I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did not enjoy reading this book. The protagonist was bland and one dimensional. I was hoping a good creepy read but the plot didn’t have enough depth for me. I had a hard time focusing because my mind kept wandering while reading. The dialogue was forced and unnatural. I ended up giving up and not finishing at just after the halfway mark. This just wasn’t the book for me.

Honestly, I've very conflicted with this book. I love the idea of the story, but I feel like the first half of the book fell short, the characters seemed incomplete, and they kind of just spent a lot of time lashing out at each other, and that wasn't very fun to read. But the second half, oh man. I couldn't get enough. Once it moved out of the normal daily life kind of situations and into the supernatural deaths and immortality and powers kind of stuff, it really blossomed.

Following a teenage boy named Daniel, the story starts off with an argument between him and his newly ex girlfriend. She's been drugged and molested at a party, and he doesn't believe her. This is why I initially really didn't like the book. She's hysterical, and he's just mad that she slept with someone else. He doesn't care about what really happened, why it happened, and how it happened. I almost put down the book because of that. It's really insensitive. I think there could have been a way better version of this story without that. Anyways, he goes on to work, we learn about his sad back story with his absent parents, and why he lives with his grandma. Then he's supposed to go on a hiking date with his best friend and two girls, but when he arrives at his friends house, they've already left with his cousin. He's mad, but it's for the best. That's when things really start to change.

It turns out that the meeting was a trap. Supernatural beings known as Veloures, had lured his best friend out hoping to get him, but instead killed his best friend and turned him into one of them. That's what they want to do with him. So when he goes out looking for his friend, he finds someone else, someone not human, and someone who wants to hurt him. And that's when he meets Fantasia, instant love of his life, super beautiful goddess of a girl with healing powers. She takes him to her cave and explains everything, and gives him a choice that no one else will, become like them, or leave his life behind and run, and try to forget about everything that she's told him, and that he's seen.

This is why I liked the book. The supernatural beings were so different than any others I've read about, but the beginning of the book is just so hurtful and mean I really couldn't get over it. I didn't like the main character very much because of his insensitivity, and I mean, I get that he's a teenage boy and they have their ego to worry about, but I think that was really pushing it. Like I said earlier, I think that the first half could have been rewritten in a way that it matched up more to the second half, and I would have absolutely loved it. That's just me though. I might be a little too sensitive to topics like that. I would recommend it to people with a strong stomach who like young adult books about supernatural beings, and their afterlife. The book itself isn't particularly gory or violent, until the last chapter of the book, but that being said, the last chapter was the most exciting and heart wrenching for me.

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I struggled to feel connected with the characters, especially the main character who didn't seem to have much personality... the plot was a bit of a mess and the world building... what world building?

Good read, well written with a great plot and characters. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.

I'm torn with my feelings about Colors of Immortality. There were some good parts to the story, but the protagonist was an absolute loser in my opinion. There was nothing to like and without something to hold onto with the main character, it's difficult for me to enjoy any good that happens here. I'm also not a fan of the insta-love that takes place. I'm never a fan of insta-love. It just isn't realistic. I need a slow, organic burn. The more I try to come to grips with my feelings the less I like this story. I won't read the next book in this series, unfortunately.

I haven't finished this one, but I honestly feel like I have read enough. I could not spend a moment longer inside the main character's head. I think he had some really dangerous opinions and I honestly felt really upset reading just the first chapter. I persevered until 25% but I just couldn't read anymore.
In chapter 1 The main character's ex girlfriend confides in him that she believes she might have had something put in her drink (leading to her 'cheat on him' and them breaking up a few days before' and his response is to think "I think in order to make peace with herself, she fabricated a new, less painful version. I believed, she believed, this was all a grand conspiracy."
I find the fact that it is suggested that to absolve herself of guilt Sarah lies about something like having her drink spiked is completely abhorrent. And then, as if it couldn't get any worse... he thinks "and in my mind, it really didn't matter if she was drugged." I just cannot explain how offensive and upsetting this is.

I really wanted to love this book but sadly it fell slightly short for me and I abandoned it about a quarter the way through.
Nothing against the book or the writing, it just wasn't a fit for me.
Sorry

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review, "Colors of Immortality"
by J.M. Muller. This book is amazing! It is so original and nothing like anything I have ever read before. I love the characters. The book centers around a teenager named Daniel who has been going through a lot lately. His parents are on drugs, he just found out his girlfriend Sarah cheated on him and he is not doing good at work. When his good friend Tony goes missing, Daniel realizes that this behavior is not typical for Tony. With a map in hand, Daniel sets off to find his friend. I was truly surprised with the events that took place and I am truly hoping for a sequel!

DNF at 18%. There wasn't anything wrong with the book but i just was not interested, its not my kind of book.

I always enjoy reading a good story filled with heart ache, mystery, and action. This was definitely one of those books that had a bit of a slow start that turns to a simmer of curiosity then a burning fire and need to figure out what the hell is going on. When I first read this book I thought it was going to be another annoying high school drama but man was I wrong. Its true that the main protagonist is only 16 but he’s very mature and easily relateable.

I think what really drew me into this book was the feel of mystery and mysticism. The creatures from the woods are described to be beautiful but completely lethal. And the use of creepy imagery instantly gave me horror movie chills as the scenes played in my mind.

Amazing book that captures my attention and couldn’t stop reading ! Went ahead and purchased the next book in the series !!! Can’t wait to see what happens next !

I received this book through Netgalley and am providing my honest review.

You know that feeling you have during the first 25-30% of a book you're really interested in? When the main character is the "real world" and then things happen to force our hero into adventure. You know, before that point of no return? That is this entire book. That feeling, that part of the Hero's Journey/most books is this entire book. It reads like a prequel. So, you're just waiting for the adventure and the journey to start, but it doesn't. That has to be for the sequel and, please Mrs. Author, let there be a sequel.

Think of it as though Harry's initial recruitment to Hogwarts was a book of it's own, but make Dumbledore a matriarchal tyrant and add a love interest. But even though there isn't character development or much plot to it, it's still interesting because the world is so fascinating. That's how this book was for me. I read it way too fast, eager to actually start getting into the world of magical forest zombies.

Essentially, Dan is a troubled sixteen-year-old kid with no control of his hard life. Then Supernatural forces make his life even harder because he is the Chosen One <spoiler>(he has a vibrant aura)</spoiler> and they need him. So, most of the book, up until the 85% mark, is them recruiting him into their world.

So, I struggled to rate this. On one hand, the characters are bland and there isn't much which goes on except for an instalove. The characters just react to events and act on the orders of Thorn (the Villain McBaddie). On the other hand, the world is complex, interesting and unique. I NEED to know more about the world and I need to dive head-first into it. Also, the writing is great.

However, it was nothing like I've read before. For me, the positive parts of the book outweigh the bad and I did find myself "really liking" the book, which is why I give it four stars. If it had more interesting characters, I would definitely have given it a 5.

I haven't read anything from this author before so I didn't know what to expect but after reading Colors of Immortality, I'm glad I believed my intuition that this would be a great book.

Fresh from a break up with his cheater girlfriend, Daniel, our hero, planned a double date/camping trip with his friend Tony along with two girls. Only to find out that even his friend deserted him by leaving town without him. Daniel never had an easy life and was used of accepting hard things but he couldn't accept what Tony did. Something is wrong and as he seeks to find the truth, he learned that he was right. He was introduced to this magical but creepy world, met this unusual but alluring beautiful people who seemed to have full of secrets. One of them was the gorgeous Fantasia, who told Daniel everything he needs to know and became his companion.

I must start with the statement, "this book gives me the creeps". The author aesthetically created/described this fantasy world that gives such an eerie feeling which results in favour to the world building. I felt like I was in some Disney movie, a dark, suspenseful Disney movie, set in a spooky forest ruled by a cruel witch, topped with spine-chilling scenes. Remember that Maleficent movie? Well, that's close to home especially that the villain was as amazing as Maleficent and we all love Maleficent. Don't we? And I'm not fooling you. I just read some reviews and learned that I'm not the only one who think it this way.

Aside from the fantastic world building, I also liked the way the genre shifted from a realistic YA story to a paranormal, suspense, mystery novel. It was properly done and realistically that I have to admit, only few writers can do.

So why I haven't given this book a five-star rating? The Romance, ladies and gentlemen. Though some of you might like it, I'm not a fan of insta-love which involves insta-possessiveness. I'm not saying that the romance is a disappointment, it was, well, romantic but not just for me. Also I find Daniel, ahm, a little disappointing. I hate cheating and that's one of the triggers I avoid in the books I read. With that being said, i must hate his ex, Sarah, who supposedly cheated. True or not, I felt like Sarah deserves more chance than what Daniel gave her. She was explaining and he's supposed to be in love with her yet he just ignored her without giving her so much of a chance to explain herself. Or did he even tried knowing the real truth behind. Anwyay, what do I know when it comes to romantic relationship? Hehe.

Anyway, aside from Daniel, I find all other characters (or creatures) amazingly written. So overall, I recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy and creepiness. :) :)

As much as I enjoyed the magical elements of this novel, I constantly found myself feeling as though it was a chore to read. The characters are deep and have great growth, however I didn't really like the protagonist.
I think this will be a hit with YA readers, it has all the makings for it to be swept up and loved.