Aileen Erin

My name is Samantha Catherine Lopez, and I am Nephilim. This is my story.

From the opening pages, I was immediately drawn into Samantha’s world. Aileen Erin seamlessly wove together a tale of good and evil that made it hard to look away. The characters came to life, even when they were dead. I love that Samantha runs towards danger and faces her fears, knowing it’s the right thing to do.

I have read books with paranormal creatures, heavenly and demonic creatures, and the humans they walk show more among, but Invocation is an original take on a familiar story line.

Invocation is a fast paced thriller that took my breath away and had me clutching my ereader, white knuckled, on the edge of my seat, devouring words before they could devour Samantha. She has friends all around her, but going to Hell and facing her father is something she must do alone. Talk about family problems….her father is a fallen angel and he wants her in Hell with him.

When Samantha and her father come face to face and her strength falters, who will reach out and bring her home?

At first I thought this could be a stand alone, no series book, but I was so glad to find out it’s not. I want more and I want it now!

I would like to thank Aileen Erin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Invocation.

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3.5/5 stars.

I got a kick out of this book. The basic premise is that Tessa is bitten--and changed--against her will. Suddenly werewolf. And there's an entire world of things for her to learn and she can do that learning at the local werewolf boarding school. (*ding* That was the sound of this book using one of my favorite tropes, that of the wacky boarding school. This book also has a huge found-family aspect, which I love, love, love.) Then there's this whole bit with soulbonds and mates. show more (To which Tessa says 'euw, don't use that word,' making me love her more.)

But the best part of this book is Tessa. She was--and still is--a witch, and now she's a were, and she's overwhelmed by her new powers but also intrigued. She wants to run away and go home, but she also realizes she has to learn to control her new wolfy abilities. Plus, it may be a wacky boarding school but it's still a high school and she has a lot to deal with as the new girl. I loved how she learned about her new powers, tested them, and then used them, sometimes to save the world and sometimes in lunchroom staredowns.

I'm so ready for the next book!

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3.5/5 stars.

It's time for the bonding ceremony and the Tribunal. The coven has somehow wrangled an invitation to speak at the Tribunal, but nobody expects to see them at the ceremony. But they crash and interrupt, which makes it possible for their plans for the Tribunal to be fulfilled. To hopefully prevent a war, Tessa agrees to spend a month with the coven, behind the boundary that prevents her from communicating with Dastien, and completely without using any of her alpha/wolf abilities. show more

Of course the coven is up to something. Something way more evil than anyone had thought, with surprising allies and very dangerous plans.

Somehow these books are always fresh. It's still Tessa, still her life and her problems, but putting her in this new setting and taking her away from her found family (and putting her with her actual family, Claudia and Raphael) gives everything a new feel. If Aileen Erin can keep this up I'll be reading this series until she ends it.

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This is one of the most exciting reads I've seen this year, and I can't wait to dive into book two.

SpaceTech controls most things on the planet, and powerful as they are, they are at constant odds with the Aunare —an alien culture who leads Earth in many areas. SpaceTech has fought this by killing all Aunarians on the planet. Maite, the daughter of the leader of the Aunarian and part human, has been hiding on Earth ever since the first wave of genocide with her mother, living in constant show more fear of being discovered, while working at a diner and teaching martial arts in the evenings. When a strange man appears at her apartment and claims to have been searching for her for thirteen years in cooperation with her father, she's not sure whether to be happy or flee. Just before the extraction can happen to meet with her father again, the head of SpaceTech tricks her into committing a so-called crime, and the horror begins.

From the very first page, this story grabbed me in. Maite's plight draws at the heartstrings, especially when it becomes clear that she's doing the best she can...not being stupid...and yet, manages to fight against the corruption and help in her own small way. She's a great fighter but not unbeatable. She walks a tight balance, and it's wonderful to see a character who isn't a complete fool and handles logic, mistakes and troubles with a pretty natural and believable feel.

There are many side characters, but each one holds their own purpose and personality. The author reveals enough backstory to make each character leave an impression while still holding many questions to be answered in the rest of the series. But this is the same as far as Maite is concerned. Her memory has been wiped for very good reasons, and this leaves a wonderful fog for lots of interesting twists and turns to come.

While the first chapters sink into Maite's life and start to give the impression that the story might be slow, the impression is completely incorrect. The tale builds and gains on pacing, not only exposing more and more layers of intrigue but also growing in character depth and tension—harsh, at times—with every passing page. This is even true on the romance end. There are so many hints at what might become a triangle or other interests, but that is not the main thrust of this story, and even this side remains very open for much more in the books to come.

The world building is very well done. The first chapters are very familiar and allow the reader to first gain a connection to Maite before heading off into the stronger science fiction elements. These are built with care and seep in mostly with logic and careful pacing. The one or two stumbles on explanations are easily forgiven and didn't bother the story in the slightest. Science fiction fans definitely get their thrill as the chapters deepen, and the tech and alien possibilities expand in exciting ways.

This is a great begin to a very promising science fiction series, and I'm looking forward to see where the adventure goes next.

I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and was so thrilled by how good this story was that I'm more than willing to leave my thoughts. show less