Member Reviews
When I first came upon this series back in early 2000s, it was almost impossible to get ahold of the book. I liked the concept and looked forward to each book I could secure. To see that after 5 books, it starts up again, I'm thrilled. This latest one is a bit perplexing for me.
Within the first few pages, I am reoriented and remember the series. What surprised me is after the second chapter, I kept thinking that there would be more chemistry between Jorie and Caleb. This is the same author who wrote Dante Valentine and Jill Kismet. The one who pens complicated erotic tension filled relationships with anti-heroes... And yet Caleb, we never exactly pinpoint why he is an antihero. He comes across as a man who whines internally way too much. His inner dialogue at times made we want to smack him upside the head. His inability to use his words for communication didn't come across as stoic or cute. It made him look like an idiot not to be trusted.
Jorie as a character is kind of cool. I wish the story focused more on her nightmares and what she had to solve instead of spending time on Caleb the dud. His self loathing quickly became a drain of something I didn't want to read. His inability to help Jorie because he hated himself so much caused more reactive rather than proactive helping. I guess this was the point of the story as Caleb comes to Jorie broken, depressed and suicidal. Or as the Circle assessed him. Great, just what every woman wants as a mate... a broken man to fix up. The lack of chemistry between the two characters made the romance hard to watch and believe.
Character asside, Ms. Saintcrow creates a problem that opens up a potential new exciting arc for this series. As there are more Lightbringers to bring chaos to order, what else is going on? What else is waking up? This poses an interesting question of if good and evil must be balanced in order for the world to work? We shall see which way Ms. Saintcrow choses to go on this series.
This paranormal romance can be read as a standalone - as in not reading the prior books but it may be a bit hard to get into. This story is recommended to readers who enjoy good versus evil fights and demons that are out to get you.
Ok, I found this extremely Interesting, as in I couldn’t put it down, but I have no idea what’s going on. Is this Earth in current times? Earth in the future? An alternate Earth? Why do these powers exist? Did they just happen, or are people born this way, or are they lab created? I am confused and I need to go back and start with the first novel. Four stars because it needed a prelude for newbies like me.
The story "Finder" is about a witch, Jorie, whose power is that she is drawn to crimes that have occurred. She has this incredible need to find the source of the crime and solve it. In the story every witch is vulnerable to the "dark" and thus has to have a watcher assigned to them. Jorie is assigned a watcher named Caleb who is determined to protect her.
I loved the development of the magical parts of this book. Jorie's dreams and how the dark creatures try to get to witches any way they can. I felt like it was well explained and created an interesting story overall. The romantic link between the watcher, Caleb, and the witch, Jorie could have been further developed. They did not have many moments in the story where I felt they had an emotional connection. It was like they just immediately were in love with no build up.
Overall a good book. I would recommend it just for the magical mystery storyline.
This is the first in the series The Watchers and can be read with no problem as a stand alone novel.
Jorie is a witch sho is liikeable and readers will be able to connect with her right away. The author ability to bring a fun characters to life with a dark background makes her stand out. Reader will love her because no one has to tell her to stand bac because she knows who she is and her strengths. The story is well paced, easy read for those who like supernatural suspense.
This story stands out because the author uses her ability to tell an amazing story with characters that feel read in a world that is not really real.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Lilith Saintcrow Finder.
I received an advanced reader's copy of Finder (The Watchers Book 6) by Lilith Saintcrow from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was the first book by Lilith Saintcrow that I had read and I was pleasantly surprised to find an enjoyable new author to follow.
I'm always a little leery about jumping into an on-going series without having read the prior novels, but the author - without belaboring things or slowing down the plot - explained new terms and made it pretty easy to catch up. The first thing I noticed was the world building in this novel. Lilith Saintcrow did a great job of making the universe that The Watchers series occupies feel very real and well rounded.
I quite liked the dynamic between witch Jorie Camden and her Watcher, Caleb. Even though it was obvious from their first meeting that the potential for love/soulmates was there, this was not a case of insta-love or adoration (which is good). I thought the pace of how the two primary characters first found common ground and learned to work together, then formed a relationship past witch/Watcher, and lastly fell in love was believable.
Both characters were well fleshed out and seemed real/true to the human experience (flaws and all). I like how both were vulnerable in ways and could act as a complement for the other to balance vulnerability and strength. Jorie and Caleb both had lots of layers and it made for a fantastic story.
The plot was well paced. Not too little or too much action, it really was "just right." When there wasn't action, you could see how the stage was being set for the next arc or see how Jorie and Caleb used that time to get to know each other and grow closer.
All in all, Finder by Lilith Saintcrow was an exciting read and I would recommend it to any romance/fantasy reader.
It's been 12 years since I read the 5th book in this series so while I remembered the basic premise of the series I didn't remember any of the characters or the plots of the previous 5 books. I did however remember enough that it didn't take much to get back into this world. I honestly don't know if you could read this as a stand alone without prior knowledge but I believe you could. The previous books were published between 2004 to 2008.
I do like the concept of this series and the world that it's set in but there was little to no romance in this book so I struggle to call it PNR. The Watcher's are "reformed bad boys" who are given a chance to makeup for past sins by protecting the lightbringers (good witches). They have a symbiote that gives them enhanced strength and healing abilities if they are chosen and if they can survive the process of joining with one. They are of course tortured heroes and I have to admit the "I'm not good enough, I don't deserve my own witch" got a little old in this book. Typically the watchers can't touch or be within 6 feet of a lightbringer's aura without great pain unless they meet the one witch meant for them. They are rotated through the lightbringers as guards every 6 months giving them a chance to meet "their witch". Again I really enjoyed the concept and for the most part the execution.
This story revolves around Jorie who is a seer who gets visions of lost things (people) and most of the time people who will be or have been murdered. She's tough but also very giving and sweet. She too at times goes down the rabbit hole of not being good enough and thinking her gifts aren't very important. So the double whammy of "I'm not worthy" was a bit much. Her new watcher is Caleb who is on the edge of despair from all the evil he has seen/fought. There isn't much downtime for the two as they are racing to stop an evil that is killing children. I really did love the fact that while Jorie was tough and new what she was capable of she also didn't have any problems standing aside and letting her watcher do what he was supposed to do - protect her and fight the dark monsters.
I also loved that we got to see some of the structure of the leadership of the watchers and lightbringers which I don't think we did in the earlier books. There were some very interesting secondary characters (especially a tech witch and his wizard). There was definitely room for more books in this series and I'd happily read more but I'd prefer if there was just a little more romance and a little less "I'm not worthy".
This is the first book by Lilith Saintcrow I read in a long time and I loved it.
It's a gripping and highly entertaining read that kept me hooked till the end.
Great world building and characters, a good romance and a very enjoyable plot.
I can't wait to read the next book, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It’s been a while since I’ve read this author, but she’s been one I’ve liked. I saw this book, and even though it is part of a series, I thought I’d go ahead and try is as it seemed like it could be read as a standalone. I really didn’t have a problem with this being the sixth book, and to be honest, I think I’ve read some of the others but don’t remember. LOL! Anyway, this is a world where those with talents are watched over, so they aren’t killed by the Dark creatures, but their Watchers are changed every month. Jorie is a witch who I adored. She was both extremely kind and very tough. I loved how she wasn’t one who had to prove her strength, either; she knows when to let others fight her battles. I forgot how much I liked this author, and I hope she writes another book in the genres I like. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
Watcher Caleb is newly assigned to guard Jorie, a seer witch whose visions help her to "find" people and who uses gift to help the local police close cold cases, but Jorie and Caleb are also warriors in a battle kept secret from the mortal world and now the case connected Jorie's visions may have a perpetrator that is not an evil human but a dark presence.
It's been years since the last Watcher book. I am not sure how a new reader dropped into this world will pick things up, but I have a fondness for the series, having read the others when they were first published at a time when I was scouring the world for anything and everything in the new paranormal romance genre. I was happy to get another tale of another Watcher, a tortured gray souled "knight in leather", and the bright souled Lightbringer witch he is dedicated to protect, the witch who just so happens to be the only one whose presence can bring him freedom from pain. To call this PNR is a bit of a stretch. There is a bond but there isn't much in the way of romance - or even lusty longing. But then again events keep Caleb, a Watcher who is on the edge of the despair which signals his end, and Jorie, a psychic being plagued with visions of evil, in motion for most of the story and what brief moments of downtime they have is due to injury. Also both feel that they are unworthy, which gets in the way of being a true team.
One of the things that was interesting about this installment, is that we actually get to see a bit of the structure of the organization of Witches and Watchers, which was interesting, along with a new kind of witch (and a male one at that) we've never met before. It's been years since I read the other books but this felt a bit like it should be the foundation for more books, and more like there was the strengthening of what could be a background arc. I would be happy if there were more, I still enjoy this mate bond trope where the bond heals a tortured soul, and would happy to read more even though I do wish there was a just a wee bit more of the physical and emotional bonding in the stories.
As a warning: the Lightbringers and Watchers fight the Darkness, and what they battle here is truly evil and targets children - the attacks aren't 'in the moment' but there are a few gruesome descriptions of the aftermath.
ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley- release date 8/21/2020