Once Bitten (Shadow Guild: The Rebel, #1) by Linsey Hall

Once Bitten (Shadow Guild: The Rebel, #1) Reviews

• 
  Jennasis

  DNFed at 8% nope. nope nope nope. More lazy writing. Instant attraction to someone you think murdered your best friend? Pfft. No thanks. Why do so many authors try to use the instant attraction trope as a short cut? It's just an excuse to not have to write believable relationships, and it pisses me off that its so common! That, along with the love interest's unfounded and instant "need" to protect the MC as soon as he lays eyes on her. It's just lazy and sad and eye rolling.
  
  Not to mention the cringe "Look at this dude, total badass" vibes. When its the MC's POV the chapter starts off with her name, but when its the love interests POV it starts out with "The Devil". No, I'm not joking. I can practically hear the Author's thoughts while creating this character "Hmm, he's gotta be a total badass, a dark mystery surrounded in shadow, enticing and chilling. I know, I'll call him the Devil! Hmmm what should he sound/think like?" This is the first taste we, as readers, get of "the devil's" voice:
  
  "I tucked myself into the shadows, disappearing into the darkness as I watched the police shackle the woman who’d drawn me into her visions. Something pulled inside me, hard and fierce. Protect her. I rubbed a hand over my chest, confused. What the hell was this feeling? I hadn’t felt anything like this—much of anything, really—since I’d been turned into a vampire nearly five hundred years ago."
  
  Now if that doesn't scream bad ass worthy of the title "The Devil", I don't know what does. Sigh.
• 
  Jacob Proffitt

  I decided to go back to the beginning of the Shadow Guild universe after picking up another further down the line. It's an interesting prospect because even just that one revealed a few secrets that are being kept in this one. That said, this was very much along the lines of what I expected so this is likely to be something of a plough-through (as I'm having fun with them, at least so far).
  
  I knew the worldbuilding would be light going in and that helped a bit, at least with expectations. This one starts in the mundane world and it's basically only the strength of Carrow that held my interest. She's in something of a tough spot because she's a bit stupid about revealing things to the police when she figures out that a murder is about to happen. Well, she finally gets there before they do and is caught at the scene. And arrested and, eventually, on the run with a manhunt out for her. Which is when she stumbles onto "Guild City" the magical city within London.
  
  Yes, that's all very ridiculous and I don't care. I told you the worldbuilding was light, right? There you go. What held me was the friendships and relationships, even though they're all pretty fast. I didn't care that Mac attached to her nearly instantly because their conversations were fun and she was such a great intro into the magical world.
  
  And again, the plot held together and the mystery was compelling. And Devil, the male protagonist for this chunk of the series, wasn't nearly as bad as he could have been and had a few stand-out moments along the way.
  
  So yeah, light and I definitely don't recommend this to anyone who wants to take their UF seriously. But it is entertaining and I'm going to read more of them because I have a personal weakness, apparently. Four stars, all of them for taking, and holding, my interest.
  
  A note about Chaste: Despite being all interested and stuff, Carrow and Devil aren't anywhere near a place where they'd be anything like intimate, even just physically. So there's an almost kiss and a stimulating neck-bite (vampire, you expected that to happen, right?) so it's pretty chaste, I think.
• 
  Penny

  I have been a fan of this author for quite some time. I really enjoy the adventure and romance that takes place in her series. This is a brand new series, and I think it’s probably the best one I’ve read by her yet. It’s a little different than the ones I’ve read by this author, and I just love the turn in writing. The main character Carrow is an interesting character, and I hate how lonely she is. But that doesn’t last long as she discovers magic is real, and she soon has magic friends. I was intrigued by her love interest in the short story about Connor, and now we get to know the Devil a little bit better. I can’t wait to see what happens in this fascinating new world and what happens next with the cast of characters. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
• 
  Marta Cox

  This is the first in this series and I'm over the moon that a certain Vampire who was briefly introduced in a recent book is going to be the hero here. Plus the heroine Carrow is definitely someone I can get behind because she's plucky and brave enough to take on the "Devil" even though her world has been turned upside down. Carrow might believe she's human but with an unusual gift she most assuredly fits right into this new magical reality she has stumbled into. I won't give too much away although I will say there is a resolution to Carrows immediate problems. What is even more encouraging though is the way these characters feel realistic and I'm enjoying the games they are playing. There's undoubtedly a lot more to come and I will happily read more . I will say though initially it was all too obvious that this England based story was written by an American ( small wine box ??? and Ramen noodles ???? just such an over the pond vibe ) once the characters began to interact this story and its world building came to glorious life.
  This voluntary take is of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
• 
  Rhiannon Chillingworth

  This was a really great UF read.
  
  The world felt fresh and vibrant, Carrow was very likeable, Mac was a great side character and yay for female friendship and I am totally intrigued by The Devil.
  
  This has the making of a great series with a delightful slow burn. My favourite!
• 
  Chantelle

  Awful book
  
  I feel as if the character is overly naive even given the fact that her friend was murdered and that she sees murder and death constantly. It's more irritating than not that the character just keeps getting these feelings that end up leading her in the right direction or making her trust someone after one conversation. I mean I know it's a realm of magic but it's so unrealistic, like why hasn't everyone just decided that they could trust a specific person leaving no more problems within the magical community. I feel like the writer was sloppy and lazy with a lot of her writing, example being the feelings the character keeps getting the point you in the right direction or having an instant mated reaction with a random guy that happened to be standing over a bludgeoned body. Like we'd up to that. Have her start out with Miss trust and work her way to appreciation and then eventually love. Don't just throw the reader into "this guy murdered someone and we locked eyes, but what is this feeling? we must be mates". The writer also has a poor job integrating her into the supernatural community. The character dismiss is the majority of her findings because she wants to stay on the murder Trail so she can clear her name, and then literally a page later is walking through to the magical Community because the girl that she met at the bar 10 minutes ago said she'd take her and there's an automatic trust that she's not going to kill her? What happened to denial and staying on the murder Trail?
  The other reason I say the author did sloppy work with her writing is effect that the main character at multiple points checks your phone and make some sort of reaction and when people comment on it she assumes it's because of their magical abilities or her new friend being a seer. Could it not just be the fact that she checked her phone made a face some sort of physical reaction happened? They live in a world with shifters who can detect changes in the heartbeat and people that are capable of reading facial features oh, it doesn't seem that unlikely that they just noticed because they understand human body language rather than some sort of magical ability.
  And instead of using descriptive words to describe the confusion of the main character she at one point used, and I quote, "did this weird tornado thing in my head". There are a million other ways to more accurately state that someone is in a state of confusion and none of them include the word 'thing'.
  The conversation between characters sounded like it came from a child trying to remember what normal conversations were like. There was no depth, no humor, no quirk. Just vapid, boring, simple conversations that basically consisted of "thank you, your welcome, adventures are fun, and I totally agree!!"
  Overall, unless you're a 9 year old girl, I dont recommend this book.
• 
  julia ☆ [owls reads]

  Once Bitten was a pretty fun and quick read! The plot was nothing too complex and/or complicated—the bad guy didn’t even have a name lol
  
  The world-building was interesting as well and I liked all the different Guilds. Could have done with better developed characters and romance, though.
  
  And the true star in this book was obviously Cordelia.
• 
  Melliane

  
  Mon avis en Français
  
  
  My English review
  
  This is an author I really wanted to test after seeing her novels all over the internet. So I was delighted to get into this first volume.
  
  Carrow has the incredible gift of being able to see someone’s future or past by touching an object or a person. It’s a power she doesn’t master, but it helps her sometimes. But when she finds herself in front of a dead man, killed the same way her best friend was, trouble begins. Hunted by the police, Carrow will do everything in her power to find the murderer and clear her name. Unfortunately, things will not go as planned when she discovers a world full of magic where a vampire as beautiful as he is enigmatic seems interested in her. Helped by her new friends, our heroine will have to understand what is going on with this vampire, but also do everything she can to find out the truth.
  
  It was a very nice novel and I liked the mix of supernatural creatures. There were a lot of ideas and I must say I’m very curious to see what happens next, especially the relationship between Carrow and the Devil of Darkvale. Lots of things to look forward to!
• 
  Somia

  If you want light and fluffy this is the book for you. Plot and writing aren't fab but it's super light and easy and I was defo in the mood for that.
  
  I liked the fact that the female lead is not a cowering mess, and has a backbone.
  
  Didn't really feel the chemistry between the MCs, but we'll see what happens in book two.
  
  Worldbuilding is very light.
  
  Ends in a cliff-hanger, so book cannot be read as a standalone. Book two has been downloaded.
  
  Acquired via KU.
• 
  Andrea

  3.5
  
  RTC
• 
  Ivy Deluca

  Quick(ish) Review
  
  So...this wasn't bad, but it did need a bit more character development to really build what appears to be the central relationship. The attraction's insta, but the worldbuilding is the draw. It's a blend of Harry Potter meets True Blood vibes, and I'm into the idea of Guild City. So I'm willing to check out the next book and see where it goes. If any of that sounds interesting to you, that's all I got. I can't quite rave about it yet, but I don't hate it. So, there you go. *shrugs*
• 
  TJ

  This is my first foray into this author’s books and I’m happy to say it was actually pretty enjoyable. There is absolutely NOTHING beneath the surface,however, no back-story, no depth, no world-building… in fact everything just kind of magically (heh, heh) happens. Like her insta-best friend Mac, her insta-romantic interest with the Devil, the insta-magic world acceptance. It’s urban fantasy light - really light. Still, the story was quick and fun so I’m hoping some of those things level out in later books. (Yes, I’m off to try the next one.)
• 
  Alexandra G.

  3.5 stars
  
  Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I liked it more than I thought I would.
  The book is a little rough around the edges, sure, but it has the potential to be a great series.
  For me, at least.
  
  Carrow, weird name but cool, is a little odd and waaay too trusting with people she just met. I get it that she relies on impressions and has a certain sense but still. It's ridiculous to assume if a person is good or bad immediately after you meet them. It's not that simple.
  
  Another pleasant surprise was the author's inspiration for the Devil. And how it was just that, an inspiration. In most books Vlad the Impaler is the important detail of the book. Reinterpreted in various ways, but still the same thing. Really glad that in this book it wasn't the main focus of the story.
  
  So, this book was a nice, relaxing read. A little ridiculous at times and predictable, but still enjoyable. I'll definitely read the next book and hope that I'll like it even more.
  
  6/10 would recommend
• 
  thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books)

  This was a great start and introduction to a new series. I loved Carrow, she’s not perfect, she’s learning and doesn’t suddenly figure her powers out and is ultra powerful the way they do in so,e books, it’s more believable. The Devil, of course you love him, he’s written so well, just enough to intrigue you, but we still don’t know much. Fab start, looking forward to the next
• 
  Jeanny

  DNF 26%
• 
  ⇝ b ⇝

  SO MUCH POTENTIAL. I cannot wait for more from this author.
• 
  Samuel Flanigan

  Awesome
  
  This was an outstanding start to a new series and I can't wait to continue the journey with Carrow and the friends.
• 
  Coco.V

  🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/28/2021)! 🎁
• 
  Clarabel

  Carrow est une jeune femme solitaire, dont la vie humaine est triste et ordinaire. Certes, elle possède la particularité de visualiser des bouts de vie rien qu'en touchant une personne ou un objet. C'est comme ça qu'elle est attirée sur une scène de crime et confondue par la police qui la considère comme principale suspecte. N'attendant pas de s'expliquer, elle décide de s'échapper pour mener sa propre enquête. Elle pousse alors la porte d'un pub dans une allée sombre et débarque dans une dimension magique où vivent sorciers, métamorphes, vampires et autres.
  
  Bienvenue à Guild City. La Guilde des Ombres. Carrow pense halluciner mais fait les bonnes rencontres (Quinn, Mac et Eve) qui vont l'aider à s'acclimater à ce monde parallèle. Elle croisera aussi Celui qui fait trembler les murs de la Cité - Le Diable de Valléesombre - face auquel elle ressent un mélange d'angoisse et d'attraction. Lui aussi va être intrigué par l'inconnue qui semble imperméable à ses pouvoirs. Surtout qu'ils vont travailler ensemble sur son affaire de meurtre. Pour l'instant, la relation est plutôt curieuse mais non dénuée d'intérêt. Ce qu'une Oracle cherche à leur apprendre risque également d'apporter du piquant à l'histoire !
  
  Ne vous laissez pas abattre par le début qui est lourd et confus - il m'a fallu quelques chapitres avant d'accrocher. L'auteure a tendance à tourner en boucle soit parce qu'elle ne sait pas comment avancer, soit pour accentuer des détails sans importance. Combien de fois nous rappelle-t-on que la nouvelle vie de Carrow est incroyable en comparaison de son existence humaine (isolée, sinistre, fade). Même constat dans les introspections du Diable - lui, le monstre au passé sanguinaire qui n'a plus goût à rien et qui trouve sa pilule miraculeuse en la personne de l'humaine. Soupire. Sans cela, j'ai aimé me plonger dans l'univers de Carrow et suivre ses aventures. Le monde surnaturel dévoile doucement son potentiel. La relation entre les personnages va encore se décanter. Je pense qu'on tient quelque chose, maintenant que les présentations sont faites. Oui, il y a de fortes chances que je continue la série !
  
  

  Dans le monde des humains, je ne faisais qu’exister : j’étais une ombre de vie dans un monde plein d’ombres. Là sans être là. À demi morte, même. Il n’y avait que moi, Cordélia et mes petits cubis de vin. Et à présent, je me trouvais ici et le monde me paraissait si grand, ouvert et incroyable.

  
  
  

  Si j’étais plus maligne, je serais intéressée par Quinn. Séduisant, fort, intelligent, sympa. Au lieu de ça, j’avais envie du Diable de Valléesombre. Lui aussi séduisant, fort et intelligent, mais effrayant et puissant, froid et mystérieux. Idiote.
• 
  Becky Moynihan

  This was a total cover buy for me. It’s so gorgeous! I enjoyed the story, almost like a grownup version of Harry Potter but with a sexy vampire thrown in. I inhaled the first half, but then started to drift a little. I didn’t connect with the characters like I’d hoped, didn’t really feel anything for them. More backstory on each of the characters would have helped a lot. Overall though, it was an enjoyable read!
• 
  Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm)

  3.5
• 
  Levie

  Standard UF/PNR but still enjoyable.
• 
  Chani

  Trop rapide, manque de profondeur des personnages et du background, avec un petit côté kikoolol en prime, abandon à 50%
• 
  lynn mcelhinney

  Loved it
  
  Another great read from Kinsey Hall. I really enjoyed this new chapter with great new characters. I am eagerly awaiting book 2 💜
• 
  Absolutelyred

  DNF
• 
  Lauren

  A great start for a new series ...
  
  This is the first book in a brand new series by Linsey Hall, although if you're familiar with her other works you'll notice the nod in that direction when she describes a couple of other people Carrow sees.
  
  So, what's this books about then? Carrow is psychic, broke, living in London and wanted for murder, mainly because she has a habit of turning up within minutes of the acts being carried out. Corrigan, a police officer who believes in Carrow's skills and knows she'd never actually commit murder arranges a diversion to allow her to escape the police station and go on the run. It is whilst she's on the run that she enters a whole new magical realm - one people can only enter if they are magical themselves.
  
  On entry to this new, magical world she quickly meets and makes new friends and immediately sets out on a new adventure, one that will take her to the Devil of Darkvale, an incredibly powerful vampire who pretty much runs the city. He is also the man Carrow saw on her vision and quite possibly the muderer. Carrow doesn't let that one small detail put her off confronting him, or make her attraction towards him any less.
  
  The Devil is the other voice in the book and we learn that Carrow's attraction is not one-sided. As a vampire who hasn't wanted to drink from a real person in a very long time, he finds himself wanting to taste her and his longing glances at her neck don't go amiss.
  
  As with all Linsey's books both the Devil and Carrow have to work together to find the real culprit and all the while they are fighting their attraction to each other.
  
  Of course they're not alone, which is another good thing with the books, as there is already the burgeoning relationships of the 'side kicks' to discover. These come in the form of Carrow's familiar, Cordelia, her only friend from the real world, then there is seer Mac, shifter Quinn and fae Eve who all become friends and allies with Carrow and I'm sure we will see these relationships grow as the stories do. We may even bare witness to the tension between Quinn and the Devil who are both interested in Carrow's affections.
  
  This is a great start to a new series. Linsey has written this very well and I only noticed a slight mistake where she mixed up Carrow and Mac for a couple of sentences - enough to make you think, but not confuse you, if you notice it at all.
  
  The pace of the book is good, not so slow you wonder if we'll ever get anywhere, but not so fast you feel you're missing valuable information. Her experience definitely comes into play here.
  
  Overall this is a well paced book with plenty to keep the reader interested, but not so much attention to new characters that one gets caught in a quagmire of information.
  
  I really enjoyed this, taking an immediate liking to all the characters, but look forward to more from Cordelia now Carrow finally realises both what she is, and what the raccoon is to her.
  
  Thank you Linsey for another great book and a refreshing new series, I have faith it will be every bit as popular as the last x
• 
  Ada

  Imagine craving for a chocolate milkshake on a hella long trip on a hot day and finally finding a cafe to get some of that icy goodness only to find the flavours a little bland but you gulp it down because it's still a milkshake. Once Bitten is that brand of milkshake.
  
  With the relatively short length, the book moved at a hasty speed forgoing things that would have helped to enrich the book. I mean just the first chapter itself takes no time in introducing the FMC or showcasing her situation before she is already being framed for the murder. The whole pacing is too snappish.
  
  Carrow had interesting powers that of course aren't anything new but they did have potential to be useful in the story, the raccoon was so under-utilised as her familiar. The insta connection with the Devil made me roll my eyes but the cursed mates thing perked up my interest and it's not like they boink in this book so despite the insta attention, the relationship is not rushed yet. The side characters fell too easily into the slot of buddy group, imo.
  
  The plot is there, the progression from point A to B to C scenes is there, I can't deny it but the abruptness with which we move towards those scenes leaves no room to truly enjoy the (intriguing but limited) world building and get hooked into the catch the murderer plot-line. I'm still trying the next one due to the amount of potential I could see despite the faults.
• 
  Jill Gauger

  Linsey did it again with a mesmerizing tale of a supernatural world hidden in plain site.
  Carrow Burton can see things just by touch. She was trying to become a cop but was thrown out for unorthodox methods. When she sees a man being murdered she goes to try and stop it but is to late. She feels a strange presence during a vision at the murder scene but the connection is broken and the cops show up and she is arrested for the murder. Her friend from the force who she has helped solve cases provides her with an escape.
  This begins her journey into the world of supernaturals she always thought were myths.
  I can’t wait for the next book. Every fan of Linsey’s will want to read this and so will everyone else.
• 
  Elisa

  Oh I loved it, great first in a new series that links into Linsey’s world, great new characters this was a really enjoyable read.