It's not that I didn't like this one, more that I couldn't bring myself to care about any of it.

The world in [b:Marked|57101751|Marked (Soul Guardians, #1)|Kim Richardson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613513889l/57101751._SY75_.jpg|15729324] is indeed well fleshed-out, so I don't feel like I'm being thrown in randomly to this fantasy world with plot holes a mile wide. I actually do like the way Kara and the reader discover the world at the same time.

It's more Kara herself that I have a problem with, and the cast in general. [b:Marked|57101751|Marked (Soul Guardians, #1)|Kim Richardson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613513889l/57101751._SY75_.jpg|15729324] doesn't just sacrifice character for plot, it basically creates cardboard cutouts from the beginning, and yet somehow they become even less of characters as the plot progresses. There's too many interactions that aren't talked about, and are barely even thought about, even though they could do a lot to enhance the story. I'd guess they'd probably be explored in some of the later books in the series, but I don't plan to stick around and find out.

[b:Marked|57101751|Marked (Soul Guardians, #1)|Kim Richardson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613513889l/57101751._SY75_.jpg|15729324] is the first "angels and demons" book I've read but the second "magical afterlife" one I've read in less than a month. I couldn't help comparing this to [b:Crossing Over Easy|49983869|Crossing Over Easy (Eastwind Witches #1)|Nova Nelson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564610000l/49983869._SX50_SY75_.jpg|58769131] and everything that one did better to introduce both the characters and their place in this new experience for them.

One other issue I had was with the religion of the world. Horizon is very clearly based on Christian lore, with the archangels given the most prominent angel names from the bible and the "seven layers" of Horizon, with the "chief" (presumably God) at the highest level. And yet this is never mentioned. It is assumed that all readers would have the same beliefs about the afterlife and accept that (at least in this world), the Christian (or at least Abrahamic or Judeo-Christian - I'm not sure how much crosses over from the Old Testament regarding this) afterlife is the only one that makes sense. I understand that this is probably the author's background, but I feel that more could have been done to either explicitly reference this as the Christian afterlife (even as simply as characters having been Christian before they died) or to not necessarily favor one version of the afterlife over another, even with less explicitly Abrahamic names.

As I said, I don't plan on continuing the series, unless I can get the second book for free.

I did not finish this book. I read about 100 pages and I just could not get into it. I tried to give the book a chance but I was not connecting. I did not really like the characters. I thought the main character took her death a little too easily. I did not really like the dialogue it didn't seem realistic to me. The general story idea's of the book were good but not enough for me to keep going.

I think that Kim's general storyline and plot were good and it could have been a really great novel. I just feel like she could have taken some more time and developed the character's a little more. Made the situation a little more realistic and conveyed the emotions of the character's better.

I usually don't stop reading a book. I try to give each book a fair chance but I just could not get into Marked and I tried. I lam a huge supporter of Indie author's and I know that some Indie author's can produce a novel that you would not know have been self published. I believe that Kim should take another look at the novel and try to develop her character's. I think she could make something great out of her ideas

To be honest, this book was not written very well. Angel is misspelled as "angle" countless times and the same phrases and words are used way too frequently. Especially, for some weird reason, an obsession with the word "elbow" (the lead character is CONSTANTLY being lead around by the elbow, as well as getting up from a floor position by her elbows, moving around on them after she's beaten and can't get up, etc., etc.,)
The "humorous" parts were more immature and annoying than funny (I really would've enjoyed apes and monkeys working the elevators in Heaven to be given more respect, honestly). Overall characterization was pretty weak, concepts, however, were very interesting and the plot was OK.

So after all that it seems like I shouldn't even have given this book 3 stars, right? Despite all of that stuff, I still found myself enjoying the time I spent reading this book. I still looked forward to reading it and read through it pretty quickly after I had gotten past my very slow start on the first initial pages. One of the pros was that the plot moved very quickly, keeping me interested despite my complaints. And still after my complaints, I'd read more in this series. So, Kim Richardson must've done something right, even though I have some trouble putting my finger on it.

I'd actually give this 1.5 stars but only because about 2/3 of the way through there's a part where I was honestly drawn into the story and wanted to know what happened next. It lasted less than 10 pages, but those pages were fairly decent. Not earth shattering or anything but at least showed some possible potential. Quickly though it went back to ridiculous, silly, un-funny and eye roll worthy (you could injure yourself while reading this book if you're not careful). Horizon was head shakingly bad - hokey, cheesy bad dream like descriptions. And don't get me started on the idiotic talking, elevator controlling monkeys. Weak plot, shallow characters who believed everything they were spoon fed and clunky transitions. Thankfully I picked this one up as a freebie.

Kara ve David arasında geçiyor. Kızımız Kara, otobüs çarpması sonusu ölür ve koruyucu melek olarak yukarıya çıkıyor. Buradaüç bine yakın diğer koruyu meleklerle eğitim alıyor.-Bu bir kutsal organizasyon.reenkarnasyon için- Ruhlara iblislerden önce ulaşmak için. Davide, Kara'nın eğitmeni, abayı yakıyor.
Kitabı hiç beyenmedim. kızın kıvrımları olmadığı dışında pek bir özelliğğini bilmiyoruz. Babasının 5 yaşında öldüğü dışında bir bilgi yok.en iyi arkadaşı bile kitabın başında ve sonunda bahsediliyor ki gerçek bir arkadaşı değilmiş.Tekrar insan olunca baı alışma problemleri çekince arkadaşlığını çekiyor.Kara'nın geçmişi pek yok. Ayrıca kızın şeçilmiş olmasına, bir şeyler vaad etmesine eyvallah desekte, neden olduğu hiç açıklaamamış bir mantık yok. "Öyle Çünkü Öyle" mantığı var.Yukarıdan emir geldi. yani tutarlılık yok.

Kızımızın ona verilen özel görevi bir elementali iblislerden kurtarırsa insan hayatını geri alacak. buralar mantıklı. Ayrıca kızın Davide olan aşkı çok sinir bozucu, ayrıca Ufukta böyle şeyler yasak olmasına rağmen kendine hiç bir kısıtlama koymuyor.

Sonunu çok beyendim ama kitabın geri kalanı resmen çöptü.Konuyuda unutmayalım oda güzel. Birde kitabın %70 ine gelene kadar sürekli aynı şeyler tekrarlanıyor ve bu okuyucuyu tamamen bayıyor. Yazarın şöyle böyle şeklince oldu anlatımıda hikayeye kendimizi kaptırmamızı engelliyor. Ayrıca David'in oynak oturmamış bir karakteri var.

Dreadful writing prevented me from finishing this book. I wanted to take the honorable road and finish it, but I can't stomach another page. "Loud thumping and squeaking noises surrounded around them." Ugh. For the record, I shut it down when the protagonist lamented the "boob fairy" never having paid her a visit.
Cliche characters, shallow dialogue and absurd plot points (the elevator monkeys) helped ruin this book. If it was poorly written with interesting characters, maybe. Oh well. It might make a tolerable movie.

Un tema curioso que se vuelve cliche y superficial.

No me gustan los insta-love pero este es otro nivel y no del bueno; a los AG no se les permite enamorarse y despues de unas horas pum el chico la besa y pum ya le dice que lo traiciono y jugo con sus sentimientos y yo me quede igual que la prota: O.o What??... Ademas que es imposible que ella lo ame tanto (porque ni se nota) fueron solo horas y a ella solo le gusta, lo senti falso completamente.
Hay pequeños momento de accion pero el hecho que lo desarrollo en un par de dias e intentarar poner romance disque intenso por el prota lo mando todo por la coladora.