Destiny Gift #Book Review by Juliana Haygert

Destiny Gift  by Juliana Haygert
Series: Everlast, #1
Publication: April 9th 2013
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

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Synopsis:

Thirty years in the future, a sinister New York City exists in permanent darkness.

A student at the secured NYU, nineteen-year-old Nadine has visions of Victor Gianni, an imaginary guy she has real feelings for. Afraid of being truly insane, she explains the visions away as simple daydreams, but she can no longer deny them when she bumps into Victor in real life. But this Victor doesn’t know her, and turns her away. After the encounter, Nadine’s visions change to those of eerie fates, gods she’s never heard of, demons with sharp claws they are not too timid to use … and instructions.

To discover if she’s losing her mind, Nadine follows the vague directions—with the real, rude and reluctant Victor—leading to a man who knows it all: Nadine can restore an ancient creed by unveiling the clues on her visions, and bring sunlight and peace to the world again. But that’s only if the demons and the other evil forces behind the darkness don’t stop her first.

AUTHOR BIO

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

My Destiny Gift Review

Destiny Gift really took me on a fun suspenseful ride. I really enjoyed it too. This book really has a bit of everything, we have some cool fantasy/mythology in it, with her visions, it’s also a real life type dystopian feel too, In New York City, it’s all darkness (all over in fact) Its more of a new adult category I would say, college age and with the college environment. I really loved the really cool twist at the end, it got me really excited for this story, and for the next book.

As for the characters, I really liked Victor, a lot more than I liked Micah, something about Micah just put me off, but I will say I liked Nadines vision version of Victor better than the real life one. I did start to like Micah better by the end, and in fact was rooting for him too.

I liked Nadine most of the time, she was a bit clueless sometimes, but over all I still liked her. I was confused at times but it all came together at the end, and now that I read this book, I see it was more than likely planned out that way. It was brilliant. It is very well written, and to me is a very different type of paranormal, lots that happened I did not see coming for sure.

The Gods in this book I was confused on who was who some of the time, but it was not that big of a deal, I was able to catch on for the most part, lol.

This book did lack romance, there was some fantasies that Nadine had about Victor, and that’s just about all, but I am not big on the romance in books, so it was fine with me. I think there is going to be more in the next book, at least it seems like it to me.

I highly recommend this book, and give it 5 out of 5 stars for sure.

This review is also at Amazon Here
Also at Goodreads, Here

Excerpt from Chapter One

At the end of the subway car, two guys weaved and swayed into one another and held telltale brown bags covering what had to be bottles of booze. How couldn’t the officer see them? They were obviously underage.

The guys eyed me and whispered. Goose bumps tingled along my spine, and I put my hand inside my purse, clutching my pepper spray. I left my hand there—my palm sweating because of my increasing nervousness—and was ready to act.

Meanwhile, the old lady babbled about life thirty years ago. How great it was to be able to travel around the world, to swim in the ocean, to go to school unafraid, and so on.

The West Fourth Station grew closer. I acted cool and calm, as if my stop were still far away. After eyeing me, I was sure the whispering and chuckling meant the drunken guys plotted to come after me, and I hoped to thwart their plans.

Relief rushed through me when the door of the subway opened at the station. I dashed to the door and jumped out right before it closed again. I hurried up to street level and didn’t look back once, afraid of what I might see.

But I didn’t need to see, I could hear them—their feet pounding against the slick concrete and their creepy laughs.

I zigzagged through the rough-looking crowd, avoiding eye contact with anyone, but brushing my shoulders against unwelcoming strangers, and hurried toward the gates of the university, trying to stick with streets where the lamps weren’t broken. Why wasn’t the subway station closer to NYU’s gates? Four blocks under such conditions was too far.

Even on the run, I couldn’t help but look around me and shudder.

Skyscrapers taken by criminals. Other buildings in decay and in danger of collapsing. Executive office buildings, schools, churches, and most business—stores, coffee shops, restaurants, theaters, bookstores—kept their heavy doors locked all day. Customers had to ring the bell and wait to be allowed in.

I crossed a street and a speeding car missed me by a few inches. I froze for a second, my heart pounding as I looked at the usual armored wheels and black windows.

Resonating laughter propelled me into action, and I forced my legs to pump like they never had before.

I was so close.

So were they.

I slammed to a stop in front of the building across the street from NYU. Glowing as if it had a silver backlight, the number eight overwhelmed my sight.Get a grip, Nadine. I shook my head to clear my insane vision and caught sight of the guys only a few steps from me.

My heart rate burst into double time and I ran across the street.

From my pocket, I fished out my student card and barely paused as I swiped it on the gate’s lock. I slipped in and the gate closed behind me. A relieved breath escaped my lips.

A guard emerged from the side cubicle. “Everything all right”—he glanced at the computer monitor—“Miss Sterling?”

“Yes, now it is,” I answered. The two guys glared at me through the gates they couldn’t cross.

“The next period will start in seven minutes,” the guard informed me.

I didn’t bother telling him I didn’t have class that afternoon. “Yes, yes, thanks.”

Taking deep breaths to calm myself, I turned and walked farther into campus, while chanting in my mind that I hadn’t seen the number eight shining—again—or that I hadn’t almost been robbed, or worse.

I shuddered, pushing away the terrible images of the possible things that could have happened. I hugged myself and muttered, “It’s okay. I’m okay.”