The Aureate Spectacles

by Eliott McKay

Would you sacrifice your people for the man you love?

Michaela was a seemingly normal high school senior, hiding behind a pair of hideous spectacles which masked her true identity. When she’s abducted by an intriguing werewolf, she learns that her father was a powerful vampire, and she has been chosen to protect his city from her predatory kin. As the situation grows dire, the fate of the city rests in her hands, and she must choose between peace for her people or the man she's growing to love.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Werewolves, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 28, 2013

About the author

When Eliott MaKay was forced to abandon her dreams of becoming the tooth fairy, writer seemed the next logical choice. Her writing quickly started drawing attention and during university one professor had so much faith in her that he put together a 2 credit program to allocate time for her to write.

But like all free spirits, hers had the desire to travel and she spent a number of years exploring the world, with nothing but her wits and trusty luggage, living out her personal mantra, “Spreading joy, writing books”. Since returning to the states, she has continued to engage in random acts of kindness and doling out smiles to unsuspecting strangers..

Throughout all this, she’s never given up on being a writer, nor shied away from hard work, and can’t wait to bring her work to the world for all to enjoy.

Reviews

[Jonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

McKay jumps straight into the action of this story in a very natural way. You don’t feel like you’ve been plunked down in the middle of the story yet the action is already there. McKay’s very straightforward writing style presents the story to the reader and allows them to draw their own conclusion. She paints a brilliant picture of the world that the characters live in and gives the audience everything necessary to bring this wonderful world to life.

The main character in this novel is very approachable, even if her life and circumstances are drastically different from any of ours. You get to know the rest of the cast of characters as the main character does. She is on a journey of self-discovery while getting to know this new world she finds herself in. The author used this as a very enlightening and entertaining way to develop her phenomenal cast of characters. You get to know them so well that you feel like you are living with them, rather than simply reading about them. My heart breaks for the main characters and their plight. I felt the need to help them, even if there was nothing I could do, and I’ve got to give it to them for perseverance.

Overall, this story was fast paced and captivating. I couldn’t put it down, even for a moment. I feel like I’ve journeyed with the characters. The author developed the perfect ending for this novel but I was still very sad when I reached the last page and had to leave them behind.

Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! I must admit I was skeptical when I first read the synopsis and found it was about a vampire with a werewolf love interest. However, I was pleasantly surprised! It was not just about the love interest; it was about a young woman struggling with who she came to be, fighting one side of herself. She is so new to this world, yet she is in charge of keeping everyone safe. She is falling in love but that makes for complicated situations as well. This book was very well written and kept me wanting more. The author was very descriptive and made it easy for me to turn it into a "mind movie" (as we call them in my Kindergarten class!). I was so disappointed when it ended; I'm hoping the author is planning to make a sequel. I would love to hear more about the characters and their situation!

[Ella Medler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can describe this book in three words: unusual, surprising, original. But there’s a lot more to it than that. A paranormal romance with suspense blended in, it way a joy to read.

By far the strongest point of Eliott McKay’s writing style is the descriptive. Michaela lives in a fantasy world, so a good description is essential in helping us get a picture. And what a picture it is! I got lost in the richness of texture and just allowed the story to tow me along. I loved the wide vocabulary range and the way the author used ordinary words in an unusual way – it made for a very different voice, refreshing and fun. I simply cannot fault the writing.

The characters are well-formed and have clear, individual voices. The feelings Conrad and Michaela have for one another are so well-described, it would be impossible not to empathise. With their kinds physically repelling each other, you wonder if they’ll ever be allowed to be together. But Michaela is fighting the unwanted half of her being, because we always have a choice about whom we can become.

Did I mention there are werewolves and vampires in the book? No? Well, that’s probably because Michaela doesn’t like saying the words aloud. She refers to them as v and w. How sweet is that? She thought she was a simple h until she discovered she could understand a weird language.

Engaging all the way through. I very much enjoyed this book. The cover picture fits very well with the story and I like its clean appearance. A nice package overall, this is a read well deserving of five stars.

[Jeff LaFerney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like reading a poet who stepped out of her comfort zone and then wowed her audience with a fabulous novel. McKay's descriptive style and eloquent wording captured me right from the beginning. The picturesque world she created and the plot she wove among the beauty made for a visual reading experience I'll never forget. I stumbled upon a request for reviewers of advanced reading copies and decided to give the book a whirl and then realized later that there were vampires and werewolves. Lots of people like that genre, but I generally don't; however, this one was different. Michaela is only part vampire, and she worries about the vampire coming out throughout the book as she sees changes in herself. She changes from a tortured, bullied, unloved young lady to the leader of a people she never knew existed, and she finds love and answers about her family along the way. I highly recommend this book, and I'm looking forward to whatever McKay writes in the future.

[Renee Leeann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author has a wonderful way with words. Her descriptions were incredible. I could really picture the settings and characters. The cast of characters was great. I enjoyed all the different personalities. I especially enjoyed “seeing” Michaela grow and blossom. I also enjoyed her relationship with Conrad.

I did feel Michaela’s frustration in the beginning. I also wish there was more information at the end regarding the ante-moon and Michaela’s h vs. v situation.

Overall, this was a great read. You will most definitely enjoy this author’s writing style. I would certainly read other books written by Eliott McKay.

[Miranda - Life Between Chapters☕ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindly sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me by complete surprise. I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly but what I got was an astounding, beautifully written book. The Aureate Spectacles is my first 5-star read of 2017 and one I will NEVER forget!

Let's start off with my number one favorite thing about this book.
The Writing Style!
If you follow my reviews you will know some of my favorite things about books are the pacing, characters and of course the plot. I seldom talk about or even think about the writing style. This book, however, well the author Eliott McKay blew me away with the beautiful writing within this book! Okay, let me try to do this justice as well as convey as best I can how much I loved it. The words were stunningly beautiful, magical and oh so lyrical! And I must mention, the vocabulary she uses astounded me in a much desirable way! At the turn of almost every page I came across a word I had to look up the meaning to. I loved that fact because McKay was able to bring to story to impeccable and such vivid life!

Now let's delve into
The Plot...
I adored the plot. The way in which the story starts off, well the only way I can describe it is with a Harry Potter feel. You're probably asking yourself what I mean by that. Well, in the beginning, there's storyteller feel and the sense that something big is coming. I loved how as the story progressed so did the feel, characters & the plot thickened in a way I would have never guessed or imagined!

Michaela (or Kayla as she likes to be called) starts off as a girl who is lost in the world with a sense of abandonment and grows into a very remarkable young woman. Her
Character Development
is extraordinary! I'd really love to see another book to make this a series!

Imagine growing up in a very ordinary town then bring whisked away to a fantastical, mind-boggling place that you never thought could exist. That's
The Setting
for this story.

It took me nine days to read this book. I'm not a super fast reader, but I'm not slow either. It's so intricately written that for me to process everything in the best way possible I took my time reading this one. Also, I will say that
The Pacing
kept the narrative exciting and helped keep me immersed. McKay knew just the right moments to speed up or slow down the story. The action scenes were heart-pounding, the intimate moments between the MC and Conrad were just slow enough to be meaningful with absolutely amazing dialogue.

All-in-All:
I LOVED this story and am really hoping that it'll become a series. I'll be telling everyone I know about this one!

You'll like this one if...
1. You like paranormal books involving supernatural creatures such as vampires, werewolves, and magic.
2. Are ready for something new & unique.
3. You love plots that you'll NEVER guess.
4. If you don't believe me just check out everyone else's review on Goodreads!

Originally posted @ Miranda's Book Blog

[Barbara Rauch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This richly descriptive and beautifully written book takes a new slant on the star-crossed vampire/werewolf romance theme. Michaela (a mellifluous name in itself), orphaned, clumsy, unloved and raised as a human to hide her true identity from evil-doers, finds herself taken to a world she did not know existed and to a people looking to her to be their leader. When Michaela meets Conrad, a "w", sparks fly (literally). Their love blossoms as they learn to work together and to lead their people into battle against evil.

This action/adventure/paranormal/romance story is an exciting read and I am looking forward to more from this author.

[Jessica Tutor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice relief from the norm. Eliott McKay steps outside the usual realm. She has created a fun new world to revel in, with an exciting new twist on those age old fantasies we love so much... vampires!

[Cherie's · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the world Eliott McKay created in this book! I couldn't put it down!!! I really can't wait to see what else develops between Michaela and Conrad. I also wanna know what happened to her father. Please come out with book 2, 3, 4, 5 etc... SOON!!!

[Sara Behr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I wasn't sure if I would like the book as I started it, but once the story got going I couldn't put it down! I found myself not wanting the story to end. I really hope there will be a follow up!

[Escape Into Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michaela has lived with her Aunt Hazel for as long as she could remember. Her parents were killed in a hiking accident when she was around 3 years old and Hazel had raised her since. Hazel was a very cold, very uncaring person who ignored Michaela unless she absolutely had to pay attention to her. It was a very lonely existence made even more so by the fact that Michaela has to wear hideous, rhinestone encrusted, yellow lenses spectacles. When she finally asked Aunt Hazel why she had to wear the glasses (at the age of 7 1/2), Hazel replied

It’s because you have a rare disease,” said Aunt Hazel, emphasizing the last worked with a double measure of disdain, “which causes your eyes to need extra protection from the light.” And Aunt Hazel made as if to turn back to her article then paused with a second thought. “And if you stop wearing them, you might go blind.

Michaela, at the age of 7 1/2, could tell that Aunt Hazel’s explanation was full of it. At a later date, she broke her glasses during a game of field hockey and the school nurse told her that the eyewear was no more protective than a drop of honey. Which just reinforced what Michaela thought.

The glasses were a bane of her existence. The older she got, the more gaudy, the more hideous the glasses got. She was bullied relentlessly and had no friends. By the time Michaela was almost 18, she had somewhat resigned herself to her life until she found a pocket watch with a miniature portrait of a beautiful dark-haired woman in it.

The portrait made her feel loved and filled by looking at it. During this time, she started having dreams of a mossy pond in a courtyard of stone and a voice that called her name, Kayla. She would also hear a song that she couldn’t quite catch and would hum the song. But once she realized what she was doing, the song would disappear.

Then there came the night that Aunt Hazel woke up Michaela from a nightmare. One where she was talking French (something that she learned she was fluent in when she was in 8th grade) and calling for Conrad. During Aunt Hazel’s interrogation, I guess you could call it that, the pocket watch was discovered and Aunt Hazel went nuts.

Long story short, Aunt Hazel freaked out on Michaela. She fitted her with what Michaela considered a dog muzzle with straps coming out of it. That apparatus was to hold the glasses in place while Michaela slept. Aunt Hazel also upped up security around the house to an almost insane pitch. She even went as far as to board up Michaela’s windows, make it so the door locked from the outside only and was outfitted with a triple lock. Michaela had no idea why but she believed that it had something to do with why she had to wear those ugly glasses all the time.

She ends up making a break for freedom after Hazel takes to locking her in her room. Getting rid of the spectacles, she is a hit at school. After school, as she is walking down the street, she runs into a mysterious young man whom she feels that she knows and who definitely knows more than he is letting on.

Returning home, she finally has the confrontation with Hazel that was a long time coming. She learns that her mother had sent her to Hazel, believing that she would be safer with Hazel and the man who delivered Michaela to Hazel told her that she would be safer if her eyes were hidden and faked Michaela’s death. Michaela is able to pry out her mother’s name, Marguerite, and her father’s name, Julian. Hazel also told her that her last name was fake. Instead of Morley, it was Mohrlock. Hazel also implies that Julian is still alive.

The next day, at lunchtime, Michaela was whisked away (via the mysterious man who repelled down from a helicopter, grabbed her, kissed her and took her back up to the helicopter). After being out of commission for a few (four) days, Michaela wakes up to find herself on a boat in the middle of the Black Sea. What he tells her, stuns her.

She is the heir to a land called Mons Maledictio Ruwa (rough translation: Cursed Mountain of Thunder) and her name is Michaela Alandria de Mohrlock Comptesse. She is the daughter to Julian Philip Benoit de Mohrlock and Marguerite Emmaline Fitzwallis…both deceased.

It is after she arrives at the castle that her adventures begin. After attempting to escape the castle by climbing down the side (and getting stuck), she is put right away into intrigue. Every year, in the 8th month, she goes to a summit with the people who live on the other side of the mountain. They are called the Sylva and they have a shaky treaty with Michaela’s people.

Michaela was a hoot to read and I loved her character. She was loyal, loves deeply and is willing to do anything to protect her people from the Sylva. I loved her misadventures.

Conrad was such a mystery and I really liked how the author drew out Conrad’s secrets. He was also perfect for Michaela.

The romance between Michaela and Conrad was cute to read. Painful in some parts (if you read the book, you will understand exactly what I am referring to) but very cute.

The secondary characters are what made this book. They were very well written and just didn’t fizzle off into the background once their storylines were ended. The author kept them in the story. When the bad things happened in the book, and yes some pretty upsetting things happened, these same secondary characters were right there with Michaela and Conrad.

The end of the book was bittersweet. I wish that there was an epilogue that followed up with the characters. But, with some of the storylines not wrapped up, including the V and W storylines, I do wonder if there will a second book. Because I have questions about certain characters that I would like to see answered.

How many stars will I give The Aureate Spectacles: 4

Why: I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were likeable, if not relatable (and I am not talking about the H, V or W storylines….talking about the romance and day-to-day activities that are detailed). I will say that I wanted to smack Aunt Hazel because she was a jerk. Besides my dislike of Hazel, this was a very enjoyable read.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age Range: Teen

Why: No sex (some kissing), mild violence and no language.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

[Talon Tolleson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different twist on the Vampire, Werewolf theme. I really enjoyed it.

[bookbroken17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a genre I read a lot of but I really enjoyed this book, the characters were likeable and well written, the storyline was developed and the chemistry between the two main characters was undeniable and not void of complications as any good story shouldn't be.

[Fiona Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michaela is seen as a bit of a geek. She wears a pair of glasses, complete with wings at the side, which obviously make her the butt of many jokes at school. She lives with her Aunt Hazel and has done since the death of her parents.

A chance meeting with a young man has Michaela feeling things she can't explain, speaking in a way she didn't realise she could until then. Who is this stranger? Why is he here? And what does he know about Michaela? She doesn't need to wait long before finding out the answers to these questions, and more.

The day after the meeting she is abducted from school, in a rather spectacular way I may add, and taken far away, much further than she initially believes in fact.

When she finally comes to she discovers her life has been a lie, her ancestry is not what she thought, and she is expected to rule a race of people she knows nothing about. She finds that she is attracted to someone she can't be with, for reasons we discover as the story continues.

Michaela has to fight her own body in a bid to move forward with her life, something which unfortunately comes at a price when it comes to her personal life. Can she ever be happy? Can the relationship she dreams about ever actually happen, or is she destined to live a lonely life, keeping those she loves, literally, at arms length?

This is so much more than a simple Vampire/Werewolf story. The book has so many elements of fantasy buried in its pages. If you are expecting the usual kind of paranormal/romance book then prepare to be surprised. The fantasy element is one which adds so much to the book.

I am in awe of this book mainly due to the authors descriptive work which is second to none. In fact I can honestly say I have never read a book with such vivid descriptions within its pages. This just added to the appeal of this book for me, and I cannot wait to find out what more the author has in store for Michaela, Conrad and those around them.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

It starts with an air of mystery, introducing main character Michaela, the clumsy teenager. From there, it whisks you off your feet and dumps you into a beautifully written world where you can almost smell and hear everything happening. I got so caught up in this world of McKay’s invention; feelings I had were quite like when I read Raymond E. Fiest’s books all those years ago, and we all know how masterful his world is!

Michaela is a beautiful character and won my heart instantly, and my fondness for her only increased as the story continued on. The other characters are equally well written, and McKay definitely has a knack for letting us witness intimate moments between characters, and to feel it too.

I definitely recommend this book to readers who love fantastical creations and/or romance. I am not one who regularly reads romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. All I can say is, I want more!

[Sherrie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC book for an honest voluntary review. This is an overall good book, however I found it hard to concentrate on due to a couple of things. First the details are so intense that for me it drew away from the story. I found myself lost in the details instead of the story. If you like a lot of details, then this is the kind of book you want. Secondly there were many terms and philosophy that had me wondering what it meant, while several of the secondary characters drew the light away from the two main characters Michaela and Conrad. The writing was well done and the storyline was good and original. Michaela and Conrad were able to grow and develop as the storyline unfolded. It was not what I was expecting and that is good. It is full of action and it is a clean book with very few actual romantic scenes.

[Ivana · Rating 5 out of 5]

When started reading this book i really had no idea what to expect.
Title is not revealing, nor are first chapters.

I loved how author builds plot with hint here and there.

Michaela is great character. Well built and growing. She is you normal teenager with school and classmates problems.
Only problem i had with her was to get used to pronounce her name.

But then all changes. Won't spoil. Go read.

Author build amazing world who you just have to fall in love with.
Im really happy i had chance to read this great book. I hope to read more from E. McKay, built in Michaela's world or another. Sequel?

I would recommend this book to everyone

[Page Turners · Rating 5 out of 5]

Werewolves and Vampires are not my usual genre to read so I was taken by surprised by how quickly I got caught up in this story and the unique characters. The descriptive style of writing made it easy to visualize and follow the story. The transformation of Michaela from an awkward and tormented girl into a strong and powerful leader was remarkable to read and I am glad that I took a chance and picked up this book. Overall it was a great book and I recommend it to everyone.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I was more engrossed as the story progressed and keen to find out about the happenings of Conrad and Michaela.

The were some really good characters and so descriptive you could picture them exactly, but especially her father I would love to find out more about him.

Will definitely be looking forward to the next book!!

[Rachel Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a middle-aged person finds themself enjoying a young adult fiction book just as much as, or more than they would have when they were a teenager, I think that says quite a bit about the quality of the story. Such was the case with me reading The Aureate Spectacles. I really loved reading this book, experiencing through the pages the adventures of Michaela and all the others in the story. And thanks to the author's expert use of intelligent, descriptive, rather poetic words, I found myself pulling out my dictionary, I think almost once every chapter, to familiarize myself with new vocabulary, which in my opinion, is a good thing.

[Micky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but it needed a lot of editing before being published and it was a struggle to read. DNF.

[Donadee's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Aureate Spectacles by Eliott McKay Review 2/7/17 Purchased @ Amazon 1/2/17

Kidnapping, mystery and intrigue!

Michaela was a seemingly normal high school senior, hiding behind a pair of hideous spectacles which masked her true identity. When she’s abducted by an intriguing werewolf, she learns that her father was a powerful vampire, and she has been chosen to protect his city from her predatory kin. As the situation grows dire, the fate of the city rests in her hands, and she must choose between peace for her people or the man she's growing to love. "Finally, a vampire romance with a strong female character. Loves like Bella Swan and fights like Katniss Everdeen" - "Clara Newman"

What did I like? This was a unique way to start a new series and I fell in love with it right off. I was quite surprised with the story and yet it felt right. I agree with Clara above, finally a VERY strong female character that really takes charge. I can see the amount of research that was done in bringing this to life was fantastic. I love the descriptions and really felt involved with the localities.

What are you going to like? You’re going to like the well written flow to this story, how it does not get to mind boggling and yet gives you enough details that you know what is happening all the time with delightful descriptions. You will like the focus of the romance, mystery and the interaction with the other characters bringing it all alive and with this great plot but with an ending that will lead to more and hopefully not stop there. I loved the possibilities that the storyline gives and how it will play out in the future. I also liked that it was more than the vampire/werewolf type plot… as it leaves so much to the imagination. Can’t wait for the next book don’t let us down keep going!

[Jennifer Showalter - · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review coming.

[Elizabeth Horbaczek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me for an honest review.

3 stars

I want to start off and say I wanted to love this book. I love mixing in the paranormal with the other books that I read on a daily basis. My problems lied on a few things for me to love this book. The first thing is that this to be geared to teen and young adult. Honestly what I do when I read these types of books, I picture my kids reading them. Will they be able to get through them, will they be able to understand them, will they love the book? Honestly, I have to say that this book was not geared to this genre. Why I say this is because there are so many big words in this book, that I even got lost at times. They put so much detail in this book that it made it so hard for me to get to where the book needed to be. If you love a detail rich book, this is it, but it does not let your mind go and feel the book because of so many details. The wording of this book was hard too. Like I said you can tell a great story, but using big words especially for this genre is going to be hard for a person to like. What I loved was the premise of this book. I liked seeing Micheala and Conrad together. I liked their interaction throughout the whole book. When things come to light, they try to feel out each other. This book is very clean, so the romantic scenes are far and in between. They kept me going throughout the whole book.

I really think if the author tones it down a bit with the wording and all the details I would have loved the book. There was just oo much in this book and I felt I was all over the place at times. I love these types of books and for that I'm disappointed that I couldn't love this book. I believe the author will have an audience for this book but I am not one of them.

[Tamara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Been holding off on this review for a while because I wanted to digest my thoughts a bit and figure out a not-mean way to say that the writing style was killing me, but now my brain is trying to erase this book from itself so I gotta do it now. Gave it two stars because the story was interesting enough that I managed to skim through the rest of the book once I hit my breaking point. I suppose a big hint as to what I got myself into should have been the absolutely incomprehensible first sentence. It really felt like the author was 20k under the word count and instead of fleshing out the story, she just added a ton of adjectives and rambling monologues. I'm still not over 'Michaela's negotiating knees' and 'a look of testosterous satisfaction.'

I don't want this review to turn into a rant, but I gotta ask one question to the void: wtf was up with the aunt? She was genuinely distressing. It really did seem like she was being purposefully abusive with the ostentatious glasses and then it all devolved into straight up illegal abuse. She could have just given Michaela a normal pair of glasses from the beginning - a point that is proven when she gives her a normal pair of glasses. Of course, this is only after Michaela breaks free of a muzzle contraption the aunt strapped to her face by tying her to a bed and like, stepping on her face with a high heel to wrench the muzzle as tight as possible. If you could have given her a normal pair of glasses this whole time, you were just psychologically torturing a child!

[Diane Jewkes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given a copy for a fair and honest review.

The story idea is interesting, but it needs editing.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I feel dumner for even attempting to read this. I could not finish the writing style was horribly confusing and I found myself having to re-read paragraphs and sentences so it makes sense... DNF sorry.