Becca Michelle Ritchie

The Chelseas and the Wynters are the last line of defense between humans and the paranormal creatures that roam the world seeking to overrun it. From the beginning of time, there have always been Wynters and Chelseas fighting against the evil forces in the world. But something is different in this generation. For the first time, a girl has been born to the Chelsea family. Amanda Chelsea. And this changes the game for everyone.

Amanda may be a Chelsea, but she's not allowed to be part of the legacy, the one that says the Wynters and the Chelseas fight against demons and half demons and rid the world of their presence. Jack, Amanda's brother, and the oldest of all of them, and Dustin and Trevor Wynter all are sworn to protect Amanda and keep her from fighting. So as the boys grow up learning about the different types of demons and how to kill them, Amanda is made to stay away from all of it.

Then to compound things, this generation of Wynters and Chelseas are given "gifts". Jack Chelsea can conjure anything from a gun to money. Amanda is an empath and with the volatile emotions of her brother, is left in pain more than protected by him. Dustin is telepathic and it's almost as hard on him as being an empath is to Amanda. For this reason, the two of them grow close. And Trevor, the youngest is precognitive and a bit of comic relief.

One night, Amanda breaks the rules and goes into the woods after the guys and ends up having to defend herself against a demon. She is forced to fight. When the guys catch up with her and find out, the tension and anger is palpable. The next day, their parents disappear.

The rest of the novel is in pursuit of finding their parents. It seems directly linked to that night. The guys still won't let Amanda hunt, yet she is right there beside them fighting, saving their butts one time but they never come right out and admit that she's fighting. So many secrets are kept.

Dustin and Amanda obviously have feelings for each other and it was a little tedious reading the back and forth. Amanda seemed to be a bit oblivious even to her own feelings to Dustin.
Her brother wasn't happy about it as if it was any of his business. But they all make Amanda's personal life their business, whether it's appropriate or not.

Amanda for her part whines a bit about not being part of the legacy and how that's all she wants. But what she really wants is her parents' approval and love. Apparently they aren't real forthcoming with their feelings, but as an empath, she should have been able to feel what they felt about her.

The story line was incredible. Totally unsuspecting, it snuck up on me at the end and everything made sense. The last part of the novel was just numbing to read and realize what happened.

I truly enjoyed this novel. The writing was interesting and the characters were believable. I felt Dustin and Amanda were the most developed of the characters. Jack was always angry and Trevor was always wisecracking. Other than that, we didn't get to see into their minds very much. But I enjoyed getting to know Amanda and Dustin so well and I hope in the next book that their relationship actually develops. I'm definitely looking forward to reading The Sublimity.

This is a great book for anyone that loves YA paranormal.
Heather… (altro)

This was definitely a book that sucks you in and brings out the emotions full force! It was a creative take on a supernatural story with many unique ideas. I like that the author wasn't afraid to create something new. What is hard for an author is making it believable. Yeah, we may know that these creatures aren't real, but an author needs to be able to convince us that it is real. And while I may have thought a few things far fetched for the most part I was sucked into the story enough that I could go along with her ideas and the way this world was.

I liked Amanda, the main character, most of the time and I think I connected with her well enough through the majority of the story. There were a few things that irritated me though. She was a bit angsty. I mean, she had reason to be angsty, but I think she overdid it a bit. And at a certain point near the end of the book she just went a bit too far and that made me angry. I think I wasn't quite connecting with why she was feeling those extremes, but she's an empath, so she's feeling everyones feelings around her. So maybe I was just having a hard time understanding how hard it really was.

The boys in her life, her brother Jack, and their 'friends' Dustin and Trevor are interesting enough characters but I didn't really like Jack and Trevor. Jack was too full of anger and Trevor just didn't really have much compassion in him. And while he was the funny guy I just wasn't feeling him. But Dustin, I really liked him and liked the connection that him and Amanda have.

The parents weren't really around enough to like or dislike them but I can say I did NOT like Killian (the father of Dustin and Trevor). He's one person that really got my blood boiling. He was suppose to be that way, that was his character, and the author did a fabulous job getting me riled!

The story line was great and kept me pulled in and the overall feel of the book, even with the negative things that bothered me, was that I really liked it. Becca wrote this as a teen and she certainly did a fabulous job. I look forward to reading the next one, The Sublimity.… (altro)

The Legacy absolutely captivated me and made me a huge fan of the Wynter Chelsea books. I absolutely could not wait until I got to its sequel, though at the same time I was a little hesitant because sometimes series have an amazing first book and the others are just so-so. I am happy to tell you all that this is most definitely not the case with The Sublimity. It had everything that I so loved and cherished about the first book: amazing cast of characters, imaginative mythology and a fast-paced plot that doesn't take a moment's break from action. But then it goes even further and adds even more layers to the story, which makes it completely overwhelming - but in a good way!

Everything Amanda did that annoyed me in the first book (which wasn't much) was completely turned around in this novel. She grew and matured, making better decisions and judgment calls than before. My heart actually went out to her in this book (you'll understand when you read the book), but she was incredibly strong and rolled with the punches. I couldn't imagine being put in her shoes and having to go through everything she did. My feelings for Jack were absolutely all over the place with this book as his actions seemed arrogant and he was sometimes just an all-out ass. Thankfully, he redeemed himself and I hope it stays that way through the rest of the series. Dustin also had some moments where I wanted to reach through the book and strangle him. He had his reasons for all of his actions and I understood his reasons, but it doesn't mean that I had to like it. ;) There were completely swoon-worthy moments between him and Amanda, and the end of the book just had me gushing.

Most of the old cast and crew was back for this round, and there were more demons and new characters - all which made the action and intensity of this series grow. Like The Legacy, there was never a dull moment. And just when you think that everything is going to settle down at the end of the novel, BAM! Miss Ritchie hits you with another surprise at the very end. I found it absolutely maddening since now, I have to wait for the third book to come out.… (altro)

I went into this book pretty much on blind faith because of the lack of reviews online, but I couldn't really say no when (1) the synopsis of the book was so intriguing, and (2) the author was so courteous and sweet. After reading the book, I was glad I decided to go with it.

This book was completely amazing. There's action from the very beginning and it doesn't let up until the very end. There's demons and other creatures around every bend, each different yet just as evil as the last. When the action lulls, you're still completely swept away learning about Amanda, her family, friends and the history of the Wynters and Chelseas. Throughout the entire story is the mystery behind the disappearance of the parents, which is never strayed from in any way. There's also a bit of a romantic interest sprinkled in there as well.

Every once in a while, I would get a little frustrated with Amanda and her choices. They seemed a little irrational to me. But as I was reading and saw the way she was raised and treated, I eventually came around to understanding why she reacts that way that she does. I can't say that I wouldn't do the exact same things if I was in her place. Her relationship with Dustin makes my heart swell so much. Both Amanda and Dustin love each other completely, depending on one another as much as they consider one another when making decisions. They complement each other perfectly. As a matter of fact, I think all four of the kids are very complementary of one another - though not as much as Amanda and Dustin. Jack is definitely the big brother type that has to juggle that with being a leader as well. Sometimes he struggles doing both at the same time, but his decisions are definitely leader-worthy. And Trevor is just ... Trevor. He's definitely the jokester, but can be more serious if the situation calls for it. I think he was one of my favorite characters, aside from the two leads. You don't see much of the parents, but you can feel their presence throughout in different ways.

I honestly can't tell you whether I thought this book was more character- or plot-driven when you have so much of both. "Chock full" doesn't even begin to describe how much action, history and intrigue there is in this book. Yet, it doesn't feel overwhelming at all. Becca did an incredible job at writing the story. You never feel frustrated by everything crammed into the book, nor do you feel confused because everything is explained in its own time in the book. I think the part that blows my mind the most is the age Becca was when she wrote this -- fourteen. Incredible, right?

This is a book that has flown under the radar for long enough. It's one of the most highly recommended YA paranormal books that I've read this year. Once you finish, you'll want more... and thankfully you won't have to wait because Wynter Chelsea: The Sublimity is already out and available for purchase!… (altro)