DNF'd the book at 34%

This was not my favorite book and the had such high hopes for it because it sounded really good. There was just something missing for me and I just can't pinpoint what. The characters were ok but the plot left much to be desired. I will still try to read this author again but this one just didn't do it for me.

This story is about a girl names Analiese who finds her name on a list given to her by a stranger, which leads her to the strangers grandson and sends them on quest for answers. Ana finds out she's a "riser" and is able to raise the dead with just a touch. Seems pretty cool until she realizes this puts her right in the middle of a war between Gods.

If mythology is your thing, this book is for you. You'll meet a lot of gods in this book, and I like the take on the war between the powerful gods and the lesser gods. There's a ton of action and adventure in this book as Analiese and Marek try to solve the mystery of how to stop the war and save themselves.

I will say this book felt a little more middle grade to me. Ana is a very young acting 16 and the romance aspect felt super one sided and gushy up until the book was almost over. Part of this is simply because we see the story through Ana's eyes, but it still would've been nice to get a better read on Marek. I would've loved to see more of Dalton, Ana's brother. But the set up for the next book looks like we'll see more of him.

I will say I appreciate the representation in this book. Sometimes authors seem to stick LGBT characters in the books and give them exaggerated stories to let you know they're LGBT, but this book really does weave these characters in seamlessly and without fuss. The main romance is M/F, but the LGBT couples are a part of the entire tapestry, as it should be.

Overall, this book was okay for me. It has potential to get better with the trilogy, so I'm hoping that's what happens here. If you love mythology and lots of action, definitely give it a read!

Not sure how I feel about this one. There was so much action in the book, but the last few chapters were extremely rushed and I felt completely let down.
*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

All that being said, I did enjoy 95% of the book, and couldn't put it down. I did get a little annoyed at Analies with how much she thought to herself about leaving the "hunt" and just going home. Marek was amazing and I just wish that my daughters could find someone half as caring as he was. I just can't get past how rushed the ending was. Everything was great, we got a lot of info and some crazy adventures, then bam... Slight fight scene...Death of a side character...Marek leaves... Marek returns...Book over... And all of that was like literally the last 2-4 chapters. I was just like HUH?? WHY?? I need more details!!!

If you don't mind the endings rushed and wrapped up quickly then pick this one up!

Analiese Rising is a solid start to what I hope will be a triology or more. Meet Analiese, a teen who has experienced more than her fair share of tragedy in her short life. She meets a cute stranger with a strange list... one that her family members and herself are on with no explanation. In the coming weeks, Analiese's world will be turned upside down - she isn't who she thinks she is, she's got unexpected powers and it's really hard to know who to trust!

In my opinion, Analiese Rising is one of those books that falls into the fantasy world of humans who have powers and there are other non-humans who are trying to influence the real world for better or for worse. What makes this book different is that there are puzzles throughout the book that challenge the characters to use their minds and there is mythology involved. While Analiese is somewhat of a naive character, she sure knows her mythology.

This wasn't a complete home run for me though. Where I feel it felt short was that first, Analiese's character will be frustrating to some people. She's a teen who is, as I said before, naive, and strong willed. She makes some incredibly questionable decisions and some of which could be questioned for her age such as traveling the world without her mother knowing and none of the parents really freaking out at the end. Secondly, there is a ton a mythological gods and goddesses in this book but they really just make cameo appearances.

If' you're looking for a fast, fun, adventure-filled read, you should definitely check out Analiese Rising!

*I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it - all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

“’…Ah, unrequited love. It’s the best kind. The pain is a reminder you’re alive.’”*

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a fan of Brenda Drake’s FATED series and consider myself a mythology buff, so I jumped at the opportunity to request an ARC of ANALIESE RISING through NetGalley.

Analiese is an orphan, who lives with her aunt and her cousin Dalton. She considered her deceased uncle to be a parent, but her relationship with her aunt is strained. A dying man thrusts his satchel at her. Inside she finds a list with her name on it and thus starts her quest to discover the truth about her parents and their dark legacy. Along the way, she joins up with Marek, the dying man’s grandson. Together they solve the ciphers left by his grandfather that forever change their perceptions of the world.

Many of the gods and goddesses who appear in Analiese’s world are lesser known, but there’s plenty of famous deities. Drake’s take on each of the divine characters and world is unique. For me, the sheer number of characters is a bit overwhelming. This is mostly because I wanted to spend more time with each of them. I’m hoping they come into play more as the series progresses. Following the clues left by Marek’s grandfather takes the duo to Europe, giving the adventure a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop. Drake does an excellent job portraying Analiese’s panic disorder. I love how Drake includes a number of LGBT characters.

I enjoyed the book and the sparks between Analiese and Marek. I look forward to the next adventure. There’s plenty of richness in the world to support a long-running series.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

This was not my favorite book and the had such high hopes for it because it sounded really good. There was just something missing for me and I just can't pinpoint what. The characters were ok but the plot left much to be desired. I will still try to read this author again but this one just didn't do it for me.

The beautiful cover first caught my attention, but the mythology theme clinched it for me - I needed to read this book.  

Along with Analiese and Marek, I enjoyed trying to figure out the obscure clues left by Marek's grandfather, and the beautiful, and sometimes dangerous locations where those clues lead.  The pacing is brisk, with little downtime between action scenes.  As a mythology fan, the numerous gods and goddesses thrilled me - but so many of them are mentioned, I quickly lost track.

Analiese is likable, and finds herself in many intense, life-threatening situations, but her internal thoughts about Marek's smile or how he looks at her during these moments pulled me out of the scene more than once.  Until almost the end of the book, I never got the feeling he considered her more than a friend.  Flying across the world with Marek, someone Analiese has known only a couple of days, then successfully hiding that fact from her mother requires a sizable suspension of disbelief.  

If a fast pace, nearly non-stop action, quests, and puzzles are your thing, you may enjoy Analiese Rising, but I'd recommend jotting down the gods and goddesses names to keep them straight.   

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book certainly took me by surprise. By the cover you'd think that it's a high fantasy with a complex magic system or something, but nope. It's all about Gods and Goddesses from different mythologies messing everything up and not letting people live good and peaceful lives (surprise, surprise!).

I really liked the main character Analiese, and I loved Marek so much! Also, is quite diverse, which is always enjoyable. I really need to read more about these characters. But there were some things that I didn't like that much.

The romance felt a bit weird. It wasn't quite insta-love, but the way they were attracted to each other threw me off quite a bit. Also, I was expecting more that the ending we got, to be honest. I enjoyed this book overall, but I felt that we needed a bit more of everything.

If you enjoy Rick Riordan books, a good mystery and mythology then you'll definitely enjoy this!

2.5/5 stars

I'm actually really sad that I couldn't get into this book. Entangled Teen has some really great books that I enjoy, and very few ever truly let me down. Unfortunately, Analiese Rising is just one of the few I didn't enjoy reading. The summary for this book soumds intriguing and different than what's currently in the market in terms of YA. The mystery of the list and names was interesting to me, and I was looking forward to see how the author went through the story. While at first I was getting along and somewhat enjoying the mystery, things just took a left turn amd derailed about 25% in. The mystery didn't feel so much as a mystery, we were getting fed tons of unnecessary dialogue, and the romance was only becoming more and more forced. I didn't lile the romance at all in this, which is definitely a big letdown when it comes to Entangled Teen books. Characters are forgettable and I couldn't realpy care less for our 2 main characters. I only even remember Analiese, and that's because she says her name all the time. All in all, I wouldn't really recommend reading this, at least not for those who have the same tastes as I do. Others may enjoy it, but I didnt, which is unfortunate.

ARC received for free by the 0ublisher in exxhange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Analiese Rising" is a YA fantasy that sets us up with a new world and new characters. Analiese (Ana for short) is walking with her brother when they witness a car hit a pedestrian. As they go to help, the pedestrian is insistent that Ana not touch him, that he will die, and that Ana take his bag to his grandson. Ana and her brother go to the hospital, but it is too late and the man is dead. Not wishing to deny his death wish, Ana finds his address inside the bag and takes it to his grandson, Marek.

Soon, Ana is pulled into a hunt with Marek for something his grandfather left for him. They do not yet know what it means or even what they are looking for, but considering that the bag also contained a list of names with Ana and her parents crossed off, it seems to involve her and her family also. Together, the travel to Europe where they continue a scavenger hunt while also dodging people who seem to be after them.

The book was a slow build but did not feel slow while reading, particularly considering the clues that increase interest and time sensitivity imposed by the people following them for seemingly nefarious purposes. I did find myself lost in a few places- the same way Ana and Marek were lost trying to discover this new world of gods and goddesses and where their place in the mess is. Ana and Marek are way smarter than I am in terms of figuring out the clues and cryptic hints left for them- at times unbelievably so. However, this is explained by the coaching they have had since childhood for such things.

The reader is still left with a lot of questions at the end of the book, and I assume we'll get more answers in future books of the series. However, with that, it felt more like a prequel for something bigger to come. I would have liked more answers, but that is also my personality style (I don't like not knowing things!).

Overall, I liked it and look forward to more books in the series. I do wish there were more answers in this book, but it was a really fun and at times very intense mystery/hunt with some interesting fantasy elements that I look forward to learning more about in the future.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

When I saw the blurb and the book cover I was totally sold on this story. But when I started to reading it, it was just not what I expected it to be. I was not expecting the main character to be so immature. And also the way the story unfolds is just too unrealistic to me. I cannot immagine how a young girl leaves to travel the world with a hot boy (her description), who she only met and not telling her parent or any adult for that matter. The scenes are too jumpy and to me they feel unfinished. Like how for example, this young girl is left to wait for her cousin all alone and not knowing, if he will really show up and then in the next page that is also a new chapter this whole matter is just skipped and not even mentioned. They why bother to write such a scene in the first place? It just makes the reader feel confused and the story slowly becomes more underwhelming. I think had the author connected the scenes more and made the girl more mature I would have loved this story. But sadly due to the issues mentioned above, this is just not my cup of tea.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a pretty good start to a great Ya series. Annalise is a complex teen that embarks on a journey to discover who she really is and the mystery behind her parents death. Marek is decent secondary character although we could have benefited from reading his point of view. We only have Annalise perspective.

I was surprised on how modern the novel felt. From the way the characters spoke to the diverse background of each new character. Everything read like it could be happening right now. While this was creative, I did feel a bit disconnected from the whole Greek mythology bit that was thrown in. I felt like it didn't fit in this 21st century world the author has created.
All in all, the novel is interesting and entertaining.

When I read the summary of the overview of the book I thought it would be very interesting, however, I found that the characters in the book were hard to get acquainted with and seemed very immature. Perhaps if the characters get "fleshed" out a bit I would read a second book of this author.

I was unable to review this book. I am having difficulties with the text to speech function. Please send me a copy with text to speech function enabled and I will happily re-add it to my review schedule.

Like I have mentioned before I pick my reads based on the cover. I don’t read much of the summaries. But looking back upon the summary it sounds interesting but I’m not a huge fan of how it was written. The eye catching cover and the publisher were the main reasons why I requested this book. Analiese wa a very immature character. I didn’t really like her. She is thrusted into this world with magical god and goddess and she just accepts it all. Doesn’t even question it. She meets Marek and instantly trusts him. She goes into the house he’s staying at alone. She’s just begging for trouble. Not only that she goes across the world with him. A guy she just meet. She also gets these panic attacks but it’s never explained why she has them and I don’t think they are really necessary for her as a character. She’s also always checking out Marek which I found just plan creepy. Yes she’s a teenage girl but damn those hormones are strong in her. Jane is her adopted mother who apparently works at a hospital. She’s so busy with work that we never see her in the book until the end. Who leaves their teenage kids alone by themselves without checking in on them? Jane is just like every other YA parent, non existent. Marek has been trained his whole life to protect this artifact piece and make sure that Analiese is protected. He isn’t even phased by his grandfathers secret life. If he was my grandpa I would freak out. Now on with the plot. I like that the author include different gods and goddess but I wish they would have been explained more. Like why were they helping Analiese. Why did it come down to Analiese and Marek? Why not some other death riser? The book didn’t drag but it did however confuse me. Some parts were added in that were needed to continue the plot. They were mentioned and then never brought back up in the next chapter. Some other things were problematic. The ending was very confusing and I have no clue who won this war or if it’s still going on? With that being said my overall thoughts for this book was that it was very unrealistic where it should have been. I believe this book is meant for a younger audience. This book wasn't my favorite but it did have potential. I usually like most books by this publisher.

If you are looking for a young adult international, mysterious adventure, this is your book! Reminiscent of the, "National Treasure" movies, this journey follows Analiese and Marek around the world following a path of clues left by Marek's late Grandfather. This tale was chock full of more gods and goddess than I even knew existed, leading readers on a twisted tale where no one is who they seem. At times I found myself lost in the numerous mythical characters and I was occasionally stalled by jumping/repetitive plot points, but it was full of non-stop, keep running action. Overall, I enjoyed the quest and my time traveling to fantastic locations around the globe.

*** A thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to enjoy in exchange for an honest review.

This is one where the brains win out over brawn. Loved the puzzles/cryptics in the story. Enjoyed learning about some lesser gods and goddesses and from other cultures and how they worked into the story. The story was well paced. The ending was a little rushed compared to the rest of the book and could have used some more info on what happened to who, otherwise it would have been a 5. No instalove for Ana and Marek even though they were thrown together, this was a big plus for me. Overall I can't wait for more in this series.

I was totally on board because of the premise, However, it didn’t deliver.

I couldn’t connect with Analiese. She seemed very immature, even for her age (17). She accepted everything really fast, and had really odd quips at the worst times.

I also didn’t understand the attraction between her and Marik. She just kept ogling him like a creeper. And then she goes to Rome with him after knowing him for two days? It just didn’t feel realistic.

The pacing overall was too fast. I got lost constantly, forgot characters instantly, and was reluctant to keep going.

I really wanted to like this one. I mean look that cover!! For me, this one just didn't work out. I am not sure what it really was but it just felt like it wasn't anything new in the world of fantasy and just really didn't have that spark or click to get me excited. A lot of this story was very unrealistic to me. And I really just had to call it quits around 40%.

I enjoy mythology so I figured I would like this book going in. I like that the story takes you to different locations around the world while Analiese and Marek try to follow the trail his grandpa left for them. It felt like an adventure. The characters were relatable and easy to get to know. The ones who were not likable were that way for a reason of course. The plot did keep me guessing and I never knew who to trust. I'm not sure if there will be more to this, but I wouldn't mind reading more about these characters.