there was no development or build up to it, and it just seemed to have happened. I also wish there had been more diary entries - to get a more consise understanding of the past, maybe that will be included more in the sequel...2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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left me wanting more
i read this in 2 days.... mainly because i forgot it at work on my desk. it was a good story and for an english author i was surprised they didn't try to use so much slang that you needed an english to english dictionary like so many to try to do. it was a great read just for fun. i was left wanting more wanting to hear how and if they end up together. with a book ending like this i do think they should give you something to hope for or at least look forward to because sadly i'm likely to forget to look for another in a series like this.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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It is fine to read but I wouldn't recommend it.
First of all, I want to say that this book, like other readers said, tries to be too many thing and in the end it got stuck in the middle. It doesn't belong to the romance section since the love between Evie and S. happens too fast. I don't even know why they are so deeply in love after several meetings. It is too forceful and quick and the conversation they exchange during those meetings are so childish, it doesn't really spark any chemistry to make me feel the romance between them. (Maybe it's just me, I don't know)
The book really really leaves me unsatisfied at the end since in the end the conflict didn't really resolved. I feell like nothing has really in resolved. Sebastine is still fading and Mrs. Hartle is still lurking out there. What happens to her followers? What happen to the dead Agnes? Did she move on? And in the end, Evie still could not unlock the necklace secret? so WHAT had she really accomplished?
The plot is a bit predictable, too. I knew at the beginning that Evie and Agnes are related. But what disturbed me was Agnes's husband. It was so random. I felt like he was just...there just so that she could have a baby with him so there could be a story. (maybe I was just being difficult, which I always am.) And there's the guy named Josh that speaks for like, 2 sentences at the almost end of the book. and I don't even why he's in there. He doesn't help the plot or anything. I hope the author gives him an important role in the next book. (I hope there's sequel or I'll be extremely unsatisfied)
Even so I have to say that this book has some really good moments. I like the way the author describe the surrounding for each new scene. I could even imagine it in my mind and trust me, I'm not a very imaginative person.2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Expected More
: Immortal by Gillian Shields is filled with HEAVY undertones of the Bronte sister's. When I began reading immortal I was instantly drawn into the story. I have to admit I wanted to like the book, especially because so much of it seems inspired by the classics. I found an abundance of beautiful imagery through out the text that reminded me of the moors in Wuthering Heights. Sebastian is conveniently named Sebastian James Fairfax. Does the last name sound familiar? It's from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, think Edward Fairfax Rochester! Personally, I adored Sebastian's brooding attitude and the way Shields describes him simply as a rider on a black horse in the beginning of the novel. There are so many qualities that I loved about this book but unfortunately the story starts to go downhill midway through. First, although Agnes' journal entries were interesting, it was painstakingly obvious that the S. that she refers to in her journal, is Sebastian. It was sort of aggravating waiting for Evie to realize it too. Second, I didn't like the multiple pov's. It was distracting. The ending did not do the rest of the book justice. It just seemed off balance. To be honest besides the fact that I haven't heard good news about book 2 & 3, i'm not sure if I want to keep reading the series anyway. I think Shields is a great writer and her story is definitely interesting, but I felt that the ending wasn't strong enough to keep me interested. I'm a bit disappointed because I was loving the style of a gothic romance.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Do not recommend!
I got this book thinking it would be good. I read some of the page barnes and noble.com let me read and it sounded so interesting I just had to read it. When I got the book I began reading at once and when I finished I was really disappointed. The whole story line and plot is rushed. The author is leading you up to something, so you expect something big to happen. But really it was nothing. it leads you on just to find disappointment. I do not recommend this book, and hope this helps some people:)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Harry-Potter-Geek
Posted January 24, 2010
Over-all a Good book
I got this for Christmas I finished it that day and I really liked it! But the one thing I found was that it was a bit predictable.. but I think it was good book, and it was written very well. I would recommend this book. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 11, 2010
I Also Recommend:
"Immortal" is a winner
I was a little iffy with the book when I read the discription, but once I started reading it, all those doubts went away. It was Thrilling, exciting, suspenseful, a page-turner, and I don't even love reading. But hands down, my favorite part was the characters which were discribed amazingly and so intense and thoughtful and amazing. My only negative comment is the ending. Personally I was disappointed with that ending, but I can't take away credit for that one little negative area of the entire amazing woven mystery of secrets. Incredible! You'll regret not reading it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Amazing Story!!!
I Thought this book was Great! At first I thought the book was going to be about how Evie found out that Sebastian was immortal because he was a mythical creature. WRONG! During the quest to find out the truth about Sebastian she finds herself intertwined with a Talisman, a ghost, a dark coven, and forbidden love, all leading up too....Immortal
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 3, 2009
mmmm,
This book was so amazing!
FAVORITE1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted October 27, 2009
Good Book
This was an awesome story and could be turned into a series if the author so wishes. For anyone whol like the Twilight series this is also a good back. Although it does not deal with vampires the characters are young and torn in two because of a love that cannot be. This was an awesome book and a hghly recommend it and hope the author comes out with more of this type of fiction.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Loved It ~ Looking forward to sequel
Fantastic Story. Could not put it down.
Will pre-order sequel when it is available!
A definite great read~~~1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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emilysue_09
Posted September 25, 2009
Surprisingly Good
I didn't think this book would be very good, but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the plot and the characters were good. Could have been longer to flesh it outsome more. The romance aspect of it wasn't very convincing or moving. Reminded me a little of Great and Terrible Beauty series, but not as good. I read Shiver right before this and actually preferred this book. Shiver was boring.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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