Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Beginning of Everything: The Rising, Book 1

Top positive review

Wow! This book was amazing!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 20, 2022

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

This book was everything! Especially the audiobook! The full cast was amazing!! They brought everything to life. Kristen’s writing is immaculate! She does angst perfectly! A lot of books annoy me with the build up because not seem to be done very well, but let me tell you when Cass and Elena and Mars and Silence were the best! Omg from silence being so sweet and naive and mars so gentle yet stern with her! Then Cass rough with Elena yet gentle and she loved it but hated to admit! I was rooting for them through the whole book! I also like the other two couples and how the dynamics were different as well, how True and his intended didn’t feel for each other but he didn’t want to hurt her and she was willing to do whatever to be there for him knowing he was in love with Elena. And how the last couple was already married but had their issues and haven’t even consummated the marriage and he went from being mean and threatening her to understanding and explaining to her how he needed to protect her and she finally understood why he was how he was and that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her! There was still plenty of the main plot unfolding with the beast and what was leading it to being awakened. Nobody knows some of the Go’Doan has something to do with it and they have been under everyone’s noses the whole time. All in all i would definitely recommend end i will be continuing the series! Please check trigger warnings before proceeding because there is a R@pe scene soon as u open the book and another a few chapters in. Some of the things happening are brutal.

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Avid Reader

DISAPPOINTED

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 30, 2019

This is a spinoff of KA's Fantasyland series, but that series managed to have a continuing storyline and still give a HEA to each couple at the end of each segment. This series is more like a serial with no resolution to anything at the end of this first installment. I would recommend waiting until all four segments have been released before starting this. Hate it when authors publish only one part of a book at a time, and I'm VERY disappointed that KA has joined their ranks.

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From the United States

Avid Reader

DISAPPOINTED

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 30, 2019

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15 people found this helpful

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Aasiyah W.

Wow! This book was amazing!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 20, 2022

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Book Bruin

Intriguing & Somewhat Confusing Fantasy Romance

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 20, 2019

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 5+ stars
Story 3 stars

I've heard a lot about Kristen Ashley and her books, but this is my first book by her. Fantasy romance is not my typical read/listen, but I found it really intriguing and entertaining. There is A LOT going on in this book. There are numerous characters, storylines, alliances, and locations to keep track of and sift through. I understand (and expect) for the first book in a series like this to be somewhat confusing and detailed though, because it is setting the stage for everything and building a brand new world. I do wish, however, that there would have been some kind of glossary or reference for listeners to keep track of all the characters and new terminology. Because of this, I will admit that I'm not 100% sure releasing this as an audiobook first was the best decision.

It took a bit for me to become invested in the story, since much of the beginning is laying the foundation for what's to come and introducing us to the 8 different main characters. Once things got going though, I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next and the final chapter had me on the edge of my seat! I really liked the contrast between each of the couples (as well as the individuals), but I did feel that the instalove was too strong. Feelings can certainly develop quickly, but I need more than a shared glance or stare for these deep connections to form. I had also hoped that the women (especially Elena) would have been just as strong and powerful as their male counterparts based off of the blurb, but it appears that is not the case at least in this book. My fingers are crossed that the power differential will improve as the series progresses. I also felt that some of the sex scenes were unnecessary and overly graphic, especially since most did not involve one of the 4 main couples. The entire Serena storyline is problematic to me as well and just seems so out of character for her, given what we currently know about her.

My favorite characters at this point are cousins, True and Silence. True is the least alpha of all the men, but I'm always a sucker for the all around good guy gentleman. His history with Elena is an interesting twist and I'm curious to see if that will become an issue later in the series. Silence showed the most growth through the course of the book and I loved her curiosity and how she embraced the Firenze culture. I was all in for her and Mars up until he began discussing the practices of Firenze married couples. I don't condemn him for bringing it up though since it is a common and accepted occurrence in their culture, but I'm hoping that Silence will eventually voice her displeasure over this in the future.

The narration of The Beginning of Everything by this all star cast is incredible! There is so much variety and each performer brings a unique sound to the characters they are voicing. I am impressed not only by the multiple accents and the ability of the performers to voice both male and female characters so convincingly, but also the range of emotions that they each convey. This is an amazingly talented group of narrators, and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the series.

2 people found this helpful

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A brand new fantasy series from KA!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 14, 2019

I was so freaking excited to start this book, the first in The Rising series, and though it was very different from what I was expecting, I loved it and I am completely hooked!

This series is a spin-off from the Fantasyland series, set 25 years after the events of those books. But you don’t need to have read those books first, this story reads completely separately (though I did enjoy a cameo from a certain Drakkar).

The land of Triton is under threat from the Beast, a mythical creature that once destroyed the land and has been buried ever since. Now evil forces are coming together to once again awaken the creature. The only way to stop it is to fulfill a prophecy which would see the four strongest warriors from the different nations of Triton married to four of its powerful witches. And so, bound by destiny, four couples are brought together to save the world.

This is unlike KA’s usual inter-connected standalones in that it’s not one complete story. Instead, we have four stories all unfolding at the same time. So in this book we see the beginnings of four separate love stories… four heroes, four heroines, in a new world with different lands, customs, and languages for us to come to understand. It’s complicated and it took me a while to fully understand who everybody is and how they fit together. Not only do we have the four main couples, but also parents, siblings, friends, guards, children. It’s a lot! And with all of the main couples, the bad guy, and some of the side characters having chapters written in their perspectives, it can be really hard to keep track. I ended up keeping notes just so that I could remember who everybody was and all of their tie!

It's a bit of a slow build-up as we are introduced to everybody, but once I had a handle on things, I was sucked right in, and I loved watching the story unfold as they all gather together for the announcement of their betrothals and the first wedding.

- Mars and Silence (warrior king and innocent maiden)
- Cassius and Elena (warrior prince, widowed single father and a fiercely feminist warrior princess)
- True and Farah (the good guy and the banished daughter of a traitor)
- Aramus and Ha-Lah (pirate king and his super-mysterious bride)

Most of the crew already know each other, and some are meeting for the first time, and there are some fantastic dynamics there. Not everybody is pleased with the arrangement, but they are doing their duty, and as they get to know each other, there is chemistry and sexual tension all over the place! We can see the different relationships emerging – friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, a slow burn, and a fiery passion. I definitely have my favourites, and no surprise it’s the more alpha of the men that I’m more drawn to, which was great for me as this book seems to focus more on the upcoming marriage of fiercely protective Mars and innocent but curious and strong Silence, and I love, love, love them together!

These aren’t straightforward couplings, and there are a lot of hurdles to overcome – particularly with the differing cultural issues (think of the conflicting norms and expectations that were experienced in the Fantasyland series), and the strong personalities at play. There’s no actual love yet, but it’s a solid start for all four of our couples, and I’m so excited to see how their stories are all going to play out.

There is some steamy time (no sex) for those couples who are feeling the attraction. And KA continues to indulge her seemingly new-ish preference for descriptive and filthy kinky sex, but bizarrely, it’s only for the bad guy with his m/m and menage encounters, and other side characters who like to get their kink on. Why do we need to see this? I really don’t know, but I guess it gives us some insight into who those characters are, so whatever.

The audiobook is narrated by a full cast of 14 narrators! A different narrator for each character, which is genius, because it really helps differentiate between them all. They each have their own distinct voice with different accents, and when you have SO much going on in one book, you need all the help you can get! And as a bonus, every time Mars says “my Silence” in that drawl, it’s shiver inducing!

I really enjoyed this read. It’s complex, but it’s a wonderfully developed fantasy world with intricate politics that are playing out in the background of a fabulous character story with great dynamics. I’m so looking forward to continuing on.

One person found this helpful

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Great start to an epic new series!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 17, 2019

As someone who's obsessed with Kristen Ashley's books and who's read each book in her Fantastical Series approximately a dozen times, I was thrilled when she announced she'd be releasing a new Fantasy series! Did I mention that the series is set in the same universe with appearances from familiar faces, but with an extensive new cast of characters? *cue high-pitched squealing* The fact that the entire series would be released as Audible Originals was definitely cause for excitement. A full cast of narrators with an exotic array of accents work together to bring to life The Beginning of Everything, the first book in The Rising Series by Kristen Ashley.

Much like with the Fantastical Series, The Rising Series revolves around a prophecy. With a terrifying creature known as the Beast on the verge of reawakening, the only thing that could save the world from utter destruction is the fulfillment of a prophecy in which four of the land's most powerful warriors must wed the four most powerful witches. These unlikely pairings would unite the nations and bring about peace.

We are introduced to four couples, which include Silence and Mars, Cassius and Elena, True and Farah, and Aramus and Ha-Lah. The narrative jumps between these pairings rather than focusing solely on a single couple. While it took some getting used to initially, I actually appreciated that we experienced the progression of each character over the course of the narrative, which includes progress regarding their romantic relationships. Kristen Ashley provides enough information to keep you titillated, but leaves you wanting more.

Imaginative and fantastical, with a narrative that's action-packed and epic in scale, The Beginning of Everything is exactly what the title promises. This story brilliantly and meticulously sets up four love stories, and introduces a number of characters who will presumably be essential to the unfolding of The Rising Series. Kristen Ashley excels at world-building, creating such vivid imagery which, combined with the distinct voices of the narrators, make the story come to life before your eyes. I can only imagine what the rest of the series has in store for us and I'm excited to start the next chapter of this journey.

*complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review

Rating: 4.5 Stars

One person found this helpful

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Boundless Book Reviews Sara

3.5 stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 28, 2020

This series is set in the same world as Fantasyland (which I love) just on the other side of the green sea. A "Beast" is rising, and the most powerful four Witches must marry and consummate their marriages with the four most powerful warriors in the land to defeat the best.
Oh, and BTW there is a lot of M/M sex scenes in the book. So if that bothers anyone, skip this series.

If The Rising was written as Fantasyland and each book had two main Characters/couples, it would have worked. However, there are SO MANY characters, and with each chapter, we get a different POV I was honestly a bit lost until ¼ of the way through. I still get confused about some of the side characters. I almost DNF'd, it was so confusing. If you feel this way stick with it, it will get easier.

The Beginning of Everything introduces all of the main characters, and it loosely revolves around Silence and Mars. However, I do mean loosely because all the characters are heavily featured. So far, Silence is my Favorite, which is surprising since she is a silent clever little mouse of a woman. I am not a fan or Mars, and maybe he'll grow on me but meh so far. I like Cassius, and he is just so alpha, Elena, is a kick as chick that gets pushed around too much. The other two couples are yawn at least so far.

It really took me a while to get into this story, I appreciated the different narrators, but they still were not used to their fullest capacity. Not as "duet" style reading. One narrator reads each chapter instead of a character. With so many characters, it makes it even more confusing. I honestly think this book and probably series would be easier to read instead of audiobook.

Overall, I am giving The Beginning of Everything 3.5 Boundless Stars if I had a rough start, but I stuck with it, and by the end, I was ready for book 2.

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The Jeep Diva

The Beginning of Everything

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 14, 2019

I got a little excited about the review request for this title. I've always heard such amazing things about Kristen Ashley romances. I'm not going to judge her based solely on this book. I give another book or two a try before I decide she just isn't for me. I'm giving The Beginning of Everything as a story 2 stars. I'm going to bump it up to 3 stars for the phenomenal narration. If I had to judge this book based upon narration alone it would be a solid 5 stars. Even though at the beginning of each chapter listeners are informed of exactly whose point of view you are getting the change of narrator is quite clear.

The synopsis clearly informs you that there will be four couples. As a romance series junkie I immediately assumed that each couple would get their own book. That's how romance series work. That is where this series took a wrong turn for me. The Rising series already has one couple unhappily married when we meet them. There is another pair that are in love with each other but the casting of the runes will pair them with another. My biggest problem is that each of the love stories unfolds simultaneously in one book. None of them have reached a happily ever after by the end of this book. I expect a happily ever after with my romance novel.

The story itself is interesting. Ashley paints a colorful picture of this fantasy world that her characters must save from a dormant beast that power hungry evil doers are trying to bring forth. There is much gratuitous sex. This goes on between some of the secondary characters. At times it seems pointless. If male male, or male male female is something that you just cannot tolerate in your books this may not be a book for you.

I will not continue listening to this series.

15 people found this helpful

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Stacey

This is...The Beginning of Everything

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 1, 2019

It's truly hard to judge and rate this story because it's...The Beginning of Everything. Unlike other stories by Kristen Ashley, she has decided to run simultaneous love stories. With so many couples meeting and connecting, it means that we don't get even close to a *Happy Ever After*. It is The Beginning of Everything...

While I hated certain parts, was at times confused, and struggled following who was who and what was what, I was completely SUCKED IN!! My emotions were high from the very start and I welcomed the loathing that overwhelmed me at the very beginning. After all, I had been here before. I recognised my feeling of outrage and disgust. I was giddy because it reminded me of my journies through Fantasyland.

I will not be judging The Rising from my introduction to The Beginning of Everything but I will give it 5 stars because of the journey the emotions I felt. This story made me extremely angry at times, had me smiling like a loon at others, and I was constantly wearing a frown in concentration. I had to remind myself that this is not my love story and it IS unreal. These stories are about other people and their lives, so I can hardly judge them on their decisions and sexual proclivities.

Even when I was overwhelmed and upset towards the end, it duplicated the emotional devastation I felt when I read The Golden Dynasty for the first time. I reminded myself that we are nowhere near the end, and if my Dax Lahn can come good, there's hope for The Rising. I admit that the ending left me a little wild-eyed. So much is going on and I'm a little discombobulated. I NEED to know what's going to happen next and I can't wait for more.

For fans of the Fantasyland series, this will seem a little like returning to visit with old friends (and enemies). There are a few scenes that will push some readers too far and while some left me uncomfortable, I was able to get past them. The narrators do an AMAZING job and by the end, I found it easier to follow along because of the different narrators.

8 people found this helpful

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Gretchen Schmidt

Thrilling and epic tale! I loved this!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 15, 2019

What an incredibly thrilling and epic tale! I am blown away. Kristen Ashley did an amazing job creating an elaborate and detailed world for me to get lost in. It was phenomenal! The narration was incredible with such distinct voices and different dialects. It was extremely well done. I loved this!

Fantastic start to the series. There was a wonderful build as everything was laid out. All the pairings are fascinating and I love all the different dynamics and politics taking place. The focus is on all the couples equally and what's going on in ever-growing hard times. I loved the overall storyline and the conflict presented and all the different forces at work as well as the smaller stories woven in. There was emotion, intensity, drama, and heat. Some parts are raw and violent, it was gripping. From good guys to bad guys, alliances, and loyalties I was mesmerized by all the interactions. There is a very full cast of characters, I suggest downloading the glossary from the authors website. It helped me keep people and countries straight when needed.

I loved the pairings of each couple, they each have such diverse and unique personalities. I really liked watching them learn about the other and all the nuances taking place. Attractions grow, trust is formed, and bonds are happening. All the men are strong-willed and definitely alpha males, I loved seeing them soften towards their women a bit. Each woman is strong in her own right and all bring something different to the table. I am absolutely fascinated by all their different traits and beliefs.

The story was exciting to listen to and I was on the edge of my seat. The narration was stellar! It flowed so well from one voice to the next and each narrator did such an outstanding job. The different dialects and voices within their chapter were perfection. The voices alternated each chapter and sometimes within the chapter but each person was identified so there was no confusion. I thought it was really well done.

This was an extremely clever and well-crafted story. It’s multilayered and multifaceted with an awesome cast of characters that’s intricate and rich. Killer ending too! This is a serial so this story does end with a cliffhanger. I cannot wait for the next story in The Rising series!

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Kelly

Wonderful Narration

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 20, 2020

Story - 4 stars
Performance - 5 stars

I've been waiting for all 4 of the audios to release so I could listen to The Rising series all close together. I'll be honest, I had to concentrate really hard for the first few hours of The Beginning of Everything. SO many different characters on top of the 4 main couples, the different narrators, the different accents. Some very graphic scenes as well.

I enjoyed the second half of The Beginning of Everything more than the first, from the perspective that I was more able to understand what was happening, I was getting to know all the different characters and the couples were starting to come together more. There was more of Elena & Cassius, and Mars & Silence than the other 2 main couples so I was enjoying listening to their relationship development. I'm wanting to see lots more of these couples falling for each other. Especially Mars - I want him to fall HARD, after what he told Silence towards the end!

There are multiple narrators, so it was a really good performance to listen to....... even more so once I figured out what was going on story wise.

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