REVIEW
The cover initially attracted me to this book and then when I read the blurb, I realised that I couldn't remember the last time I had read a vampire themed book, so this book was the perfect choice. That and the fact the publishers were Entangled Teen made me give the book a closer look.

As I said the cover was what initially attracted me to the book. The sky in the background of the cover is a murky, turbulent, stormy one. The ground is covered in what I would call autumnal coloured leaves. The main object on the cover is a tree, with its branches and remaining leaves in a heart shape.

The genres I have seen listed are Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Teens & YA which all fit the book well. I definitely think this book is aimed at the younger to mid teen audience, though I did enjoy reading it myself.

The one thing that made me doubt reading this book was this phrase from within the blurb "Fans of Vampire Diaries and Twilight will be thirsting for this latest vampire addiction…" So many books compare themselves to both the Vampire Diaries and Twilight which in my opinion isn't always a good thing. It's kind of a "pet hate" for me. I would have probably just overlooked this book is the rest of the blurb hadn't piqued my interest and the fact the publishers were Entangled Teen who have published many fantastic books. After reading this book I honestly wouldn't compare it to either book mentioned. Maybe whoever decides on using the phrase thinks it will attract more readers, personally it tends to put me off.

The book starts with the main character, Charlize walking her dog Jax wishing something exciting would happen. Charlize or Charlie as most people call her, is bored living in the middle of no-where with her Aunt Rachel. There's no telephones, landline or mobile, or internet etc so Charlie helps her rather hippie Aunt make soap and other craft items to sell. In her spare time Charlie either reads or spends time taking long walks with her German shepherd dog, Jax. Her Aunt always warns her not to stray too far away from the cabin they live in. Charlie does have an ulterior motive for all those long walks with the dog as she has bought herself a mobile phone, which under normal circumstances would have come in handy when two men appear insisting they are taking her Aunt away with them. Her Aunt tells her phoning the police will not help and she stresses to Charlie that under no circumstances at all should she try to run! Charlie is totally shocked by what her Aunt Rachel tells her but does her best to listen to her. Aunt Rachel is taken away by the first two men that had entered the cabin, leaving Charlie behind to be "taken care of" or rather "disposed of" by Sebastian.

So Charlie had managed not to make a run for it whilst the men were holding her Aunt Rachel in the cabin with her but now there was only herself to think about what did she have to lose? So when Charlie finds herself left with a third young man called Sebastian she thinks she should attempt to get away and perhaps find Jax who has been scared away. Sebastian catches up with Charlie easily and warns her not to run or scream as it triggers his blood lust. Charlie has difficulty accepting the existence of vampires but she needs to learn how to survive around them fast!

Sebastian offers to take Charlie to Matteo, King of the Anima who will help her get her Aunt Rachel back. Charlie immediately agrees, as she will do anything to rescue her Aunt.

There are three types of vampires, Corpus, Mentis and Anima. The Corpus are the most cruel and even feed on their own kin, their gift is to blend into the shadows. The Mentis are kind of middle of the road vampires in that they feed but keep humans in what they call a farm to feed off. The gift the Mentis have is to be able to charm and mind control anyone who looks into their eyes. The final type of vampires are the Anima, these feed on animals and humans. They protect humans and want everyone to know about them and to find a way to live in peace.

Of course there's lots more going on in the book such as why a Mentis like Sebastian cannot remember his life before becoming a vampire. Then there's the rescue plan to be made to retrieve Aunt Rachel from the Mentis clan. Another mystery is where Matteo and Aunt Rachel's off-spring are. I could go on and on about the book. I did enjoy reading it though it ended on quite a cliffhanger situation as we hadn't found the answers for the questions raised by the book. Having said that this is book one in the Blood Eternal series so I would say it was a good thing to leave the first book with some unanswered questions as it keeps you eager for the next book.

I liked Charlie, how her immediate thoughts when her Aunt Rachel is stolen away from her is how can I get her back. I think her Aunt Rachel has underestimated her "niece" and she maybe should have explained the reason they are living so remotely. Aunt Rachel could have prepared Charlie how to react if she was taken from her. Though even by the end of the book Aunt Rachel nor anyone else has really explained to Charlie who/what she is and revealed her true parentage and the power/gift she has deep within herself.

I really loved the character of Sebastian, his unknown past from before he was made a vampire by the Mentis Clan. The fact Sebastian wants to help Charlie even before he realises she has a power/gift that allows him to see glimpses of his "before" life. Sebastian knows that when he is returned to the Mentis he will suffer for helping Charlie. The Mentis Queen will see to it that he suffers pain for what she will see as a betrayal. There is an instant attraction between Sebastian and Charlie but can it ever work? A vampire, human relationship. . . though we don't actually know what/who Charlie really is!

King Matteo of the Anima is portrayed as a good guy though how long that view will last when the war between the vampires really begins is left unrevealed. It's clear to see that Matteo cares for the lives of humans. He instantly begins planning Aunt Rachel's rescue. It is also revealed that rather than use humans just for blood and disregard or even kill any that are no longer of any use like the other vampire clans of Corpus and Mentis. King Matteo and the Anima Clan willing give blood to any human it can help. In fact we witness one such human when Charlie is helping to make soap who tells her that he had a terminal illness but was cured by vampire blood.

My immediate thoughts were that I enjoyed reading this book, hope this is the beginning of a potentially great series as I would like to read more about Charlie & Sebastian. Especially wanting to know what Charlie is, as well as learning more about Matteo & Aunt Rachel's relationship.

So I did enjoy reading the book but kind of finished feeling like I had wanted a few more definite answers within this book to the questions I had. I will have to be a little more patient and hope to find the answers in the next book. There seemed to be so much going on that could have perhaps been explored more deeply such as why were the Mentis draining blood from the humans and experienting on them? What were the experiments for? Why drain a human until you kill them when you could take blood little and often, more like the Anima Clan and have a plentiful supply of blood given willingly? I think I would have liked to know a little more about each clan, specifically the Anima and Mentis ones.

Also at around 80% of the way through the book it ends and the remainder of the book is labelled "bonus content" and is from Sebastian's point of view, which was mostly, basically what we had read at the beginning of the book from Charlie's view. The section from Sebastian's outlook was interesting when we got little hints and perhaps more detail of things that had happened to Sebastian in the Mentis Clan that lead up to him being trusted and tested at the same time on the retrieval of Aunt Rachel and the clear up and search for information. I would have rather had that inserted within the main part of the book somehow. I just felt a little disappointed with the section from Sebastian's point of view as it didn't reveal anything different enough to what we had already read. Saying all that I would like to read the next book in the series, and I would say that this book is perfect for the Teen/YA target audience that it is aimed at.

When I look for a new book to read, I look for originality, spunk, and, a strong plot. Risen by Cole Gibsen had all of that and more.

Risen was such a delicious read! I had a difficult time putting the book down, and when IRisen7 had to, I was wishing I was reading! I absolutely loved the plot and the intricate details.

I enjoyed how the characters were easily relatable and actually acted their age. I’ve read some books where I can’t relate to a single character or don’t understand why a character is acting a certain way. I did not have that issue with Risen. And the chemistry between Charlie and her love interest was to die for; the scenes that involved the two of them, it was like the electricity between them was jumping off the page. It was electrifying.

Risen captivated me from the first page to the last line. It’s been a while since I have read a good vampire story, so I was very pleased with this story. The in-depth research and creativity that went into the different races and the all-out vampire was was wholly original and unique.

If you are looking for a new vampire book that will have you glued to your seat and your eyes hooked on the pages, then Risen by Cole Gibsen is the book for you! And if you love hot vampires and humor and sizzling scenes, then grab your copy today!

Questions, questions, and more questions. I actually struggled with what rating to give this book, because I did enjoy the story, but there were a few things that bothered me. Despite those pesky problems, I really want to know where the story will go from here, so I'll definitely be reading the next one!

I'm all about a slow reveal. I actually savor the moments leading up to the big thing, but when those questions are never answered, I feel deflated and disappointed. I need some issues to be resolved before the end of the book, and I get a little frustrated when every answer seems to be reserved for later. Risen ends with way too many questions and very few potential answers.

I also struggled with the ease in which Charlie "trusts her feelings." I just don't know how accommodating I would be to a vampire that just assisted in the abduction of a family member. I know for the sake of the story, there has to be a little give so things can progress, but she seemed to forget all the bad a little too easily. Yes, she mentions her brain malfunctioning in that area, but thinking and doing are not the same. Once we get past the initial "don't trust the vampire," it was a little easier to go with the flow, but I did grind my teeth a few times when things fell into place without resistance or conflict.

Sebastian is eager to protect Charlie for reasons, but more of his backstory would have been helpful (what he's able to share anyways). The added content at the end of the book with his perspective was only a little enlightening. I liked him as a character, but never felt like I knew anything about him.

There were a lot of surprises that I wasn't expecting, and I'm not sure how I feel about them because questions. I don't even know if I'm supposed to believe or understand what I think I know. I'm also not sure why everyone else isn't freaking out if it's true. Then there is the mysterious Rachel, a person with actual answers, but she isn't sharing them right now.

All in all, I'm curious what is going to happen next. I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series, and I'm assuming that is when I'll start getting some answers (at least I hope so). This book has so much going for it, and I don't say that lightly. It's been ages since I've read a vampire book, and this synopsis intrigued me enough to give it a shot. I wasn't disappointed by the story, or the characters really, but by a lack of information.

Opal, Charlie, Sebastian, Matteo, Delaney... all very interesting characters that I would love to know more about. If you're looking for a vampire book to shake things up a bit, I recommended looking into Risen. Despite my issues, I was hooked on the story!

This was a fresh new take on the young adult vampire genre! I love that Cole Gibsen stuck with some traditional vampire lore (avoiding sunlight) but added her own story into it as well. The three different clans and their abilities were very interesting, as well were the characters and their stories! I'm excited to see where the sequel goes!

http://fangirllovenotes.blogspot.com/2018/03/risen-blood-eternal-by-cole-gibsen.html?m=1

My aunt has been kidnapped by vampires, and it’s up to me to save her. Only…I had no idea vampires existed. None. Nada. I’m more of a reader than a fighter, and even though I’d been wishing to escape my boring existence in the middle of nowhere, I’d give anything to have it back now if it meant my aunt was safe.

Then there’s the vampire Sebastian, who seems slightly nicer than most of the bloodsuckers I’ve run into so far. Yes, he’s the hottest being I’ve ever come across, but there’s no way I can trust him. He swears he’s helping me get answers, but there’s more to his story. Now I’m a key pawn in a raging vampire war, and I need to pick the right ally.

But my chances of surviving this war are slim at best, when the side I choose might be the one that wants me dead the most.




---

Dear Cole,

First off, I want to say thank you to you as well as to NetGalley for the free eBook. That was so freaking awesome of you guys. I have to admit that that beginning blew me away. It was a great opener, you got a glimpse into the life of your main character without giving too much away and it was fast paced enough that I did not get bored.

Charlie, is an interesting main character. I have to admit that at times I wasn't really feeling her inner monologue of being too dumb to know when to run away. And the question of what she is, is really nagging at me. When does the next book come out?! I really need to know!!! I really appreciated that Charlie's character growth was slow and subtle, and that in the end she matured into her situation.

And then there's Sebastian. I want to say that with the clues you kind of left about his life before the Mentis got him, I think I know who his parents are. Think, being the key word. How long until the second book again?

All in all, the world building was great. The story itself was something that I found myself really getting into. You didn't have any dull moments, there was either a lot of action or the story was being filled in. I thought Risen was a great read and I'm pretty excited that I was given a chance to read it.

So, about that next book? I'm gonna need it tomorrow!

Risen is the first book in the young adult vampire romance series Blood Eternal. It follows Charlie (short for Charlize), a young seemingly human girl whose aunt is kidnapped by a clan of vampires. Readers eventually come to find this is motivated by some kind of war among three vampire clans. Charlie is forced to play a part as well when Sebastian, a vampire, is tasked with keeping her alive as collateral. Some kind of romance begins to form between the two characters. Charlie begins exhibiting strange, supernatural behaviors of her own and faeries get thrown into the mix at one point. Nothing really new here. I did not like or understand Sebastian. He came across as such a cold, heartless creature that it was not clear to me how he could have even considered having any kinds of warm feeling towards Charlie. Recommend the author try to make it more clear what kind of character they want to leading male to be and try to develop this a bit better in future installments.

This book was unexpected. There are no slow moments. The author wrote this like a rollercoaster ride. I did feel like the book could have been a bit longer to help give more backstory and character development. I gave this four stars because the story had me hooked and I will definitely be reading the next book when it comes out.

Charlie is a seventeen year old living in seclusion with her aunt Rachel and her dog Jax. She feels stuck without social interaction and barely being able to leave their farmhouse. Her aunt makes oil scented soaps and sells them with the toxics they grow to keep them self sufficient. Everything changes one night when a subspecies of vampires called Mentis kidnap her aunt and a young Mentis named Sebastian is told to get rid of Charlie.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley and Entangled Teen for a fair and honest review.

This book was AMAZING!

I was very surprised in how much I enjoyed this book, but NOT in a bad way. Going into this story, I had no idea how much I was going to be completely sucked (no pun intended) in!

Knowing that this was going to be featured with vampires, I felt like this was going to be more on the typical, bland focus of the creatures. BUT little did I know that I was about to be on an intense, heart-racing thrill ride.

I appreciated how fast this book started. You don’t have to wait for the story to get moving like 95% of all books start out as. Literally, the first page set the scene and it jumped straight from there within the first chapter. So, if you find yourself in a reading slump, pick up this book and you won’t be disappointed!

For the most part, there are VERY few books where I think the romance is written in a way that doesn’t make me, sort of, roll my eyes. This book leaned more on making my eyes fly across the page. How it’s executed in writing makes this story one of those intense, heart-pounding connections that you want more of. There were parts in this book where I found myself skipping paragraphs just so I could get more of the relationship escalations.

Risen7But like I kinda said before, the world of the vampires is different from most vampire stories. There are similarities, but it is the differences that make this one of my all-time favorites. As you will read later in the story, there are various types of clans that make this also have that fantasy element. It sort of had a Walking Dead / zombie feel as well, so don’t think this is the Twilight-type of vampires.

Overall, I gave this book a strong 5 out of 5 stars. The characters are pretty diverse in their background while also displacing all of the typical characteristics seen in most YA stories. The dialogue also features a bit of snarky wit which I felt to be subtly amusing. There is a lot of mysterious background information that is slowly seeped throughout the book from century-old conflicts to hidden secrets to heart-stopping moments. I really enjoyed this book, and I CAN NOT wait to read book 2!

I haven't read a good vampire book in a long time.
Thanks Net gallery and Entangled.
This was a quick read. I was definitely sucked in from the first page

Risen is the first Vampire book I have read (and finished) this year. It was a fast paced quick read that was very entertaining. I do have to say that it did leave things to be desired.

Charlie lives in the woods with her aunt, cut off from the world and aching to get away and experience the world. Her little bubble is shattered when her aunt is kidnapped by vampires and taken to their queen. Charlie finds herself with no options but to trust Sebastian, one of the vampires that took her aunt. She is quickly thrown into the outside world encountering all sorts of monsters she had never imagined.

Overall I think that the characters have great potential. I found Charlie to be a little too trusting at times, which of course got her into some crazy situations. I do love that she has Opal as a friend. I would really love to see that friendship develop to give her something outside of her love story. I think this was an interesting take on the vampire mythos, splitting them into 3 factions that are at war with one another. I really appreciated that the three different groups had their own characteristics and even though they are all vampires, they are each their own type of monster.

I think my biggest pet peeve about this story is that I felt like it ended halfway through. I understand that this is the first installment in a series, but I feel like we didn't get any type of answers to the million questions that we had as readers.

Overall I didn't dislike this book, but it could have definitely been better.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


Charlie lives with her Aunt and everything is fine until one day when her dog Jax acts weird as they walk home, and when Charlie tells her Aunt about it all she starts to worry. Aunt Rachel says the monster are coming for her, and that Charlie should be fine as long as they think she is her niece.


Before too long, they hear the sounds of a vehicle on their driveway and Charlie knows something is wrong. Soon their house is invaded by vampires and Aunt Rachel is taken. They leave Charlie with Sebastian. He is supposed to kill her, but he is more worried about finding some kind of proof about Aunt Rachel's dead son.


He plans on taking Charlie to the Anima clan. But something about Charlie resonates within him and he starts remembering parts of his life before he was turned. Sebastian knows that he is signing his own death warrant by helping her, but he can't help himself.


After they are taking by vampire hunters and then freed when Corpus clan attacks the hunters, they are joined by Opal the only surviving hunter. They set off to Anima clan and the truth about Charlie.


This was a good start to a series, although I don't think it answered some of the more burning questions, but since it is a first book that doesn't necessarily have to happen. I must admit I normally avoid Vampire books, as I am burned out on the genre, but despite those feelings I really enjoyed this book, and I need answers and I will need book 2. I found the origin story and the clans interesting and different. I am also really intrigued to see where Cole takes this series.


I love the dynamic between Opal, Sebastian and Charlie. I like how they really connected despite all of their differences. I hope the next book answers some of my questions.

So, Risen, by Cole Gibson. Good to the last page......wait, is that seriously, actually, definitely the last page? No funning? I mean, I have questions! I need to know more about these Vampire clans, with the Queens, and what happened to King Matteo, and Aunt Rachel, and what the frick-frack is going on with Charlie! And Sebastian! And Jax!



Sigh.



Funnily enough, I actually started reading two books at almost the same time, with very similar beginnings. Stubborn Young Woman with Mysterious Heritage is tired of living a life of seclusion and would like to see the Rest Of The World. So far so good. The Other Book (OB and which will not be named because I am not mean) also has a first person narration from SYWMH and secretive family figures who aren't telling her stuff for her own good. However, OB's heroine spent chapter one whinging about how unnaturally beautiful and supernaturally strong she was. Sneaking out of the house at night in order to meet and insta-love Cute Guy, and complaining about her violet eyes. Making sure that we know that they are Violet, not purple or Lavender, as though SYWMH has spent a whole bunch of time staring in the mirror comparing her eyes to paint samples.



I did not get past chapter one. Also, I already know that she's an angel/ nephalim. No Stars.



In Risen, Charlie, the SYWMH, is respectful of her Aunt, even if she'd frustrated by the isolation. She wants to apply to College, not start drama over a school dance. Also, she is not a self-absorbed little twit. Yay, Cole Gibson. I still have no idea what the deal is with Charlie. 4 1/2 stars.



Things that I loved:



No Insta-love! THANK YOU! While there isn't enough history of the three vampire clans for me (more please next time, thank you) Gibson does mention that the Mentis clan, which found and took in Sebastian, use their beauty as a hunting tool. So, he's totally a babe, and he knows that he's a babe, and Charlie knows that he's a babe, and he knows that she knows. However! Charlie is not dumb, and knows that there's more to a person than pretty. Their relationship is earned through their time together. I ship it btw.



No magically perfect insta-princess, nuclear family. A lesser writer would have gone the stereotypical easy route, and I am so glad that Gibson didn't.



Charlie's feelings. I won't go into any spoilerey descriptions of powers due to Mysterious Heritage, but the one I love is that Charlie KNOWS what feels right, and what doesn't. She can tell her people, and I love it.



The History of the Vampires! Dude, yes!



Sebastian has legit reasons to act the way he does. He has logical and selfish and, well, human reasons. He acts against his Queen and Clan, not because he is suddenly magically struck by perfect beauty, but because Charlie is the only way he can achieve his own goal.







So, a yes from me,

I have to admit that the blurb actually put me off. Sorry Entangled Teen. I see what you were aiming for, but this book is better than that.



"Fans of Vampire Diaries and Twilight will be thirsting for this latest vampire addiction…"



I loathe both of those, but I really enjoyed Risen. Yes, I will offer Risen to people in my store looking for more of those, but I'll also offer it to people who want something absolutely different from them. Even to someone looking for something a little Holly Black. Spoiler!



Also, pretty please, can you put me on the list for book two?

*Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC that I read voluntary*

So I've said this a million times and I will keep saying it, anything with vampire in it, I will read. So when I saw this on NetGalley I had to read it. So a little about the book, Charlie lives with her aunt in the middle of nowhere with no one around. I would lose my mind, being trapped like that... I don't know how Charlie's mental health state wasn't horrible as can be. Her aunt has never said why they live this way but one day, everything changes when vampires appear and take her aunt away. Lots of crap happens and then we find out that Charlie might be one of the three top vampire leaders daughter, only we never find that out. We never find out if her aunt is really her mother.... nothing really is resolved in this novel...

I mean one or two things are wrapped up but the big stuff is left unknown, I didn't like that. I know this is going to be a series and that's fine, I love series but this just gave no answers at all. I felt like the book ended just so suddenly.... I feel like half the book was missing. That's not something I normally get with series. We usually get some closure.

I do like what the author did with the vampire clans and how they are different. That was a nice touch. I do like a few of the characters and the book is nicely well written, it's fast paced and full of action, some romance and blood, lots of blood.

Overall, I did enjoy it and I do want to find out what happens in the next one!

Will go live on my blog during the Risen Blog Tour: 4/5/2018
http://sweetcherry69.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Risen by Cole Gibsen! Charlie lives with her Aunt Rachel in a secluded wood in a three-room, rundown cabin. All Charlie wants to do is escape from the boredom and limited stimulation of seeing and doing the same things everyday. She gets what she wants, a change, but not in the way she was thinking of. Charlie’s world is turned upside down when dangerous visitors break into the cabin and kidnap Aunt Rachel. The strangers are vampires and one of them, Sebastian, stays behind with Charlie, deciding to help her find her Aunt Rachel. Questions surrounding Charlie’s parents open up a mystery that twists and turns until Sebastian even seems to be involved somehow. As they run from danger and try to rescue Aunt Rachel, Charlie and Sebastian encounter violent vampires and a clan of vampires that have made a peaceful community with humans. Charlie and Sebastian are innately protective of each other and they finally make it to a safe house. The abrupt ending surprised me and I was disappointed but I’m sure there’s a sequel in the future. The bonus content shows Sebastian’s point of view during the opening of the story. 4 stars for this supernatural mystery and the endearing characters!

I know this is a YA book, and I am well past the target demographic, but I enjoy a lot of YA books. Unfortunately this was not one of them. Risen was very juvenile, both in style and content. While the premise was interesting, three warring clans of vampires, missing heirs, strange powers, the execution left a lot to be desired. And our heroine was TSTL. I know she is a home schooled 17 y/o, but she was rediculous. I ended up skimming a good deal but unfortunately this book just didn't do,it for me.

There are similarities between Risen and other vampire novels I have read but this book still managed have a few differences to set itself apart from the others. There were still flaws with this book but I feel that they were overshadowed by some of the good things about this story. I didn't care for the insta-love but was able to look past it because it wasn't as in your face as is the case with some books. The main characters are not professing their love for each other throughout the story. It was more like them vowing to protect and save each other because they caught feelings.

The plot was simple but direct in its approach. It was not a complex story but I did enjoy that Charlie was not a part of some prophecy which tends to be the case lately. The other characters have their own theories about her background but none of them know anything for sure about her. This made her a mystery that was both frustrating and intriguing. I wanted to know more about her so I waited for the author to hand out clues about her past so that I could try to piece it together.

I also enjoyed the world building within the vampire world. This book is set in modern day with the majority of humans having no idea that vampires exist. I thought that the different factions of vampires was a nice touch to the story which provided the reader with information on the division between them all and why their is a war going on between them. and how they had different beliefs as to what should be done with humans and vampires alike. I found the characters interesting but I'm not sure if I like the way that things are unfolding with Charlies family. I would definitely read the next book in the series just so i can know what is going to happen with Charlie and her companions.

Since I was little, I've loved the monsters (aside from a brief period of time in which I was scared of EVERYTHING).

I've devoured books about vampires, werewolves, demons, shifters, djinn, Fae (sometimes good, sometimes bad), and anything else that remotely goes "bump" in the night, so I was pretty excited to find a novel that took one of my favorite monsters and added its own spin. 

 Gibsen didn't just cash in on the tried and true vampire mythos; she's created her own. Risen doesn't just have standard bloodsuckers- there are three vampire courts and each has their own strengths (and disdain for one another).

First, there's the Anima- vampires who want to coexist peacefully with humans and only feed on willing donors and animals. They look the most human, and have itty bitty fangs (slightly larger than humans'). Cool thing- they can transform into animal form- usually bird. 

Next, we have the Mentis clan, who see humans as their own personal Happy Meals. They're the charismatic ones (or at least their Compulsion will make you think so). On top of that, they're ridiculously attractive WITHOUT any ridiculous sparkling. 

Last, and definitely least, are the Corpus. Take one guess what they're like. Corpus vampires are the Great White sharks- they'll eat just about anything, including each other. They have the power to move through the shadows, and that's a good thing because you'd definitely rather not look at one (think: Walking Dead). 

The three clans have been at war for a long time, and poor Charlie has found herself thrust into the middle of it.  

Aside from the clans, Gibsen has created an unexpected backstory for her vampires, tying them closely to another supernatural group that many readers might be surprised by (totally not going to spoil that). Trust me, it's an interesting twist, and I give a lot of credit to any author that can take my favorite creatures and reinvent them into something new. There's a lot of world-building and backstory left, but Risen provides enough that readers get pulled in and can eagerly follow along. 

Now...the main characters...

Charlie is fun and surprisingly normal considering she's grown up in a one-bedroom cottage with her completely hippie, soap-making aunt, Rachel. She faces her new chaotic and entirely life-threatening reality with what I consider a healthy case of sarcasm. Come on, your life is most likely in danger and you still have the spunk to whip out the sarcasm? A girl after my own heart. As far as Charlie knows, she's a regular girl aside from the mountain-woman method of her upbringing. Lucky for us, and her reluctant savior, Sebastian, there's more to her than she ever thought possible. 

Speaking of fantasy crushes, enter Sebastian. At first, he has that whole brooding and deadly thing going on, but there's a personality lurking underneath that ice. He's been a vampire for who knows how long (he actually has no clue), and he's a bit out of touch with mortal life. 

I'm not going to lie, he grew on me real quick. There's something endearing about his snark and his own naivete about his origins. Charlie starts to make other parts of his personality rise to the surface, and I think he has the potential to be an awesome character with a lot of growth in future installments. 

Overall Impressions...
Risen is an engaging and well-paced step into a new world of vampires. Gibsen's characters have a quick chemistry that makes them work and fight well together. 

The conflict is clearly explained, and there are a lot of complexities to it that give Gibsen room to continue developing this first story arc into a pretty awesome sequel. 

ARC or not, I'll be ordering the next book, so I can find out more about Charlie (who and WHAT she is), Sebastian (where in the world is he from???), Opal, and Jax (is that REALLY a dog?).

Risen by Cole Gibsen is the first book in the new young adult paranormal fantasy Blood Eternal series. The moment I saw the stunning cover on this one I knew any restraint I had would be out the window and I would need to read this one. Of course I was asking myself at the time did I really need to read yet another YA vampire book? Well, when done I’m glad that I didn’t talk myself out of it as this one had what I’m always searching for, something different.

The story starts off with Charlie out walking her dog, Jazz, in the wood when things go eerily silent and Jazz gets a bit antsy. Thinking it’s just the scent of some other animal that has Jazz all worked up Charlie thinks nothing of it as she returns to the remote cabin she shares with her aunt who has raised her.

After returning home however when Charlie’s aunt hears about what happened she completely freaks out and starts spouting something about the monsters are coming. Charlie has no clue what is going on but when three strange men show up at the cabin Charlie begins to see into a world that she never knew existed and apparently her aunt had been a part of.

Unfortunately before Charlie can even wrap her head around the fact that it seems that vampires do exist in the world two of the strangers take her aunt. The remaining vampire is left to find evidence in the cabin to take to his leader and to dispose of Charlie but before that can happen he finds there is something a bit different to Charlie herself making him curious.

Risen was one that was easy to escape into and become interested in the story from the very beginning but I had to question whether this would be just another vampire romance type of book or would there be something about it to make it stand out. It didn’t take long for the author to begin to weave a whole new vampire world to completely grab my attention and draw me in. For starters there aren’t even just “vampires” but different subspecies, the Corpus, Mentis and Amina. Now I’ve always had my suspicions that the reason Twilight did so well was simply taking something familiar and changing the rules to create something new and that is what we have with Risen too.

After sighing with relief that I would find something entertaining hiding under the cover that I’d fallen in love with I settled in to see what else the book would hold. Along with some excellent and creative world building there was plenty of action and intrigue unfolding in this start to the series. With a constant fast pace to the story it easily kept my sometimes known to wander attention and by the end of the book I would rate this start to the series at 4.5 stars and quite look forward to seeing what happens with Charlie and company in the next installment.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

An enjoyable and action packed tale, that takes the legend of the vampire and completely reworks it into something new and exciting, this is the first in a promising new series of books aimed at a young adult audience. Charlie lives in the woods with her Aunt Rachel and her beloved dog Jax, until one night when everything she thinks she knows comes crashing down and her aunt is kidapped by a group of vicious Vampires. This comes as something of a shock to Charlie, who had no idea the monsters were real, and things go from bad to worse when she is forced to go on the run with one of them.
As I said earlier , one of the most interesting things about this book was the vampire lore, creating different classes and having them vie against each other for power is a clever spin on a very popular genre. The different types each have something different and intriguing to offer, and I can see a lot of potential to develop the world as the series continues.
Charlie is a cool, well realised character,and having much of the book written from her perspective really puts the reader in the middle of it all, we share her confusion and fear about what is going on. The book moves along at a good pace, and held my interest. Overall I enjoyed it and will read the next when it comes out.

Seventeen year old Charlie lives with her Aunt Rachel off the grid in a cabin in the woods, but she can’t wait to go to college in the “real world.” She thinks that Rachel is just a hippie who likes to be close to nature while she makes the soaps she sells at the farmer’s market. What she doesn’t know is that Rachel’s hiding from vampire clans who would use her as a pawn in their war.

Charlie finds out the hard way when a pair of vampire thugs arrive at her door and kidnap her aunt, leaving her behind with the handsome and mysterious Sebastian. Sebastian doesn’t remember his life before he became a vampire. But being with Charlie starts to bring back memories. He decides to spare her life and deliver her to the one clan that can protect her. On the way they’ll encounter hunters as well as rival vampires.

The vampire clans in this world each have different powers. One clan are basically traditional vampires, one are shifters, and one are ghoul-like. They also have very different approaches to feeding and coexisting with humans. While we do discover the reason for their varied powers, Gibsen never explains the physical differences between the clans and that bothered me.

She also leaves a lot of questions unanswered about Charlie’s history, as well as Sebastian’s. In fact, I felt like all of the questions were unanswered because the end of the book casts doubt on everything I thought I had figured out. It’s not technically a cliffhanger, but it’s very much a “to be continued” situation that left me feeling unsatisfied.

I actually almost DNFed Risen at around the 15% mark. I had a few instances where repetitive wording had me looking for my editing pen. And then there’s a thing with the dog. (He doesn’t die, but it seemed like maybe he did in an earlier draft and then the author changed her mind.) I kept going because it was a really quick read, fast paced with lots of action. And I do think the world is interesting even though I needed to know more about it.

I feel like Risen would work well as a TV show, though I feel like I’ve already seen some of the episodes. It was a fine way to spend a rainy afternoon, even if I didn’t love it. There is a second book planned in the series, which will hopefully answer all of those lingering questions, but I’m not sure yet if I’m going to read it.