It's a story about chloe santos, an immortal stuck with powers and her soulmate Phobos, a warrior. Tthe writing style is good but I didn't enjoy the plot much.

I decided to read Seer by SE Walsh during my most recent YA fantasy binge. I was looking for something that would sweep me up in its story and not let go. I was impressed by the storyline and the author’s creative use of mythology. It definitely caught my interest. My main gripe is that I hoped for more of a slow burn within the main romance. There was some build up, but my favorite thing about YA series tends to be the ongoing sexual tension. Many readers would find this to be a perk probably. An enjoyable and interesting read with lots of good world building.

Seer is a story about Chloe, one of a kind blind Seer who dreams about normalcy, and her immortal bodyguard/fated mate Phobos, whose hand is drenched in blood, but wants to do right by his people. It's a story about immense courage and doing the right thing even when everyone let you down harshly.
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TW : Burning alive, War, death.
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🌟🌟🌟.75 [3.75/5]
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First, I absolutely loved out spitfire Chloe. She was badass, took no shit, but still had a heart that was soft and caring. Her relationship to her hound was something special and I loved them both! Now, Phobos was a complicated character, but he craved a bond, something to tether himself to his humanity. It was so heartwarming and heartbreaking to read about him and his history. The brother duo cracked me up and helped Chloe live a little. The trust issues between them, the banter, the mind conversations.. Sighhh I loved them all. It also talks about forgiving your friends after a traumatic experience, and resetting your brain to accept help as well. The writing was really simple, and that kind of worked, but not. I like complex writing, so even though I didn't mind the style, I didn't like it. If I ignore that, it had good storyline and development. Chloe definitely grew so much and the plot gave much depth to her development. The ending kind of left me hanging and I kinda hate certain characters because they are causing my baby pain, but issokaayyy. And I can't wait to know what happens next !! Definitely looking forward to the sequel!
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Thank you for the gifted review copy @netgalley
Kindle/ Arc/ February 2021

i really enjoyed reading this, the plot was unique and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I look forward to more from the author.

An electrifying and exciting story, with fascinating characters, taking you on a fantasy trip to Olympus, with the greek Titans and other mythical Gods and Goddesses. Chole barely survived the first attempt on her life, when she was almost burnt to a crisp, although it left her badly scarred and blind. Now, her life was once again in grave danger, only this time, the outcome might be absolute. She was the last of her kind, and dying wasn't an option. Her greatest fear was who to trust, with her secret soulmate bonding to Phobos complicating her already tangled senses. Chloe had to learn hard and fast, for death was stalking her, and betrayal, deceit, greed, anger, and hatred were at large, all trying to crush her life out. One thing that gave her the strength to forge ahead was knowing that her soulmate had her back.

This was a very interesting book, the story was engaging and unique and the characters had a great dynamic!

I loved it!

It was an amazing story with an even more thrilling plot. I was absolutely enthralled. Ms. Welsh is a master at creating intriguing paranormal romances.

A master piece.

Seer is a paranormal romance with a great female character at its heart. Chloe is a Seer who only recently found out who and what she is, and is guided by a fantastic hellhound! Some amazing characters but at times there are too many to follow unless you know your Gods and Goddess from mythology. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you engrossed but I did find it difficult to follow sometimes.

This was not a winner for me. It has several plot holes. I felt the plot was unfocused and meandered too much, and lastly, the whole thing was just steeped in rape. It was this last point that kept me from being able to enjoy the story. Seemingly every older female has a history of horrific rape, the heroine is repeatedly put into the position to psychically relive those events with them, and the verb rape is even used to describe things. As in, "she raped my mind" to describe someone psychically forcing themselves into the main character's mind.

I didn't even think the sex scenes were well done. Especially given the Readers Advisory that reads, "This Paranormal Romance contains a strong-willed goddess and her protective Warrior Soulmate who don’t appreciate the term ‘vanilla’ when it comes to the bedroom." Here's the thing, the characters really were very vanilla in the bedroom. Granted, they had one brief bout of anal sex (about three paragraphs long, tacked onto the end of another sex scene, having no emotional impact at all). But that's hardly transgressive or particularly kinky. The sex was blase to the extreme. It definitely did not live up to the titillation of that advisory.

All in all, the writing was readable but the plot and story lacked that something special to make it more than just words on a page.

Nice to know that the Greek Gods/Goddesses, their forebears, their children and great grandchildren (how many greats here?) are still alive, well mostly, still fighting amongst themselves, and generally being the nuisance they always were.
As for the book, I thought it started well but the impetus slowed down about half-way through and the battle description was muddy and confusing.
I thought there was some nice exploration of Greek mythology but also thought that some readers may not be familiar with all the niceties of who married who, how some came to be born, and so on , and thus why they were arguing with each other. Some of it got explained, but not enough maybe?
So here is some information that I wrote up a while back for another book about the Greek myths as I was confused and needed to get my head straight. Not sure that all this helped. But here goes….
A very short blog... All about the Greeks and the gods they invented.
Once upon the time there was only Darkness (Erebus) who married Light (Aether) and then things got confused.... This is the Creation Myth according to the Theogony by the Greek poet Hesiod.
So then there was Chaos who is the parent of Nix. Chaos also gave birth to Erebus, Gaia, Tartarus and Eros. Gaia being created as the home of the Gods. But also known as Earth.
The Greek myths are far from clear and straightforward as there was a great deal of marrying of siblings and parents so trying to work out familial hierarchies gets very confused. And also, books and researchers will interpret the original Greek myths differently. However, the best available set of family hierarchies can be found at the site www.theoi.com which also has a breakdown of most of the creatures from the myths into different categories.
Nix was the goddess of the Night and was born near the beginning of creation and was the mother of Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death). She is found in the shadows and one can only catch glimpses of her. Her consort is Erebus (the primeval darkness). Note that there was a lot of marrying of siblings and even parents to children (and then they wondered why some of the children were a bit peculiar…)
Gaia was the mother of Uranus (Heaven) and Okeanos (Ocean). Now Uranus married Gaia - yes, his mother... and had children with her, but Uranus asked Tartarus to take the 12 Giants (his children with Gaia and also called the Titans) as he didn’t like them.
Tartarus was the Underworld but also a God.
Gaia was very unhappy about this and thus asked the Titans to kill Uranus. Cronus (one of the Titans) agreed. Cronus then castrated Uranus and threw his penis into the sea. Uranus’ blood created more Giants on the earth but in the sea his penis (as it was cut off his sperm were expelled) created Aphrodite the first deity within the 12 Olympians.
Cronus he then sent all his siblings into Tartarus except Rhea who he married. And they ruled the world and all creation together.
The children of Cronus and Rhea are: Hades; Poseidon; Hestia; Demeter; Hera; and Zeus
Cronus was told of a prophecy that one of his sons would overpower him and rule in his place, so he then ate all his children except Zeus as, when he was born, Rhea substituted a rock for him. Cronus swallowed the rock instead without noticing.
Zeus was smuggled away by Gaia and grew up safely and was raised on the Greek island of Crete. Then Gaia gave Zeus a potion that, with the help of Metis (another Titan), would make Cronus expel all his swallowed siblings, who would now be fully grown.
Having been expelled from Cronus’ stomach, the 5 children fled to Mount Olympus and Aphrodite. Zeus also released everyone from Tartarus.
Led by Zeus, the six brothers and sisters (Demeter, Hera, Hestia, Hades and Poseidon) rebelled against their father against whom they were victorious, throwing Cronus into Tartarus (the dark world under Earth).

After that, the rebel gods of ancient Greece divided the universe between them. Zeus was the supreme god, ruling over all others, and all of them lived on the peak of Mount Olympus in Greece.

But...
Cronus and his sibling Titans then went to war with the gods on Mt Olympus. Zeus et al won and imprisoned Cronus in Tartarus again. The other Titans were put to work. Eg Atlas to hold the skies, and Prometheus was chained to a rock . Zeus was now ruling on Mt Olympus with Poseidon, Artemis, Apollo, Hades and Perseus.
And then there were more....

Mnemosyne is the Titan goddess of memory and remembrance, inventiveness of languages and words. She is the daughter of Ouranos (Heaven) and thus also a goddess of Time. She represented rote memorisation which was required of course before the invention of writing. She was the mother of the Muses who were the patron goddesses of poets and the oral tradition. She presided over the underground oracle of Trophonios.

Hades is the god of the Underworld, the Dead and Riches. He is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon and fought the Titans with them. His hildren are Macaria, Melinoe and Zagreus. There were several sections to the Underworld, including Elysium (Islands of the Blessed), the Asphodel Meadows (for the ‘shades’ of heroes) and Tartarus where the gods kept imprisoning people they didn’t like.
The dead entered the world through the river Acheron, being ferried by Charon who charged the one coin that you placed in the mouth of the newly dead.
There were five rivers in the Underworld: Acheron (sorrow or woe); Cocytus (lamentation); Phlegethon (fire); Styx (hate) and Lethe (oblivion) although some traditions also call Lethe the sea of tears
Before the palace of Hades sit the three judges of the Underworld: Minos ,Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus. There souls are judged, returned to Asphodel if they are neither virtuous nor evil, sent to Tartarus if they are impious or evil, or sent to Elysium with the “blameless” heroes.
Some more marriages and births:
Zeus M Hera (women and marriage) = Ares; Hephaestus (Blacksmiths)
Poseidon M Amphitrite (sea goddess)
Zeus M Demeter = Persephone
Persephone: well we all know the story of her and Hades – She is also called Kore. Kore meaning the ‘maiden’.
That said, tradition also has her having relations with her father Zeus and this being the mother of Dionysius. This tradition predates that of the Olympians.
Demeter M Poseidon
Zeus M Leto (daughter of Titans) = Apollo, Artemis
Zeus M Maia (daughter of Atlas) = Hermes
Prometheus then created the first men out of clay and taught them a civilised life style. Zeus refused to give them fire, but Prometheus gave it to them anyway. Zeus created the first woman in retribution!!!! ie Pandora. Epimetheseus persuaded Pandora to open her jar. Out flew a collection of ailments that Zeus had sent to torment mankind. These included: old age, jealousy, anger, laziness, fear of death, uncontrolled passion, the dangers of childbirth etc. So this is an explanation of how all these bad things came to be.
There are a number of places you can read about these myths eg Ovid's, The Metamorphosis. This is one of the most substantial of the early works of scholarship, which went about codifying the extant myths, the ones which had existed in the forms of the poems and stories which floated about the Mediterranean basin for a thousand years or more before he wrote them down.

The second is Robert Graves, The Greek Myths. As it was written in the English language you don’t have to rely on someone's translation.
The third is a modern work Roberto Calasso's, The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony.
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Seer is the first book in the Titanomachy series by S E Welsh. A Seer has surfaced--but she's blind! Chloe Santos is an immortal with a whole world of problems. The victim of an attempted murder that left her blind, horribly disfigured, and stuck with powers everyone thought eradicated, it's safe to say she's at a low point in her life. But then she's blackmailed into investigating a kidnapping with links to her past. It could put herself, and everyone she cares about, in danger. Including her Warrior Soulmate. Phobos has a millennia of blood on his hands. As the son of Ares, he's done horrific things in the name of keeping the continued existence of immortals a secret. Only all of that changes when he meets his Soulmate. Allegiances shift, trust is thin and Chloe has to decide if she should risk everything to make the world a better place. Even if that means sacrificing her own chance at happiness.

Seer is a good start to a urban fantasy and romance series. I liked the set up for the mingling of gods and humans and how the world ended up where it was in relation to that. I liked the depth of the characters, and the demonstration that even the most powerful, sometimes especially the powerful, are prone to insecurity and worry about betrayal and losing what they have. I think the set up and the action were pretty good. I liked the story, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. It felt like I was reading some of the books I used to devour, and it was a bit nostalgic for me, but I have to admit that I was a little more than half way through when my investment started to fade. I started to get distracted and less interested in the story, I do not know if it was just because of all the troubles in the world that made me less interested in reading about these troubles, or if I just was not in the mood for it. However, I do think this is a good book, and if you are looking for a new series with romance, political machinations, lots of big personalities, and plenty of sex then you will want to give this one a try. I did have a giggle about this book. The blurb had a reader's advisory that the sex would not be vanilla. True- I guess, but I did not find that any of it was shocking enough to require a warning label, but I did appreciate the effort to care for readers.

Seer is a solid series starter promising big action, interesting characters, and conflicts.

Seer is a fantastic surprise that left me in complete awe and eager for so much more! I walked into this story blind, and I am so grateful for it because I received the sweetest and most beautiful of gifts. I have found an astoundingly exhilarating storyline that left me feeling so raw and vulnerable that I ached for the stunning characters. This story is very bold and so perfect in its drive, passion, and heart that I was devastated to see it end. I need the rest of this extraordinary series!

Chole has watched her world crumble to dust before her very eyes. What she has lost can never be regained, and her trials are only just beginning. Evil is hounding her steps, and its agenda is anyone's guess. When she assigned bodyguards to try and protect her, she feels her tenuous grip on life slipping even more. Secrets and revelations bring her life to a screeching halt, and she must decide if she will face them head on, or run screaming in the opposite direction. Can Chole find a hidden strength that she can can draw from to build her courage and determination, or will she find herself alone once more to push through more of life's cruels jokes?

This book holds a precious and fragile truth that if pursued will cost you greatly. Nothing is more valuable or more costly. The details of learning that truth will sear its meaning onto your very heart. To accept the the challenge and walk this journey will demand everything you are and everything you will ever become. For this truth will change the very fabric of your life, and refine your very character until only the core of you remains. Once you find this truth, you will hold it tightly and closely to your heart for it will fuel your every desire and motive.

S.E. Welsh has stolen my heart and the very breath from my lungs. This is perfection in my book, and I can't wait to see how this series develops! I was knocked senseless by this marvelous thing of beauty! I want to be clobered by massive talent like this any day!! This is what makes me a reader, and a happy one at that!!

Seer was fast paced and a lot of fun!

Chloe is a Seer who didn't come into her powers until a terrible attempt on her life, leaving her blind and scarred. Chloe is now the last seer and must use her power to investigate what happened to her and join the ranks of the Gods.

I enjoyed this read, a lot, if anything I thought it was too paced and didn't take time to explore some of the really fun ideas Welsh had come up with. That being said, the creation of this world was superb and I loved how Welsh gave the story of Greek Mythology new life.

The perfect book for anyone looking for paranormal romance and mystery.

I originally requested this one as it sounded similar to the style of book that I generally adore to dive into on a regular basis, however I found that in this case the style jarred quite a bit. I just couldn’t get into it at all I’m afraid, but that could be down to personal style!

An excellent start to a new series. The books starts off fast and keeps on going. This is an exciting fast paced read that keeps the action going nonstop. Can't wait for the sequel.

This book was a fun ride. I enjoyed all the characters, though the nickname Boss was not my favorite. I loved that Chloe grew into herself along with her power and became more confident not just in her place in the immortal world but in her crippled body. She found ways to overcome that and make the best of it. If I am being 100% I was kind of hoping she would end up with Phobos and Demon. But hopefully we will see him and Caleb find their lives in future books. Also, I don’t love the cover, it could use an upgrade but that does not affect my opinion of the book or it’s contents.

There were a number of qualities that I really appreciated about this book. For one, I enjoyed that the heroine was not perfect-looking. In fact, she was horribly scarred, but yet the hero found her incredibly attractive anyways. The other thing that I liked was that the connection between the hero and heroine was made very early on in the book. It was clear that they were soulmates, so there was none of the annoying self-doubt about the status of their relationship like in so many other books. It was a really solid love story.

The only thing that I didn't like about this book was the array of side characters. As it deals with traditional gods and goddesses, it was difficult to keep track of 20 or so side characters with complex relationships between them. It seemed like the plot could have been simplified quite a bit by thinning out all these extra characters. Overall, it was an enjoyable story.

eARC provided by NetGalley , thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial.

Steamy Greek Mythology- thriller. Percy Jackson but for Adults. Fast-paced and in your face!

Seer (The Titanomachy #1) by S.E Welsh
Possibly part of a series
Published: May 22nd 2020
Cover Rating: 3/10
Adult – Fantasy – Romance – Paranormal – Gods – Magic- Greek Mythology – X-Rated

IT’S ALL ABOUT:
Chloe is an immortal and a victim of an attempted murder that left her blond and disfigured. She also has powers that everyone thought no longer existed. Suddenly she is blackmailed into investigating a kidnapping with links to her past. It could put everyone in danger including her Warrior Soulmate Phobos.

Phobos has blood on his hands from decades of service to keeping the Immortals secret. Until the son of Ares meets his SoulMate. When allegiances shift Chloe has to decide if she should risk everything to make the world a better place even if that means sacrificing her own chance at happiness.

HOW DID I FEEL:
This is only my second paranormal fantasy and I think that this book had some pros and cons. The first thing that I struggled with was the romance started very fast -the attraction between the two main protagonists was way to quick. I am used to a slow burn so it was too fast paced for me. I just expected a connection to build between them first before the Soulmate part was confirmed.

Chloe at times was all over the place emotionally and sometimes very immature (which annoyed me at times) and the dialogue could be forced and clunky at times, with some very strange tones and word choices. I enjoyed the direct writing style and the fierce characters so it would have been nice to have seen some further development into this area.

The Greek Mythology aspects were FREAKING SUPERBLY DONE and I was really drawn into this world. A gorgeous idea that just needs to be smoothed around the edges. The Steamy scenes were X-rated so please be aware!


WHO SHOULD READ IT?
For anyone that is a super fan of Paranormal Romance (the X-rated kind) and Greek Mythology – this book is the perfect combination.
Rating: 3/5

I'm a fan of the 'overcoming a disability' trope and generally of insta-love, but this didn't quite work for me. "Seer" did show a great deal of interesting world-building, setting up a long immortal feud between multiple generations of Titans, Olympians and their modern descendants. The writing was engaging, and there was a constellation of characters who I could see creating a fun larger series, but the hero was literally carrying the blind heroine around against her will, the heroine was constantly demeaning herself and I just couldn't take that in the darkness of late May 2020.

This is a well written book about Chloe Santos, a descendant of Calliope, who discovers she is a Seer when triggered by the horrific experience of being blinded and injured during an attempt on her life. She is the first Seer for a long time, since Apollo and all those of his line have long been killed by the other Greek gods, who don't want anyone whose premonitions might meddle with their own plots and schemes.

She is set a task by the Council, a powerful body who aren't trustworthy. Chloe faces kidnappings, plots, attempts to seize control of the Seer's powers, the Titans and other dangers. And she faces them with Phobos, a son of Ares and Aphrodite, who has been enslaved for centuries by the Council, whose motives and orders he has long mistrusted.

I liked Chloe, she's determined and courageous, working with the limitations her injuries place on her. She stuggles sometimes and isn't perfect but she's a fighter. Her developing relationship with Phobos is good, too, as they face multiple challenges together.

This is the first in a series, it doesn't have a cliffhanger but there are clearly plot points that will carry on to the next book. Recommended.