Runes (Runes, #1)

I read this book because it was inside "Marked by Fate" and to be honest it was a hot mess. After looking into this series, I've realized it was the very first in a large series so I will give it the benefit of the doubt that that is why it's such a weird book.

The main character says many times maybe it's magic, no it can't be magic isn't real. . . this really made me have to put the book down due to a fit of laughter. Who says this? Whose first thought when coming into contact with the strange and unusual is maybe it's magic?! But then again nothing Raine did was logical, it was all to move the story along.

The wrap up this book felt forced, none of it seemed logical, especially the Eric stuff.

While this is a PNR, I really enjoyed the Norse mythology spin introduced into the story. Now I'm biased here. Ednah Walters hasn't written a book that I haven't loved to pieces, and Runes shaped up to be a new favorite.

Characters: I really loved Raine even before Torin comes onto the scene. To me she was perhaps one of the most believable teenage characters I'd read(exception: Walter's Guardian Legacy Series). I think that is what draws me into her stories. Even in these fantasy settings, the reader can ground themselves with the characters and really connect. Torin, ah my favorite broody bad boy. I love this type of character, so I won't go into detail, but he was executed perfectly. The vision of him remains in my brain, and again, I show more felt that Walters had him written down to a T.

Plot: The plot is thick with mythology, but the real sense here isn't so much an end goal, but discovery and action. We learn the world, the players, and what's at stake but in an enjoyable, romantic setting. The pacing worked, and if there were holes, I couldn't find them. The ending through me for a loop, but with serial stories, it's expected. Still, there were no loose ends and that's what I look for.

* I did receive a copy in exchange for my review, but have since purchased and gifted copies. That alone should speak for the author as well as the book. If you enjoy mysterious, mythological based stories then pick up this one. show less

When I began reading Runes I really didn't have any expectations, other than knowing what runes were and that this was a paranormal romance. I have read Ednah Walters "The Guardians" series and I loved it, so I knew what a great author she was, a fact that was further demonstrated in Runes. I loved it. In fact, I have been in kind of slump with paranormal romances, choosing more contemporary, so this was a pleasant surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed.

In Runes, Ednah Walters incorporates Norse mythology into a modern day setting, creating a world that is exciting, intriguing, and mysterious. I was as anxious to know what Torin was as Raine was, which made the story that much more interesting and kept me turning the pages to find out what show more happened next. I really liked Raine's character. She grows into quite the heroine, and the stage has been set to really challenge her in this area in the next book in the series. Torin is an immortal badass and a total hottie that makes you swoon, sigh, and fan your face all at the same time. The chemistry between Torin and Raine is sizzling hot, and get this, he rides a Harley. She is in a relationship with Eirik, but he's also her best friend and she doesn't want to lose him, which complicates things even further, especially with Torin. Cora is Raine's fun, outgoing, outspoken, and charismatic other best friend and I totally loved her character.

Things got really intense toward the end as it became more clear about who and what Torin is, where he comes from, and even things about Raine herself and her family that she had no clue about. There were some twists and turns that I did not see coming, especially the ending. OMG, I totally didn't see that one and yes, it is a cliffhanger that will leave you desperate to read what happens next. Granted it is a really well done cliffhanger, but a cliffhanger nonetheless. As for the paranormal aspect, Ednah Walters did a great job of weaving Norse mythology into the story, which was really interesting. Overall, this is an excellently written YA paranormal romance that I thoroughly enjoyed and would most definitely recommend. I cannot wait to read book two, Immortals, which is coming out in July. show less

Surprisingly good. Wasn't sure what to expect with this one, as while it sounded good, it also sounded a very familiar story, but once I started...I couldn't put it down.

Raine's coping with ordinary teenage life and finally owning up to feelings for the boy who's been her best friend forever, and then sexy mysterious Torin moves in next door....and everything changes. The fantastic thing about this book is the hints dropped of the supernatural storyline. You know right away there's something not normal about Torin, and he's well written and exciting and whilst there are hints throughout the book until about half way through the answer isn't revealed until almost at the end...and its great because it's not obvious. The clues are there, show more and I was thinking one thing, then turned out to be something else completely.

The romance between Raine and Torin is also very well done for YA paranormal love triangle. She's finally got her best friend turned boyfriend Eirik and she really really wants to hold onto him and not have anything to do with the dark and dangerous world she finds herself involved in with Torin. And even though I found myself actually really liking Eirik, he's a good guy...but Torin is just so much more sizzling. So I could easily see why Raine was having difficulty choosing.

I loved the Norse mythology use as its not something I've read before and the use of rune magic was different and fun to read about as well.

Raine is a smart heroine, she finds out about a supernatural threat and does the research on it, even though she's drawn to the bad boy. She doesn't want to be involved, but as the novel progresses her feelings to do.

The story is exciting and well written with a good clearly thought out plot. The ending was a brilliant cliffhanger and I can't wait for book two.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. show less

Runes is the first book in a fantastic new young adult (YA) series that features an amazing cast of characters, lots of mystery and suspense involving supernatural beings, and the beginnings of a fragile, but sizzling romance.

Lorraine Cooper or Raine as she’s called by her friends is the heroine of the story. She’s a teenager on the cusp of turning seventeen, and the plot of the story is revealed through only Raine’s point of view. By limiting the point of view, Walters allows readers to connect with Raine and really get to know how strong and honorable she tries to be as she gradually discovers that she and her fellow swim team members are the target of a group of supernatural beings who are here on a mission. It is engaging to show more follow along as Raine slowly starts to piece together the mystery behind runes magic.

Raine seems like a typical teenager who enjoys hanging out with her two best friends, Cora and Eirik. However, early in the story, readers learn that Raine is putting up a courageous front as she deals with the uncertainty of her father’s fate. Three months ago, her father disappeared when his plane crashed over the Pacific Ocean, and Raine and her mother have no idea whether he survived, since his body was never recovered. Her mother refuses to give up hope, but Raine is not as certain. She chooses to keep her concerns and worries to herself, refusing to burden her friends and family.

Little does Raine know that her life is about to dramatically change when her new next door neighbor Torin St. James knocks on her door, looking for Eirik. Although Raine is immediately attracted to Torin, she refuses to admit it to herself. One main reason is that she has already set her sights on Eirik, her friend from childhood and she’s just waiting for him to take the initiative to elevate their friendship status to a committed dating relationship.

Furthermore, Raine finds Torin to be arrogant, annoying, and rude to the point that she tries to avoid him. The conversations between the two are witty, engaging, and show how much Torin enjoys bringing out Raine’s snarky attitude. It is easy to see there is a mutual attraction but they both do their best to ignore the the electricity that seems to spark when they’re together.

Raine’s intuition tells her something is unusual about Torin and the three new exchange students, Andris, Maliina, and Ingrid, she meets when the swim team members gather for a game of Ultimate Frisbee at the park. Andris is a charismatic character who reminds me of Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He’s tactless, but honest and direct, even though he doesn’t seem to care who gets hurt. This becomes evident when he openly flirts with Raine, making his significant other, Maliina jealous. She retaliates by assaulting Raine during the game.

A major turning point in the story occurs when Torin steps in and magically heals Raine. She knows her injuries are severe, but, after Torin holds her, she is able to stand up with no evidence of bodily damage.

She confronts Torin to find out who or what he is and how he saved her. Torin denies her claims until she reveals that she has seen tattooed markings on Andris. In his shock, he confirms some of her suspicions: “…They’re not tattoos. They’re runes, and Mortals aren’t supposed to see them.” Raine soon realizes that she is surrounded by some type of supernatural beings who seem to have a vested interest in what happens to the members of her school’s swim team.

The action continues with a series of disastrous events that involve Raine and the rest of the swim team, motivating her to discover the origins of Torin and his counterparts, the significance of the magical runes, and the supernaturals’ sinister purpose for targeting this particular group of athletes. Fortunately for Raine, Torin is always there to protect her. Because Torin cares so much to Raine, he does admit that he is an immortal but rules prevent him from revealing anything more about what he is and his job. Eventually, Raine learns that Torin has been breaking rules for her.

Even though Raine is seeing Eirik, and Torin isn’t supposed to get involved with mortals, they can’t fight their desire for each other. One kiss is all it takes for them to realize they have found true love. Unfortunately, they aren’t getting that happily ever because each is willing to make sacrifices to ensure the safety and happiness of the other. As more secrets are revealed, the rising action of the story leads to an intense, but unresolved, climatic ending.

Walters weaves together an intriguing story of mystery involving magic, mythology, and romance that consumed me until the last page. The shocking cliffhanger has me anxiously awaiting the second book in the series, entitled Immortals.

I received a copy of this book from Firetrail Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

What I like about this first book is the fact that Norse mythology is used. I'm a huge fan of mythology (no matter the country) and especially of the pantheons that aren't often covered in fiction.

With that being said, I'd like to dive in to some of the good moments of this book. The main character, Rain with an E, is of the sassy breed of heroine that I like to dive into. The way she sparred with Torin St. James (her male counterpart) was refreshing.

She wasn't intimidated by him at all. If anything, her emotional response to him scared her more than his bad boy demeanor.

The secondary characters, Cora & Eirick, were well-fleshed out and were great foils to Raine.

Some of the other characters were not as developed which leads me to one of show more my peeves about stories. If you're going to use characters, please have them be more than a token drop in the bucket. The "baddies" were not very threatening and then some of them appeared and were going in the blink of the eye.

Also the romantic parts for certain characters felt rushed and awkward. Other than that, this was a good solid read.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I'm reading the second one as we speak. show less

Runes is like a roller coaster. It will start slow, but it will eventually make you sit on the edge of your seat.

The story revolves around a girl named Lorraine Cooper, who is also known as Raine. Everything is going good to her aside from the fact that her father was still missing since the plane crashed. She also liked her best friend, Eirik, and she knows that he also feels the same way for her. Then, something unbelievably crazy happenings started going around her since a new neighbor moved on their place. Torin St. James already made her feel things she can’t explain when they’ve met, and even if she tried to avoid him, it seems as if they have an invisible tie to one another.

I would like the story even if the first half was a show more little slow for me. I’m relieved when I reached the second half because things got interesting there. And the story also picked up its pace when she has met those transfer students. The fact that this novel involves an individual from Norse Mythology makes me engrossed on reading it. There was just a moment when I’ve lost connection on the story, but I’m just glad that it didn’t totally throw me off.

Raine is a flawed main character. Her indecisiveness especially when it comes to whom she really liked is what makes her not perfect. She wanted Eirik since they were a child, but when Torin enters her world; her heart will beat fast whenever he is around or near her. Even if she knew she is attracted to Torin, she still continues her relationship with Eirik and pretends that she doesn’t feel anything to Torin. But, she is also caring and a nice friend to Cora. Even if they have a different personality, she loved her, and I think they match perfectly as best friends.

I also like Torin. His moves and ways sometimes make me smile on my own. He is sweet and caring. He also has his own way of sending butterflies to your stomach. Even if there are rules that he needs to abide, he was able to break some of it just for Raine. He is also sometimes arrogant and annoying, but it’s lovely for me.

As for the ending, it is not that strong and wonderful, but it still leaves me interested in knowing more about Raine. I want to know more who she really is and what she will become. I am also interested in how she and Torin will fight their love and change their own destiny.

Overall, this is another impressively unique YA Paranormal Romance that I’ve read this month. I am recommending this book for those who like reading paranormal with a sweet romantic feel on it. If you also want reading books that involve Norse mythology, you should also try this one.

Disclaimer: I received a reader copy from the author via The Silver Dagger Book Tours. show less