Monday, June 3, 2019

Unchained (Nephilim Rising, #1) by J. Lynn, Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Between the pissed off creatures that want demon-hunter Lily Marks dead and the fallen angel who just...wants her, Lily is about ready to trade in forever for a comfy job in a cubicle farm.

The fact that she and Julian are civil to one another is enough to have her thrown out of the Sanctuary, but she can't shake her not-so-angelic stalker or how he brings her dangerously close to ecstasy.

Her forbidden relationship with Julian provides the perfect fuel for suspicion when a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary. Lily quickly finds herself hunted by well, everyone.

Her only hope is to discover the real traitor before she loses everything--and she'll need Julian's help. That is, if Julian is really there to help her...and not destroy her.

Yeah, being a Nephilim isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I read Unchained knowing it was written in 2013, and that it's the first book in an unfinished series, but I was willing to look past that for JLA. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I might have enjoyed it more before reading Storm and Fury, but Unchained and Storm and Fury had very similar stories. Storm and Fury was just a shiny new version of Unchained, and that left a sour taste in my mouth. 

Both books are about Nephilim and demons, and they include the same archangel's offspring. Clearly, this one angel cannot keep it in his pants, and keeps fathering children that will change the fate of the world. Other similarities were the celestial shields, the main characters, and the plot. Trinity (Storm and Fury) and Lily (Unchained) were both raised and trained to be badass fighters of evil. Their circumstances varied slightly, but they had very similar personalities. Also, they're both betrayed in exactly the same way. It was disappointing how obvious everything was, especially the traitor. 

The sexual content was one of the few differences. Storm and Fury had dry-humping, and Unchained had kinky, rough sex. I don't mind sex in books, but Lily's relationship with Julian made me uncomfortable. He freely admits to stalking her for eight years, and she's mostly okay with that. Yes, he's saved her life a few times, but he also doesn't listen when she tells him to stop following her. At the start of this book, Julian is trying to put his hands up her skirt, and continues even when she very clearly says no. Twice. He just keeps chugging along because he thinks her body is saying something different. It was gross. 

Speaking of Julian, I feel like he was only there to save and screw. If Lily was in over her head, Julian was there to keep her safe. If Lily was alone, he was there to boink. They grind like two sticks trying to start a fire, but it quickly escalated into more. I wish we had seen more character development with Julian, and been told more about his past. Instead, he's evasive and secretive, until the last few chapters. We still don't know everything, only what caused him to fall from Heaven. 

Honestly, aside from Lily, there was very little secondary character development. Some of the book was told from Michael's perspective, but he doesn't really add a lot to the story. He's was crucial component, but I feel like I know nothing about him. Lily drops some big news about his mom, but that's not really addressed again.

There were a lot of inconsistencies in this book as well. I stopped writing them down after awhile. A few examples... 1) Lily, Luke and Remy knew one of the characters was a Nephilim because he shocked them whenever they touched him. "Luke shot back as if jolted—a fine zap of electricity that fired when coming into contact with another Nephilim." However, Luke pats Lily on the head and nothing happens. Lily holds Luke's hand and nothing happens. The Nephilim train together all the time and nothing happens. Lily rubs one out with another Nephilim and nothing happens. "Wincing at the thought of the beautiful Nephilim Luke had most definitely loved, she patted his heavily muscled arm." If they always shocked each other, they shouldn't have been able to touch, like, ever. 2) Lily knew what Michael's name was, and then she didn't. 

Random question: Does anyone know what it means to on "on a nut-jump killing spree"?

Lily's in her mid-twenties, but doesn't act her age. Her personality leaves a lot to be desired, and most of what happened throughout the book was just too unbelievable for me. After a funeral, Lily walks away and immediately gropes someone else, and I feel like she should have mourned her loss a little before trying to get her rocks off. 

I hate to say it, but I think I'm starting to outgrow Jennifer L. Armentrout. I really loved the Lux series, and some of her contemporaries, but lately her books have felt off. They're just not clicking for me liked they have in the past, and it's a bummer. I really didn't like how much this one resembled Storm and Fury, even though I know it's probably just a coincidence.

16 comments:

  1. Okay, I laughed way too much reading this!
    I read this one way back when it released and wasn't overly impressed thus not surprised the series didn't continue but was disappointed for those who enjoyed it.

    That said, I doubt I'd notice any similarities between this and Storm and Fury as it's been so long!

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    1. Haha! Laughter is the best medicine, right? I knew this one was an incomplete series, but I was still curious since it was JLA. Honestly, it felt like she took aspects of this book and improved them for Storm and Fury. It didn't feel like they were supposed to be set in the same world, but a lot of the story was the same.

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  2. This sounds like a heck nope for me. I've tried quite a few books by this author but all her books are so similar to each other. It feels like she's stuck writing the same sort of characters over and over again. It sucks that this didn't work for you though, because you are a fan of her works. But ugh, all that stalking grosses me out. That's a heck nope in my romance books.

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    1. I remember really enjoyed the Lux series a few years ago, but I don't remember too many details. I'm trying to remember if the main character was similar to Trinity and Lily, but I'd have to re-read Obsidian to know for sure. The Problem with Forever was a really great contemporary read, if you haven't tried that one. I also have The Darkest Star, but haven't started it yet. Again, I was considering re-reading the Lux series first. Maybe they're on audio...

      Yes, stalking is a hard no for me. Especially when he touched her and she said no, but he kept doing it anyway. Even if she wasn't swinging her fists at him, a no is still a no.

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  3. It would be hard for me to start an unfinished series if there were no plans on it being done. That being said, I don't think this sounds like something I'd put time into anyway. Sorry it didn't work out for you.

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    1. No worries. It happens! I would normally avoid an unfinished series, but I was curious about JLA's book. I also wanted to see why it wasn't continued, like maybe it would have been obvious in the book? It wasn't. I'm wondering if JLA decided to use aspects of this book in Storm and Fury since there were no plans to continue this one? She gets to hang on to what she enjoyed writing about, but with a new spin.

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  4. I rarely read Armentrout anymore, the exception being the Storm and Fury. I just don't connect with her stories anymore and they really do seem childish sometimes. I can't even handle her adult romances. Too much drama.

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    1. OMG. The. Drama. It was insane! Lily is in her mid-twenties, Julian is a Fallen (been around for eons), and they both acted like pre-teens. Their conversations were like nails on the chalkboard that is my brain. Even the other ancient folks, like Luke and Nathaniel, didn't act their age. They've been around for decades/centuries, and yet they still act irrational and insane. Storm and Fury was okay, but I had my issues with it too. Have you read The Problem with Forever?

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  5. Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard reading this. Especially the part about her walking away from the funeral and immediately getting her rocks off. LOL As much as I love JLA, this is one series that never really appealed to me for some reason. Sounds like I’m safe in passing it by. LOL

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    1. She totally did! She leaves the funeral early because she can't handle it, and then she's groping Julian as soon as their out of sight (he couldn't attend the funeral for reasons). It was bananas. I'm sure sex is a great distraction, but still.

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  6. I don't remember if I had read this one, but I remember some previous old books that were ok. However I loved all the last ones.

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    1. I really enjoyed The Problem with Forever and the Lux series! I still need to read The Darkest Star and some of her adult books. They're on my list. :)

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  7. Oh wow. I usually love her heroes but yea... not this one. Darn. At least I loved your review! :D

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    1. Haha! At least there's that. ;)

      Another thing that bothered me about Lily... she criticized how Micah handled deadheads and minions (those names, ugh), because he would torture them before killing them. She said something about their job being to send them on quickly and as painlessly as possible. However, a few chapters later and she's the one doing the torturing. It was gross, both her hypocrisy and her actions.

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  8. Great review, as usual Lindsi ;-)

    I haven't read anything by this author, I don't think she writes my kinds of books lol!

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    1. I feel like I'm outgrowing JLA, and that makes me sad. I really enjoyed the Lux series a few years ago, and The Problem with Forever was great, but lately they haven't been clicking for me. Even reading a book she wrote in 2013 didn't work out. Her stories are starting to feel similar, and some of the major plot points are being repeated. :(

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“Stuff and nonsense. Nonsense and stuff and much of a muchness and nonsense all over again. We are all mad here, don't you know?”
― Marissa Meyer, Heartless