As the first book in a series, I liked this book a lot! I'm curious to see where it's going, how the characters will develop. It does remind me of the general "aesthetic" of dark academia (which I adore), so personally, I felt drawn into the book.

The romance aspect felt a bit rushed, but it didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment.

An interesting and well written story as far as style goes… I would’ve liked a deeper dive into the whys and how’s, and a slower romance. Still a decent read, and a cool concept.

As I was reading this, I was reminded of ‘The Atlas Six’ by Olivia Blake because of the characters and their unique powers, and what they can do with them. Unlike the former, this one is more action packed and had a more intriguing plot. I definitely enjoyed reading this more too.

We follow Blake Wilder, who has the ability to see moments in people’s lives by touching them. She has been suppressing her ability until one day, when she witnessed a car crash that could alter the fate of a boy in her school. This led her to discover a secret organization called The Nine, where there are people like her with different abilities. Blake wondered if she should join them as they seem to have their own battle to fight. What can Blake do and who can she trust?

This was an easy read for me. There are no complex plots and most of the characters are likeable and had character growth throughout the story. The plot itself was also interesting and left me wanting more especially with how the story ended! I would have preferred the plot to be a little more complex as I felt the characters seemed to be able to get through their obstacles without difficulty but this is just my personal preference. I also wished there were more relationship development between the characters as some of them felt a bit stilted.

Overall, I still enjoyed reading this and I will be keeping a lookout for the sequel. Thank you Netgalley and Owl Hollow Press for the arc.

This is the first book of nine in a series by Trester and it grabbed me. It was different with a clairvoyant main character that has gone her adolescences thinking she was so different and alone in her abilities. But now at college she is approached by Nicolas and an new world of people with abilities opens up to her. She is pulled in different directions as there are many people that want her and her visions for their own gain and finding out who she can trust is hard. I am really looking forward to the next book.

The premise of this book was very good, but unfortunately the execution missed the mark for me. The characters were likeable and I’d say that overall it was an easy read. 2.75 stars. We

The book had an understandable plot, that was easy and entertaining to follow. The characters have strong personalities that are enjoyable. I would recommend this book to lovers of legendborn. I would love to thank Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC

The premise was interesting enough that I'm curious about how it continues. The writing was solid, but not terribly exciting. The MC is "not like the other girls" - though she doesn't particularly stand out. Similarly, most of the other secondary characters fell rather flat (what even was the point of her best friend?). There is a love triangle; the romance felt rather instant, though I prefer the current love interest over the 20-something going after a teenager.
The pacing.....was not doing it for me. There were times when I breezed through, and other times where I couldn't get through a chapter and wouldn't pick it up for weeks.
It was a decent introduction and I'd look forward to see where it'll go, particularly with regard to Blake's sister and their relationship. Considering its world building, it has a lot of room to explore.

Thank you to Netgalley & Owl Hollow Press for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun fantasy novel and was an exciting read.

I honestly do not know what to make of this book. The initial premise sounded absolutely fantastic, and I couldn’t wait to read it but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

Let me start with the main characters. I initially quite liked Blake, and felt like she started off strong. I loved the idea of her being a volant, and discovering that she wasn’t alone in her powers. That journey was quite heartwarming, and interesting to read. However this soon changed when Nicholas came into the picture. That boy is the absolute definition of a red flag, and he just pissed me off. I also don’t know how many times the author had to mention that he liked earl grey tea. I got that the first time.

I felt like the relationship between Blake and Nicholas was somewhat forced, and it felt completely rushed. Also, Blake has been described as an eighteen year old girl- however I definitely did not get that vibe from the way she was written.

I did like the murder mystery aspect of the book, and felt that it was definitely one of its highlights. It also had a lot of quotable moments, which I enjoyed reading.

Overall, I just don’t think that this was the book for me. I feel like it would definatley suit a much younger audience.

This one was just not one for me, the dialogue felt off and convoluted, the FMC Blake feels like a stereotype and I wasn’t keen on the world building (which needed more work)

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Just another book that was ok to read but nothing to write home about. It was easy to follow and wasn't bad but not something to really rave about.

What an amazing book! I love magical stories and this one didn't disappoint. This book was absolutely amazing!! The characters, the mystery and intrigue and I need to know more about The Nine and Alder House.
I cant wait to see what comes next in book 2.

The Nine: Origins 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.

The Nine is a fun, fast-paced fantastical world filled with mystery, romance, and political intrigue. If you love stories with familiar tropes like characters discovering special abilities, secret supernatural societies, and found family, add this comfort read to your TBR.


Do Note:
- The first in a potential series, this book only scratches the surface for an interesting magic system and society. Hopefully future books will flesh out the world Trester is building.
- There is a potential love triangle, which I normally am not a huge fan of. To me, one love interest is always the more obvious choice, and this book is no different. I felt like the main character has significantly more/better chemistry with one love interest while the other relationship felt a little forced/flat, but that’s my opinion. The romance is on the sweeter side in this book with the potential for more heat and spice in future books.
- While the main conflict of the story is resolved, the book does end on an abrupt note (somewhat of a cliffhanger), but I’m invested enough to do want to know what happens next.

Thank you to Owl Hollow Press and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

**Thank you to Netgalley & Owl Hollow Press for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.**

The idea for this book sparked my interest so much that I wanted to read it, and luckily I got the arc to do so.

The story starts off with Blake Wilder, an 18-year-old girl in college, who is somewhat of a clairvoyant / has premonitions of the future and can see the past. She has spent her whole life hiding her abilities and keeping to being invisible, until one day Nicholas Thorne arrives, and offers his help. He knows what she is.

Here begins the journey into the world of The Nine, and all the magical abilities of many people worldwide. Blake initially doesn't want anything to do with it, but can't deny the attraction she feels for Nicholas, and the idea of discovering more about her powers.

Danger comes. Everyone is after her, and she is somehow the hot commodity that everyone wants on their side. All the bad guys keep attacking her and no one is safe.

I read this book all in one sitting, and I adored the idea, I just found the execution lacking.
It took a little bit for me to remember that they were only 18/19, sometimes they acted older.
The information we got was a lot, and all at once, but also I felt that we didn't quite understand it all either.
The story felt a little rushed for my liking and very jumpy in scenes. And the ending...

Will I most likely pick up the next book because I am now invested and need to know whats going to happen next?
Absolutely.

I loved the magic system in this and the wide array of powers that existed. I liked the pacing and the characters. The world building was great. My only complaint is that the love triangle was just so bad. I felt like it threw the book off a lot and hope that the series continues without it. I love how the ending was fulfilling enough but had enough open ends to make me want to continue.

I was pleasantly surprised by this! I don't usually enjoy contemporary fantasy, but this book made me rethink that. It was captivating and grabbed my attention so quickly that I couldn't put it down.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

The Nine: Origins is a contemporary fantasy where Blake Wilder, who has always seen snatches of people's futures is brought into the society of people with magical gifts; the Nine. When she starts seeing premonitions of murders, Blake is dragged into a dangerous world where she doesn't know who to trust and her life is on the line.

Ok, good bits:
The cover, it's proper lush and was one of the reasons why I wanted to read this book.
The world building is unique and intriguing. I love the idea of the society that protects those who have a gift and all the political intrigues that go along with it. However, I could do with a lot less of 'XXXX famous person was an enchanter too". That got dry rather quick.
The plot was well paced and kept me page turning to the end, and I'm keen to continue this series.

The bits I hope improves:
The MC. She's pretty dull and I hate it when the MC is surrounded by people who bang on about how clever they are when they're obviously not. Blake has potential, I love how she starts to find her own voice and stand up for herself later on, but there's not much else to her. She's beautiful, but doesn't see it and she's not like other girls (really???)
The other characters appeared to be a stereotype of where they came from; Nicholas, being British, only drinks Earl Grey and can't understand the American's obsession with coffee. Jessie, appears to the the Texan guy from the Simpson's, only hotter. I get that in a big cast of characters they need distinguishing features but I hope there all toned a bit in the next book.
That said, I found this a fun, fast paced read. Thank you so much to the publishers and Net galley for an Arc in return for an honest review.

Blake can see visions of the future and the past. She meets Nicholas who tells her she is a Voyant, and that she belongs with the Nine, people presenting one of the nine gifts. There is conflict in this secret society, with each side trying to get her to join them. Then Blake starts to get premonitions of murders. She must discover the murderer, who is clearly a Nine, before she becomes a victim herself.

Taking place in a modern-day setting this book is extremely readable. The first-person POV is a combination of acerbic and sassy. Blake is instantly likeable, strong and vulnerable, her emotions and thoughts shining through the narrative. The chemistry between her and the potential love interests is sizzling and genuine, their humorous exchanges very entertaining. Nicholas is charming and Jessie is naughty fun.

A fascinating mythology which thankfully we learn about without any info dumps, rather gradually and organically in the story. The pacing is exactly what is needed to get you into the story and keep you engaged. I really enjoyed the details of the chapters being named and all the historical figures mentioned with their supposed gifts. I also liked how the vision were described, continuing the flow of the story.

I know this is a series but I would have liked to learn more about the various gifts in the 1st installment. The premise to have been developed more. Also some things were discovered too quickly or easily in my opinion and some 'surprises" were cookie-cutter predictable and just didn't have the impact they should have. Thankfully other twists and revelations make up for that by being exciting and unexpected.

This tale examines the concept of the common good and if people can actually forgo self-serving agendas to support it. It is about loyalty and trust.

Mystery, power machinations, suspense and laugh-out-loud moments deliver the promise of an even better sequel and a promising series.