I am very sorry but this was just not a book for me. I had to DNF this book. I was not a fan of her writing, the characters or legit anything else. There were so many characters that it was hard to even keep up Maybe I will try again but probably not. This was just not for me.

A Fallen Hero follows a group of runaway “ghosts” who escape from a top-secret government project, where they were abused, experimented on, and made into weapons for a supernatural war. This paranormal fantasy has strong dystopian and survival vibes, making it perfect for fans of The Darkest Minds.

The world building is very unique. In this series, ghost is actually a misnomer for living paranormal beings who possess ghostlike powers, such as intangibility and ectoplasm, as well as unique, individual abilities.

The story focuses on Cato, a half-human, half-ghost hybrid and member of the Project Alpha fugitives. When their fight to survive brings them back to Cato’s hometown, he struggles to turn his back on his past in favor of his new found family. The broader conflict includes a lot of major players: the runaways, the government, human colonies, ghost hunters, and leaders from the Ghost Realm. Sometimes the story felt a bit too sprawling, and the finer details could have been more fleshed out.

While the story is an action-packed tale of and supernatural conflict, it was surprisingly emotional. The members of Project Alpha went through unspeakable horrors when they were treated as lab rats, and they all struggle with emotional scars as they learn to survive in a new environment, preserving their newfound freedom by whatever means necessary.

The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and there are so many threads I’m excited to see come together in book 2.

Thank you to Audiobookworm Promotions and Audiobook Empire for the gifted audiobook. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the gifted ebook.

I liked the book from start to finish. The character development and the world-building, was really amazing and well written. The author knows how to get the reader interested in the characters and I like especially that there are likeable as less likeable ones in the story.
I have rarely got so excited to read the next book in a book series, but this book really made me very interestet to read more.

This one was an absolute roller-coaster ride for me. Besides its excellently crafted plot and layered narrative, this novel has a great sense of place and character. Though some readers, especially lovers of formulaic YA paranormal may find the layered, character-based narrative a bit tedious, fans of quality YA will be thrilled to follow Cato and his friends on their exhilarating journey to freedom.

A novel that will get your hearts racing. Highly recommended!

A Fallen Hero is as far as I know quite a unique concept and I hope book two slows down a little so a great deal is explained better. I found it very hard to get myself lost in it because of the sheer amount of different ideas going on at once until I got to when the Alpha children have to trust the humans of Phantom Heights (around 75% into the book) and then I didn't want it to finish.

This was such a thrilling book to read! The suspense is constant! This book is written in multiple POVs and it was done PERFECTLY. Each characters’ POV narration had its own unique voice and writing style which really made me feel like I was in the characters’ heads. The characters are dynamic and all are unique. You get more development and backstory on these characters as you go instead of a big info dump at the beginning, which I LOVE. The world-building is also layered and complex and you, again, learn more as you go. I like how the characters had been held captive so when they escape, they are unfamiliar with the world around them which helps you learn about the world right along with the characters. I definitely recommend this book for the skillful POV switching, complex characters, and layered world-building.

I am very sorry but this was just not a book for me. I had to DNF this book. I was not a fan of her wirting, the characters or legit anything else. When I started it I was excited because I met the author and she is an amazing woman. There were so many characters that it was hard to even keep up Maybe I will try again but probably not. This was just not for me.

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.
Wow, this book is something else. It is so detailed and well crafted that on completing it the reader is so consumed by it they need a moment to absorb this book. It is intense and complex so I found it required more attention and dedication than other books.
I particularly enjoyed the world building in this book as well as the writing which was well done. The characters were intriguing and interesting. This book was a page turner, it drew you in and didn'tet go. Even now, days after its completion, I am still thinking about this book.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to take them on a journey.

In this thrilling adventure, A Fallen Hero blurs the line between science-fiction and fantasy, adding paranormal elements and beings into a war-torn world. In the first novel of the War Of The Realms series, author Sara A. Noë introduces us to a diverse set of characters, following multiple perspectives and viewpoints where the differentiation between good and evil is far from being black and white.  

Cato and his surrogate "lab-family" have escaped a government facility where they were being held captive for genetic experimentation and face many obstacles while on the run, making some truly shocking choices in an attempt to protect themselves and the ones they love. Noë’s tactful narrative and deeply layered plotting offer a unique world that readers can fully immerse themselves in to walk alongside heroes and villains. Page by page, this debut novel will hold readers’ attention until the very end, presenting just enough resolution to leave them satisfied while unanswered questions will have them pining for more.

Loved it!! I was pulled into the story right away. The pacing had me hooked through the first half, and then by the middle, I couldn't put it down! : )

This isn't a quick, easy, generic plot style. But that's what I loved! It's very intricate and there are a lot of characters and POV shifts that give you a really neat, well-rounded perception of what's happening even when you aren't with Cato, who is the protagonist (and the only character told in first person POV). And yet, it's all connected, and things tied together throughout the whole story. This book is a unique blend of fantasy, supernatural, sci-fi, paranormal, dystopian, and post-apocalyptic. It's really hard to categorize it into one specific genre.

The author did a fantastic job drawing out the tension. Sometimes the scenes were rather short before you jumped to a different POV, but every single one built up the stakes. I especially got excited when different storylines crossed and one group of characters encountered another. There were a lot of characters introduced early on, but once I figured out who was who, there was a moment when everything seemed to click into place. This one left it on a cliffhanger (sort of...everything was resolved, but there are still plenty of unanswered questions)!

In the end, the characters were the ones who stole my heart, but the worldbuilding was impressive too. I especially love how the author used mirages as portals to another world. Every time I see one on the road now I will think of the Ghost Realm!