DNF @ 31%

Such a cool concept but I was just a little bored.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be so fun and engaging. It was a unique universe that was easy to understand as the author presented characters and their special "features". I can't wait for the next book to come out!

I overall enjoyed this book. I feel like the characters are likeable and it was easy to follow the plot. I also really like the premise of the story, but feel as if it could have been executed better. I am hopeful for the continuation of the story and look forward to where it may go next.

I liked this book better in theory than in execution. The pacing was slow and the characters fell a little flat for me.

Not particularly my cup of tea.

The concept is really interesting and definitely have potential, but the characters are terrible and triangle thing just didn't work at all. Nothing really worked for me in this book, not the characters, romance, neither did the pace or the develpment of the story.

Maybe will suit better a younger audience. But I still think you should read and take your on conclusions, since experiencies and opinions on books can be really different for different people.

This book was great! I loved the storyline and felt connected to the characters! I couldn’t put it down. Definitely waiting for book two!

I really liked the idea of this book, however, I felt like it wasn't written very well and I found myself skimming through a lot of it because I was bored and the character didn't appeal to me. I think it had a lot of potential, but alas, I don't think it pulled it off.

I am not a fan of love triangles, and I hate how that has become a prerequisite for every young adult fantasy. Aside from that, I loved the world building and the cliffhanger, and I am excited for Part 2 of this series.
Thank you, NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press, for this eARC!

3.75 stars!

I was so drawn in by the cover of this book! I liked the magic system and "X-Men" vibes. I enjoyed the main character and (surprisingly) the featured love triangle. I think, however, the idea of endeavoring on a 9 book series is a little too much for me and so I wanted a more complete story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am definitely interested in reading more in this series! I wanted a little more character development, but I’m hoping the author will grow the characters over the next few books.


I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

18-year-old Blake Wilder as a child could see the future, which she has kept hidden. With the exception of her BFF Scarlett and now Nicholas Thorne. He contends this makes her elite and a member of a old society and she can utilize this to save lives and prevent war.
Great concept but not the best execution. I imagined it to be more of the Shatter Me series and with more character developed it could easily become this.
A solid 3 stars. More character development would make it a 4.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- LOVE the cover on this one!

I have been putting off reading this one for some reason, but finally decided to dive into it. And I am glad I did because I ended up loving it! A secret society. Young adults with enhanced "abilities". Some romance. Some murder. A lot of intrigue and who is to be trusted...I can't wait for the next book!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Blake is used to being abnormal as she often gets unexpected visions of people’s pasts and futures. She moved to California to go to college and start anew. But when a mysterious boy appears and encourages her to act on her vision to save a classmate’s life, she’s drawn into a whole new world. There are many others with powerful abilities different to hers, and she finds herself attempting to navigate a world of political intrigue and ever-changing alliances while trying not to fall in love with two different hot boys.

I loved the concept of this work and with a cover like that, I had high hopes for this read. The magic and its manifestations were interesting, and the way the author chose to make different “greats” throughout history wielders of different magical abilities was a fun addition. Adding these abilities to a power struggle that would have ramifications for the whole world, and I should have been hooked. Especially as the plot revolved around a murder mystery, which was written decently. However, the rest of the book fell quite flat.

The characters were awful. They were essentially cardboard cutouts of caricatures that could be thrown into any poorly written YA book (MC who’s different, crazy powerful, misunderstood, quirky, and so good looking but won’t believe she is; a rich British boy who is delicious to look at and absolutely noble and who really loves Earl Grey tea [the amount of times we’re told this is absurd]; the ripped and sexy “bad boy” who’s really good but wants to show the MC the more wild side of things; etc.). But despite Blake being misunderstood and ostracized, she was often quite judgmental of people she was introduced to and saw, which made her difficult to like. The other secondary characters simply existed to showcase Blake and introduce some more drama at the end of the book.

I’m not going to get much into the romance, other than that insta-love love triangles featuring a “good” polished boy and a “bad” tough boy who are both supermodel hot are not interesting and add nothing positive to the plot. The relationship between Nicholas and Blake felt forced and he was basically wearing a cape made of red flags. There were also several traumatic things that happened, especially near the start of the work, but they didn’t continue to affect the characters past a page or two of them happening, making the work feel disjointed and underdeveloped.

While this work started off okay, it quickly lost its shine for me and I don’t recommend this read. My thanks to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Secret Society of magical people? Check
MC with clairvoyant powers who can also see into peoples pasts? Check
Sassy best friend? Check
X-Men vibes? Check
Intrigue & a murder mystery? Check

I really enjoyed the premise behind this book. I have a fondness for books with secret societies & people with powers. And as cheesy as it is, I do enjoy the whole ‘The One to bring balance’ trope. The writing style flowed really well, the pacing of the story was balanced, & it was a fun popcorn read. Was it a little predictable & somewhat of a cookie cutter plotline? Sure, but there were enough unique elements & interesting characters to make the read worth it. I’m interested to see where the politics of this secret society go in the next book as it looks like it will be the main overreaching theme, with Blake a major player on the board with her powers. I did feel Blake was a little immature at times (she flip flopped between potential alliances more than a pancake getting flipped) & reacted as such, but given it’s only the first book out of 9 I’m looking forward to seeing some more character development from her in the future. A solid 3.5 star read.


Thank you to NetGalley & Owl Hollow Press for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oooo I love a good love triangle!! Keeps you guessing! I really enjoy the main characters special abilities and found the plot interesting. Slow at times but overall great book. Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy NetGalley!

Eighteen-year-old Blake Wilder usually hides her ability to see pivotal moments in other people’s pasts and futures, but when a premonition compels her to save a classmate’s life, she’s drawn into a centuries-old paranormal society on the brink of civil war.

As she struggles to find her way within a world of political intrigue and shifting alliances, her path is complicated by a budding romance with Nicholas, the chancellor’s son, and her attraction to Jessie, a man who makes up the rules as he goes. However, Blake will soon learn the truism that all is fair in love and war, especially when power is at stake.

When she witnesses a series of bizarre murders that have not yet occurred, it’s not long before the killer learns of her visions. Blake must decide whether to trust her head or her heart in a race to unmask the murderer before she is the next to die.

------

Thank you Netgalley for the copy!
A solid YA fantasy book. I like it just fine and the cover is sooo good. I like the characters and their relationship even though it's pretty slow. Warning : it contains a very famous trope in YA books which is a love triangle. Not a fan of love triangle but it still worth reading.

The pacing was a bit up and down throughout this book but overall I absolutely loved it!! I was immersed in the world and related to some of the characters so much.

Honestly, this just wasn't my cup of tea. While I found the story interesting in the beginning, I just didn't want to come back and read more and more. I don't think I could read 9 books with these characters either. The writing wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't bad. Same with the characters. I was super excited for the plot but the pacing just messed it up. Overall, 2.5 stars.

Interesting read, I found the beginning quite faced paced and gripping, I felt the pacing slow down throughout the book but overall, a good read

is a promising introduction to this fantasy series. It is an ambitious mix of the supernatural and coming of age. Upon browsing Netgalley I found this intriguing book, the synopsis sounded awesome, and the book cover had me instantly hitting request. I was instantly hit with the passion and love poured into this book. Instantly I was hit with characters that sparked with life. Combing the elements, foresight, telekinesis, and the other six special gifts. It’s not easy to combine these elements into a fantasy story but Kes Trester achieved it with relative ease.

The Nine: Origins is the first book in The Nine series. Blake Wilder, 18, can see pivotal moments in other people’s lives. It seems enhanced by the power of touch and hasn’t caused the loss of lives so far. That all changes when she witnesses a car crash that will affect the future of a boy she goes to school with. This event leads her to meet Nicholas the son of the Chancellor of a secret organisation that could potentially be falling apart at the seams. She needs to pick sides, but whom can she trust? She is a powerful voyant and is a strong card to hold on either side, her alliance could be the deciding factor on who could win the power struggle.

This story isn’t bad by any account, but I did struggle with certain elements of it. The pacing of the story seemed to be inconsistent, and I went through periods of not being able to turn the pages quickly enough to finding some of the chapters a bore. The relationship between Blake and her best friend, Scarlett felt very stilted, and I personally didn’t feel that Scarlett had much of a role except to be Blake’s best friend. It was mildly frustrating. The Romance between Nicolas and Blake seemed very fast, even for young adults. I would’ve personally preferred a slower burn over a few books, I believe that would’ve created more of a realistic timeline of things.

Overall, a great book with a killer premise, I just personally felt the execution was somewhat lacking.