I really liked this intro story but felt in a fog much of the time. I could see shapes and forms but couldn't see the whole picture. By the end I felt like the fog was just starting to lift only to have the book end! I will continue the story for a few more books to find out what is happening, but am annoyed that I have so little actual information from book one.

Raines best friend was Cora. It was usually Raines webcam Cora used for her blog and “ Hottie Of The Week” . Cora felt Raine needed a life outside of books but Raine swims and plays the oboe in the band. Cora and Raine had been best friends since Jr High when Raine found Cora crying in the girls locker room. Cora had problems adjusting to public school as she had been home schooled until then. Eirik was Raines unofficial boyfriend. Then someone knocked at Raines door and she thought it was Eirik but it wasn’t he said he was her new next store neighbor where Eirik and he needed to talk to Eirik as soon as possible. Raines father had been on a plane that crashed in the Pacific Ocean but his body had not been found but it had been three months yet Raines mom believed he was alive. Raines parents owned Mirage which was a framing and mirror store, with her dad gone her mom was pulling double duty and often beyond to clean up for the next business day. Raine didn’t really see her mom much anymore. Raine had backed into her neighbor's mailbox, destroyed it but when she got home from her swim team practice the mailbox looked like nothing had happened to it. She went over to thank “ blue eyes” as she called her new neighbor she asked him how he had fixed the mailbox and he said magic. Later that night Eirik showed up at her house and climbed the tree to her balcony. Raine tried to be mad at Eirik as he hadn’t answered her calls or texts but she just couldn’t be. If she had done what Eirik had Eirik would have been mad as Eirik had a temper.Eirik and Raine had been inseparable since they were kids. They had grown up together. Eirik was her best friend and there wasn’t a thing she didn’t know about him. Eirik had been adopted by his parents but instead of showering him with love, they traveled a lot and left him with nannies and a housekeeper he had spent most of his waking and sleeping hours at Raines house. Then Raine mentioned the new neighbor and Eirik asked if Torin had made her mad. Raine was attracted to Torin even if he wasn’t nice and definitely not safe. Eirik seemed to step up recently and claim Raine as his girl but Raine found she was still very attracted to Torin. Knowing Torin had used magical runes to save her life. Raine didn’t know what to think of the runes or the magic.
I loved the story until the very end of it which I consider a cliffhanger and I hate them and ruined the story for me. I was very disappointed in this. I will give it a 3 rating Even though I know what Raine's mom said you figure it will be ok. I did love the characters and the ins and outs of this story.

This actually started out super terrible. And then got super amazing.

Example A, the fist page features this dazzling paragraph

<b> <I> "So unfair. Myparents decided to limit computer time again," Cora griped and rolled her eyes into the webcam. But as usual my best friend Raine has my back. So here I am with the next Hottie of the Week." </b></I>

*GAGS*

I didn't think I had space in my heart for more book boyfriends this month, but Torin St. James is definitely yummy. Raine is pretty boring, but around Torin, she's way funnier. For example, When she's trying to guess who/what he is:
<b> <I>
"'Demon Wizard? Warlock? Am I getting warmer?' (Raine)
'Colder than Hel's Mist' (Torin)
' What's that?' (Raine)
'I'll tell you after you guess what I am.' (Torin)
I kept a straight face. 'Rumpelstiltskin?'" (Raine) </b> </I>

Come on guys, tell me that isn't hilarious. She makes a couple other modern world quips that had me laughing out loud (Inuyasha, Twilight, etc.)

Now where did it lose that one star? Well...
1) it started out terrible. Hottie of the week is just not how you attract an audience older than high school. The first time I picked this book up, I read the first page and then closed it and started the next book.

2) The insta-love on Raine's side makes no sense.

3) Why is Torin even drawn to her? Like actually someone explain where that intense attraction came from?

4) Raine is kind of a bitch when it comes between balancing out what to do with Torin and Eirik. She lead them both on quite a bit and couldn't make up her mind about what she wanted.

Anyway, despite the flaws, it still gets 4 stars, because the plot was actually insanely page-turny. I've only read one other series about Norse Mythology and I hated every book (don't ask me why I read the whole series. I'm a masochist.) Reading Runes was a nice change. I got enough information to keep me interested, but still had be delving right into book two for more.

If you love mythology and want a quick read, THIS. READ THIS (if you can get over some of the high school drama.)

When I saw the cover for the book Runes by Ednah Walters I really liked the look of the cover and became curious about the story. I have to admit that this was a very quick read taking only about 2 1/2 to 3 hours tops! To me I felt like it reminded me a lot of The Mortal Instrument Series. There are runes which are a lot like the ones from The Mortal Instrument Series and a love triangle. Another friend that is in love with their best friend who in return is in love with some else kind of story. While I felt the characters development as a whole was well thought out, I just could not get past the similarities and the fact that it is a shorter story (a fast read). I just was really not impressed with this book.

The Norse pantheon needs more of a presence in YA/Teen literature and just for that I am rather enamored with Runes. There is also a lot of nostalgia attached to this book, as it is something I would have devoured when I was a teenager. The magical elements paired with teenage angst was my lifeblood and it was fun to return to a story with those things now that I am searching for book suitable for a teenage audience.

Runes fits into a category for teen fiction which is similar to Harlequin Romance. This is not a negative thing by any means. It does, however, split the opinions of readers. There are those who do not enjoy whirlwind romances, or love triangles (could we say love square?), or how simplistic the plot of such novels can be. I find comfort in the predictable, though Runes does throw the reader for a bit of a loop (well done Walters), there is still a well worn formula at work. It should be considered that the formula exists because it works. There are times a reader doesn't want something new, something completely out of their comfort zone and this is a particularly good title to fill that need.

Having finished the first book, my quest for the rest of the series begins!