BOOK REVIEW: The Nine: Origins by Kes Trester

When I saw this one up on NetGalley, I was immediately drawn to the premise. It’s like a modern twist on X-Men. I’m grateful to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

In the first installment of a new fantasy series we find Blake Wilder, who has had a rough adolescence. Who wouldn’t have some issues in high school if you had the ability to see promentions of those around you without any ability to control the visions? She finally hopes to start fresh when she moves to Santa Carla, California to begin college with her best, and only friend, Scarlett. However, starting over isn’t what happens, instead she finds herself nose deep into a brand new world of The Nine, others who have special abilities.

I really loved this premise. It’s sorta like magic, but not really as it’s more based on normal people with a special ability. Blake is a Voyant, but there are eight other abilities people have. Do you see that? The Nines? Nine abilities? Ok, moving on.

Blake’s abilities grow and strength, and as she delves more into the world with the ‘help’ from the equally pushy Nicholas and Jessie, Blake learns that she has the rarest ability. Unfortunately for her, this makes her an important pawn to both sides of a growing riff within the hierarchy of The Nine.

The best part of this one was the plot, and I’m typically more of a character fan, but with the first in a series there was a lot of effort put into establishing the world and the deeper conflict and storyline. On the surface, this book’s goal is to establish Blake’s place in this secret society, while learning some of the century old traditions that are becoming the crux of the internal tug of war for power. However we have a little murder mystery thrown in for fun since not everyone is happy to discover Blake’s ability.

I appreciate that the discovery of Blake’s talent and the somewhat unsettling arrival of Nicholas, lead to uncovering some immediate corruption. Blake’s ability to see the promotions allows her to be aware of certain things that are going to happen, such as murder. For that reason, whoever is out killing people also seems to want to shut her up.

This is why I loved the plot. There are so many layers. Some superficial, some simply beginning, and others that served as the core driving force of this book and Blake’s indoctrination to the Nines. I thought there was a nice twist at the end when the ‘bad guy’ was finally revealed and man, how that ended was a little intense and I can honestly say, I wasn’t expecting it to go down that way.

The characters were ok. I’m hoping that as the series continues, the characters will continue to develop more. There is definite potential with them, but I felt that they were a little restrained from being what they need to be. The dialogue was a little formulaic and at times slightly melodramatic, especially towards the end. However, the story was easy to read and flowed quickly from page to page. 

While Blake and Scarlett are who they are there were several other important characters. Warren is a little one dimensional, and the boys that make up Blake’s new love triangle, Jessie and Nicholas, feel more like stock stereotypes at the moment. Again, I feel that there is so much more to them. Like we are just skating the surface, so I really am hoping that book 2 will focus on developing these two. Don’t get me wrong, I do have a favorite character, one who is more developed than the others. One who is created from a different mold. Everything about this particular character reads and feels differently. (That’s what I’m hoping comes from the other major characters.)

Khalia Clark, a sentinel, is a total badass. The scene in the library was the best scene in the entire book. As a sentinel, she serves in many ways as a bodyguard. But is dark and brooding with a  mysterious air about her and a don’t-mess-with-me attitude. I would be happy to have had her with a bigger role, but again, I see her being important as the series continues.

It is clear that the characters will be traveling away from Santa Carla, the home of the Lower 8, a sanctuary of sorts for the Nines. Ok, it’s really just a really cool bar, but Santa Carla boasts a high concentration of Nines. Now, I wonder if it has to do with the fact that the college Blake and Scarlett attend was built on the site of an old mental hospital. Coincidence? Anyways, it appears that the Nine are headquartered out of England, in Alder House. I am excited to explore that in the next book. I want to see how the other half live. I already have visions of what this mansion of a place looks like with it’s almost gothic apparence.

The ending set the stage for book 2. There are some unanswered questions, some unclear events taking place, and some new complications. It’s effective while not being an unbearable cliffhanger. 

Where does this book land on my bookshelf?

I’d place it on the middle shelf. It was good, and I enjoyed it. With it being a quick and easy read, it didn’t really leave me thinking and pondering anything when I was finished. The world has been successfully established, but there is clearly so much more to come. There is no real clear knowledge of what’s to come except for the little hints we received along the way, so I’m looking forward to the development of the characters and a more complex plot. I would definitely recommend this one if you enjoy YA fantasy and are in the mood for a little X-Men action. The Nine:Origins will be available on October 11.

Don’t forget to check out my other fun sites!

Brand New Website for book lovers: www.tinyurl.com/desertbookshelf It has links to my podcast Speaking LITerally, book reviews, breaking literary news, games, links to small business and more!

Speaking LITerally podcast! Our monthly misadventures into all things literary. Separated by the Atlantic, Liz and I come together in our love of reading!!! Find us wherever you listen to your other favorite podcasts! Click here to find us on iHeartRadio!

If you are really bored you can read about some of my personal adventures in life raising two teenagers and loving a husband who is fighting Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and all the lesson I learn along the way. Educate This.