Carol Oates
Autor de Shades of Atlantis
Sobre El Autor
Series
Obras de Carol Oates
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
- Género
- female
- Nacionalidad
- Ireland
- Biografía breve
- Carol Oates has never been one to remain still for long. After her mother’s mad dash to the hospital through the empty city streets of Dublin, Ireland, Carol made her debut into the world in the early hours of Christmas morning. Since then her pace has not slowed down in the least.
Carol was introduced to the world of supernatural books when, as a child, her family moved to a coastal suburb of the north Dublin known as Clontarf; famous as the birthplace of Bram Stoker, the prolific author responsible for breathing life into the legendary story of “Dracula.” This stirred in Carol an early passion for reading about all things supernatural. When that passion was combined with a deep interest in the history and folklore of Ireland, as well as an active and vivid imagination, Carol Oates, the author, was born. Carol’s love of writing about anything not entirely “human" emerged, and the premise for her debut novel, “Shades of Atlantis,” came to life.
Carol still lives in Dublin, but spends a great deal of time traveling though the counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland with her partner and her son. When not traveling through the countryside, Carol spends her days at the office and her evenings immersed in the world of legends and mythical creatures.
Miembros
Reseñas
Unfinished por Carol Oates
Cathy's day isn't going so good. Her sister won't talk to her and she really needs to talk with Lottie. Mix a little paranormal activity into high school and you'll see what can happen! A very short story resulting in a fast enjoyable read.
Iridescent picks up right where Ember left off; Candra is still recovering from the death of her best friend, Ivy, while having to deal with saving the world. Late one night, she comes face to face with Lilith, a soul carrier. Lilith tricks Candra into thinking she’s Ivy, and it’s Sebastian who comes to her rescue to set things straight. As always, Sebastian is keeping secrets mainly regarding Lilith’s identity and what she has to with Ivy. Of course, that’s the question everyone is asking: Who is Lilith, and what does she have to do with restoring the Arch?
At the heart of the novel is Candra’s relationship with Sebastian, as well as his relationship with Ananchal, Draven’s twin, and very much Draven’s second in command. If you recall from book one, Candra picks Sebastian in the end, or I suppose it was Draven who gave her up and presented her to Sebastian. Ananchal, it seems, is hiding a deep, dark secret and hopes that by giving Candra back to Draven all will be okay; however, there’s no going back. Candra is still attracted to Draven and fights her attraction. Lilith wants Candra for her own nefarious activities, while Sebastian has to devise a plan to keep Candra safe, but with Ananchal involved, we all know things won’t go quite as smooth. The question then lies regarding Lilith and her involvement. I won’t say much because I do believe you have to read to understand, but Lilith has with her a creation blade. This object is folklore among the fallen/watchers. Some believe the blade can help restore everyone back to the way things were with the Arch and go home while others believe it’s a lost cause.
Oates does make you question your beliefs. For example, Sebastian, Draven, and even Ananchal all want to go home, but is it worth still believing in the Arch? The Arch, in case you’re wondering, is God. Oates does a beautiful job portraying the feelings of those who continue to believe compared to those who have stopped believing. There are a few heartbreaking scenes when belief is brought up, but the scene between Ananchal and Draven left me broken. Here is a perfect example of someone who has stopped believing all the while the believer must deal with the consequences. In the end who is right and who is wrong, and do they both have the right to judge each other’s actions?
Our climatic showdown between Candra and Lilith is not as action packed as I had hoped nor really drawn out; however, Oates delivers a satisfying ending. Hoping to fix the mistakes of the past, Sebastian keeps Draven and Gabriel in the dark regarding his plans. It’s not until everyone has sought the safety of shelter that we find out Sebastian’s plans. The culminating scene is heartbreaking as we see Sebastian return, triumphant with the creation blade, only to fall victim to his wounds sustained by fighting Lilith’s army. Up until Sebastian’s death I had no idea where Oates was going with the story. I kept wondering if we’d have a third book in the series because I had so many unanswered questions. Alas, those questions remain unanswered, but Candra’s purpose and destiny is fulfilled; and we know the fate of the world and everyone in it.
My only complaint has to do with the missing information. At times I felt Oates was giving us all this information; and yet, I felt completely lost thinking I had missed something. A back story with the holes filled in would have been nice. I know some people do enjoy a dark brooding hero (hey, I admit I do); Sebastian, though at times, was a little too moody. I found myself asking who was the teenager, him or Candra? But I realize that his feelings for Candra were very much new to him, and he didn’t quite know how to handle them. I can forgive him for that.
Now Candra…oh, dear Candra, what can I say about you? I know she had her reasons for keeping her plans quiet; but at times, I wanted to shake some sense into her and urge her to go talk to someone about her plans and feelings. If the fate of everyone on Earth was left to me, I’d have everyone locked in a room demanding answers. Everything was bottled up, and I don’t know if the author did this to add a sense of mystery or if it was planned that way. Other than that, Iridescent was an interesting read.… (más)
At the heart of the novel is Candra’s relationship with Sebastian, as well as his relationship with Ananchal, Draven’s twin, and very much Draven’s second in command. If you recall from book one, Candra picks Sebastian in the end, or I suppose it was Draven who gave her up and presented her to Sebastian. Ananchal, it seems, is hiding a deep, dark secret and hopes that by giving Candra back to Draven all will be okay; however, there’s no going back. Candra is still attracted to Draven and fights her attraction. Lilith wants Candra for her own nefarious activities, while Sebastian has to devise a plan to keep Candra safe, but with Ananchal involved, we all know things won’t go quite as smooth. The question then lies regarding Lilith and her involvement. I won’t say much because I do believe you have to read to understand, but Lilith has with her a creation blade. This object is folklore among the fallen/watchers. Some believe the blade can help restore everyone back to the way things were with the Arch and go home while others believe it’s a lost cause.
Oates does make you question your beliefs. For example, Sebastian, Draven, and even Ananchal all want to go home, but is it worth still believing in the Arch? The Arch, in case you’re wondering, is God. Oates does a beautiful job portraying the feelings of those who continue to believe compared to those who have stopped believing. There are a few heartbreaking scenes when belief is brought up, but the scene between Ananchal and Draven left me broken. Here is a perfect example of someone who has stopped believing all the while the believer must deal with the consequences. In the end who is right and who is wrong, and do they both have the right to judge each other’s actions?
Our climatic showdown between Candra and Lilith is not as action packed as I had hoped nor really drawn out; however, Oates delivers a satisfying ending. Hoping to fix the mistakes of the past, Sebastian keeps Draven and Gabriel in the dark regarding his plans. It’s not until everyone has sought the safety of shelter that we find out Sebastian’s plans. The culminating scene is heartbreaking as we see Sebastian return, triumphant with the creation blade, only to fall victim to his wounds sustained by fighting Lilith’s army. Up until Sebastian’s death I had no idea where Oates was going with the story. I kept wondering if we’d have a third book in the series because I had so many unanswered questions. Alas, those questions remain unanswered, but Candra’s purpose and destiny is fulfilled; and we know the fate of the world and everyone in it.
My only complaint has to do with the missing information. At times I felt Oates was giving us all this information; and yet, I felt completely lost thinking I had missed something. A back story with the holes filled in would have been nice. I know some people do enjoy a dark brooding hero (hey, I admit I do); Sebastian, though at times, was a little too moody. I found myself asking who was the teenager, him or Candra? But I realize that his feelings for Candra were very much new to him, and he didn’t quite know how to handle them. I can forgive him for that.
Now Candra…oh, dear Candra, what can I say about you? I know she had her reasons for keeping her plans quiet; but at times, I wanted to shake some sense into her and urge her to go talk to someone about her plans and feelings. If the fate of everyone on Earth was left to me, I’d have everyone locked in a room demanding answers. Everything was bottled up, and I don’t know if the author did this to add a sense of mystery or if it was planned that way. Other than that, Iridescent was an interesting read.… (más)
I really liked Ember, I thought that it was a very original take on angels and their history and interactions with humans. I haven't read very much fiction about the nephilim, and the research that I have started for my own WIP has portrayed them as dark creatures. But, I did't get that feeling of darkness while reading Iridescent. In fact I would say that this was a bright read. I was glad to be back into the world of Ember and Sebastian. Now that they are "officially: together. There were some steamy moments, that were heart-melting.
Of course, nothing is ever easy. As Ember tries to figure out what exactly she is and what her role in the upcoming war will be, there is the constant flux of not truly knowing. Sebastian and Draven are now working together to fight the impending evil, but the tension between them has not completely lifted. Lillith, a new character on board, has her own agenda and does what she can to manipulate Ember to her side so she can lay claim to the city she believes is rightfully hers. In the midst of this, Ember is still adjusting to Ivy's death. But there is a confidence in Ember that is growing, it's a confidence that I don't remember seeing a lot of in the first book. (But I definitely like!)
When you put all of these ingredients together you get one heck of a edge-sitting, heart-gripping story. And I loved every minute of it! If you have not read Ember, then I definitely think you should do so now. You'll have to because Iridescent is definitely worth picking up as well.
4 stars ****… (más)
Of course, nothing is ever easy. As Ember tries to figure out what exactly she is and what her role in the upcoming war will be, there is the constant flux of not truly knowing. Sebastian and Draven are now working together to fight the impending evil, but the tension between them has not completely lifted. Lillith, a new character on board, has her own agenda and does what she can to manipulate Ember to her side so she can lay claim to the city she believes is rightfully hers. In the midst of this, Ember is still adjusting to Ivy's death. But there is a confidence in Ember that is growing, it's a confidence that I don't remember seeing a lot of in the first book. (But I definitely like!)
When you put all of these ingredients together you get one heck of a edge-sitting, heart-gripping story. And I loved every minute of it! If you have not read Ember, then I definitely think you should do so now. You'll have to because Iridescent is definitely worth picking up as well.
4 stars ****… (más)
Purchased: 3½ stars/5 stars
Review by Leisha O’Quinn
I have always maintained that a good set of characters can carry a mediocre plot right on through to the end. I honestly never imagined that I would come across a book with just the opposite scenario. I did however find this to be true with Carol Oates Shades of Atlantis.
From the beginning I knew I was in for something pretty sweet – the title alone had me hooked as I love all things related to the Atlantis legend. (Lynsay Sands anyone??) I was right; the plot for Shades is really good and hands down the novel’s greatest aspect. There is lots of action, drama, and some very, very intense romance. To be completely fair, the combination of action, drama, and romance is sort of like a perfect storm and really keeps the reader moving through the book at near lightning speed from beginning to end. The super quick summary includes:
1) Triona and Caleb are crazy, scary in love after only a few days of knowing
one another; this part of the story gets really intense
2) Caleb and his family are something other than human; it takes Oates
quite a while to get to the explanation of what the “other” actually is but the dragging out of the big reveal worked quite nicely
3) There’s a nasty little prophecy floating around that Triona may be the
beginning of the end for Caleb and his kind
4) As you may of guessed from #3 above there is a group of super-bad guys that will do whatever it takes to prevent Triona from fulfilling the prophecy – nastiness ensues!
Here’s the downside for me: I am a strong character lover and Shades just really didn’t deliver for me in this respect. Here’s the skinny on the characters for me:
1) Triona: if ever there was a case of someone needing to be told “suck it up buttercup”, Triona is that girl; at some point, I just got used to the fact that no matter what the situation, big or small, Triona was going to break down into tears
2) Caleb: although delightfully lickable in terms of his looks, as my grandmother used to say “pretty is as pretty does”. Caleb, while well-intentioned, is really kind of an idiot! Caleb’s trouble all begins when he tries thinking for everyone else and determines that everyone, especially Triona is better off not knowing everything about the über-dangerous situation they are all in. Add to this the fact that Caleb totally wimps out and runs away at a critical moment and you have a recipe for a wreck!! All of Caleb’s credibility and likability pretty much goes out the window after all the mistakes.
3) The characters that were pretty awesome for me are Triona’s brother Ben, her BFF Amanda, and the super-awesome, lie detector Eila. For me, none of these characters were present enough. Each of these characters were the by far the strongest, most straight-forward and forthright in the novel and I really, really wish there would have been a lot more of all them in this story. Ben is strong, courageous, and loyal; Amanda is faithful, kind, and brutally honest and; Eila is beautiful, strong, and compassionate all while being a super-human lie detector. It’s a pretty sweet super-power
The bottom line: I really am torn over this book as it had such a great plot but characters that sadly fell short for me. The plot in this novel is strong enough to carry the weaker characters and I think the book will actually play well with readers who are fans of super-intense, love at first sight romance reads. This is a YA novel but I would be remiss if I recommended it to the younger end of the YA reader spectrum as the romance is certainly not sexually explicit but it is quite intense.… (más)
Review by Leisha O’Quinn
I have always maintained that a good set of characters can carry a mediocre plot right on through to the end. I honestly never imagined that I would come across a book with just the opposite scenario. I did however find this to be true with Carol Oates Shades of Atlantis.
From the beginning I knew I was in for something pretty sweet – the title alone had me hooked as I love all things related to the Atlantis legend. (Lynsay Sands anyone??) I was right; the plot for Shades is really good and hands down the novel’s greatest aspect. There is lots of action, drama, and some very, very intense romance. To be completely fair, the combination of action, drama, and romance is sort of like a perfect storm and really keeps the reader moving through the book at near lightning speed from beginning to end. The super quick summary includes:
1) Triona and Caleb are crazy, scary in love after only a few days of knowing
one another; this part of the story gets really intense
2) Caleb and his family are something other than human; it takes Oates
quite a while to get to the explanation of what the “other” actually is but the dragging out of the big reveal worked quite nicely
3) There’s a nasty little prophecy floating around that Triona may be the
beginning of the end for Caleb and his kind
4) As you may of guessed from #3 above there is a group of super-bad guys that will do whatever it takes to prevent Triona from fulfilling the prophecy – nastiness ensues!
Here’s the downside for me: I am a strong character lover and Shades just really didn’t deliver for me in this respect. Here’s the skinny on the characters for me:
1) Triona: if ever there was a case of someone needing to be told “suck it up buttercup”, Triona is that girl; at some point, I just got used to the fact that no matter what the situation, big or small, Triona was going to break down into tears
2) Caleb: although delightfully lickable in terms of his looks, as my grandmother used to say “pretty is as pretty does”. Caleb, while well-intentioned, is really kind of an idiot! Caleb’s trouble all begins when he tries thinking for everyone else and determines that everyone, especially Triona is better off not knowing everything about the über-dangerous situation they are all in. Add to this the fact that Caleb totally wimps out and runs away at a critical moment and you have a recipe for a wreck!! All of Caleb’s credibility and likability pretty much goes out the window after all the mistakes.
3) The characters that were pretty awesome for me are Triona’s brother Ben, her BFF Amanda, and the super-awesome, lie detector Eila. For me, none of these characters were present enough. Each of these characters were the by far the strongest, most straight-forward and forthright in the novel and I really, really wish there would have been a lot more of all them in this story. Ben is strong, courageous, and loyal; Amanda is faithful, kind, and brutally honest and; Eila is beautiful, strong, and compassionate all while being a super-human lie detector. It’s a pretty sweet super-power
The bottom line: I really am torn over this book as it had such a great plot but characters that sadly fell short for me. The plot in this novel is strong enough to carry the weaker characters and I think the book will actually play well with readers who are fans of super-intense, love at first sight romance reads. This is a YA novel but I would be remiss if I recommended it to the younger end of the YA reader spectrum as the romance is certainly not sexually explicit but it is quite intense.… (más)
Estadísticas
- Obras
- 7
- Miembros
- 111
- Popularidad
- #175,484
- Valoración
- 3.7
- Reseñas
- 19
- ISBNs
- 11
