Aventurine

Chalcedony Chronicles #3

by B. Kristin McMichael

Book Three of The Chalcedony Chronicles
A paranormal/time travel romance series.

Mari’s past and present are all mixed together. To start she finds herself trapped in the past while her friends from the past are now all in the future. She wants to go home, but Logan Jones has different plans—which include Mari. He might say he wants her, but soon she realizes that there’s something more behind it. To save everyone in the future, Mari strikes a deal. She must give up Seth and agree to date Logan. In return, he’ll teach her to how help her friends and family. Only, letting go of Seth, and falling for Logan aren’t easy feats. If Mari can’t figure out how to do so, she might lose everyone she loves.

Genres: Time Travel, Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Romance

244 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, three small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in biology as a scientist. In her free time she is currently hard at work on multiple novels. Every day is a new writing adventure. She is a fan of all YA/NA fantasy and science fiction.

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I'm forever in awe of BK's masterpieces that she calls novels. If you haven't started reading this series (The Chalcedony Chronicles), you should IMMEDIATELY start. This author has had me completely immersed in her works since her very first novel, To Stand By Her. I've been completely captivated by BK's raw talents and the immense originality and creativity behind her stories. Honestly I don't think I'll ever stop gushing about B. Kristin McMichael. Anyone I meet whether it be online or in person, and I know they're a reader – I suggest this authors novels to.

Aventurine is the 3rd installment in The Chalcedony Chronicles. This book is such an amazing follow up to the first two beautiful novels, Carnelian (Book 1) and Chrysophrase (Book 2). Reviewing a book in a series can sometimes be hard, especially later in the series – because I just don't want to give away any plot lines! I will say that the fluidity of this series is astonishing and the imagery will have your mind reeling about the places and times that the characters meet. I've always been semi-interested in history, but these novels pique my interest to a whole new level. The fact that you can picture in your mind how things used to be, compared to what they are today is something you'll never forget. For instance, being able to go back in time and see something before it came to the ruins that it is presently is so thought provoking.

I absolutely loved this book and of course, I devoured it like all of BK's other masterpieces. This novel definitely packed quite a few punches and left my mind wandering in 20 different directions about theories that I think may come true. I adored the fact that there was a new character introduced to the story named Kye, and he is amazing in every aspect. There is so many things that I want to be able to say about Aventurine, but I just can't because I'm so completely against spoilers. I've definitely got some hunches on things though, and can't wait to see how they pan out. I really do urge you to read this series, its excellence is out of this world, and if I could buy everyone I know a copy just so that I could talk about B. Kristin McMichael's stories with, I totally would. If you're willing to give a new (to you) author a chance, I HIGHLY recommend this one. Hands down, one of the best writers I've read in a long time. All her books are a must read, and once you read them – come talk to me!!!

[Kathleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free review copy of this book through Goodreads.
"The goddess," as a form of address, gets awkward fast. Can't she have a name? The writing is a bit clunky in general - it makes it hard to understand who did what to who and why at first glance. I'd prefer not to have to reread entire sentences to figure out what you're trying to say.
"I got up I waited..." is a run on sentence; a bad way to start a book.
I don't understand the main character's objections: is this, or is this not, the "same" Logan she dated before? Has he been possessed in the meantime or something?
It's pretty obvious that Kye is Logan's son, and probably Mari's, too. How dense can a college-age girl be? Furthermore, how dense do you expect readers to accept she is? And why would she think it necessary to keep HER promise to a known promise-breaker?
The "rules" of time-travel are not explained; I'd expect her to dig in her heels until she gets some answers. Like, what /happens/ when someone dies of old age in the wrong time period?
Why doesn't she tell her friends what's going on? What harm could it do?

I don't like this story. Abusers like Logan might be normal, everyday encounters, especially in stories like this where the girls have special powers that other people would want to control, but there's no reason to tolerate them. Grow a spine and put your foot down, girl. Not only do you, a fictional character, deserve better, but /no one/ deserves that kind of treatment. "Oh, I changed your past ~again~ to make it more convenient for myself?" Run.
Honestly, Logan's a terrible person at face value, especially since he's so much older (mentally) and more experienced than Mari. I feel like I'd rather read this story from his perspective, skewed as it must be; it'd be way more interesting than more of this typical "why can't I have the boy I want" drivel. Show me around inside the mind of master manipulator! And please, in the future, AIM HIGHER! "Great for fans of 'Twilight'" is NOT high praise.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this review and more on my blog.

I received a free copy of Aventurine from the author for my honest opinion.

Aventurine is the third book in the Chalcedony Chronicles. Click here for my review of the first book, Carnelian.

Click here for my review of the second book, Chrysoprase.

Like the second book in this series, Chrysoprase, Aventurine starts where Chrysoprase finished.

In my opinion, Aventurine is the weakest book in this series so far. Not that I did not enjoy it, but Aventurine was purely Logan trying to connive Mari that she should end up with him (and forcing her to stay as well). I did enjoy the travelling that Logan took Mari on, but I enjoyed the time-travel side of this series more, so I found it disappointing in that respect.

McMichael did manage to explain the ins-and-outs of time-travel very well, in the round-about way that she chose to. Of course time-travel is a confusing thing to have to create your own laws / rules for and then have the easily explain them within a story; so I am impressed by how easy it was to pick up the core concepts that McMichael had decided upon.

Even thought I thought that Aventurine was the weakest, I still plan on continuing on with the final book in this series.

[Cheryl Duval · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review.

A lot of creative thought has gone into this series and the ingenuity of Aventurine is stunning. Mari so often seems to make the wrong decisions and her life ends up in more turmoil then when she started. Sometimes I want to shake her and scream "THINK GIRL"!! She puts her trust in the wrong places and doesn't follow her own instincts.

There are several astonishing twists that left me flabbergasted! I can't wait for the next book. This is a great series!!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, the series keeps getting better as the storyline progresses. The story and the characters bring you into their magical world of time travel and you will want to stay. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next one to come out!

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A confusing time travel romance, where an obsessed stalker continually changes the past to get some girl to stay with him, while she continually tires to stay with some other guy.

More head ache inducing than many time travel novels I've read.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author.***

I'm so glad to have been able to another B. Kristin McMichael book!!! After she took an understandable break from releasing books, Aventurine was a great book to come back with!

Taking up where the last book left off, we were thrown back into the characters and story we loved in the previous books. Logan was a big character in this book and I couldn't STAND him for most of it. (lol) I didn't believe a THING he was saying. Thankfully McMichael introduced....Kye. *Sigh* Kye. He was a FANTASTIC character! I have already come to a conclusion about who Kye really is and am excited to see if my theory is correct!!

Of course, the usual great characters had some small involvement (Seth, Tye and Dee) but it definitely was a Mari, Logan and Kye book. I'm excited there was a lot of set up for the future books and by the end I was SCREAMING for more. I've always been a big fan of B. Kristin's books, so as always I'm eagerly looking forward to the next!

4.5 stars

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a little slow for me toward the beginning of the book, and I was a little frustrated that Mari would continue to believe (trust) Logan after all he has said done to her.

But overall I really loved this book, and I have to say this this series is turning out to be one of my favorites.

I do look forward to the next book in finding out
about Mair's Father and her life in ancient Egypt and the reunion of her mother and father not to mention her reunion with Seth (Seti)... and I am wondering if my suspensions are correct that Kye is her and Logan's Son from an alternate future.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mari was able to send everyone back to her own time, but now she literally stuck with Logan. He’s taken away her ability to time travel and she has to be wherever and do whatever he wants or he’ll send everyone back. Things and memories are getting very mixed up and somehow she has to defeat Logan and make history right.

I really felt depressed, sad and confused about this one. I knew in the back of my mind that there was a twist, but couldn’t figure out what. When it did happen it was obvious, but still cool.

Fave scenes: Mari’s wedding confession, the Egyptian exhibit at the museum, the clock tower and Mari meeting her dad.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I read this series. Book three is a downer because the situation seems dire, and my favorite characters aren’t interacting the way they did in the past. There’s a bunch of technical details about how things work that don’t interest me.
Typos: sentence fragment after quote, commas that should be semicolons, missing word, incorrectly capitalized word, missing question mark, slowdown spelled as one word “Logan didn’t even slowdown in fear of hitting anyone.”

[Suzanne (Fiction, Stardust, PinkiePie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was pretty dull 80%, like Twilight: bella emm Mari yawning about her love... but then it started to turn a bit interesting. By the time l have begun to enjoy the reading it was over.

[Carlla · Rating 3 out of 5]

see review of book 1

[Gina Frontiero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Time Travel Novel

By the second installment I was hooked. Like can't get anything done hooked. Love the characters. Would love to hear more of ancient Egypt.

[Debbie boykin · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this series

I have enjoyed this book and series. The characters are easy to get to know and to like. Rooting for the happy ending.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not exactly my type of book, but the series is well done. I had trouble following the characters especially when they are not named. I think this would be a good series for a teenager to read, but this last book is very slow paced and may not hold a teenager's attention.

[Kim Pruitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aventurine is the third installment of the Chalcedony Chronicles Series by B. Kristin McMichael, where time travel and the adventure of a lifetime is just a blink of an eye away! After having read books one and two, where the action had a steady pace and the budding romance between Mari and Seth began and blossomed, I believe this book pales in comparison. I did enjoy this book, but the delivery was at a snails pace. The teenage angst, and how Logan pulled Mari along so damn slow was painful at times. I honestly believe this series could have done with one less book in it! The amount of information that was released could have been summed up in a few chapters in one of the other books.
The story begins where the last book left off. Mari gets stuck in the past while her boyfriend Seth and her mother go on into the future. Logan appears to late to help, like he was supposed to, and ends up being the one Mari was set up to marry, (in the past). After we get through the explanation of that whole thing, we are introduced to a new character, Ky, like Ty but with a K. The funny thing about this dudes name is the similarity to Ty. There is a Ty in this story and he is her best friend, and at some point she says “my Ty”, get it, haha!! I obviously went delirious during the story because of the ridiculousness of the naive Mari. Her young and naive self questioned EVERYTHING all the time throughout the entire book! If it wasn't for loving the previous books, and NEEDING to know how this story ends, I would have had a really hard time finishing it! Thank the stars above that the ending produced a significant change in the story that propels it forward! I am so looking forward (now) to listening to the fourth book, Chrysocolla.

Narrator Review
Hollie Jackson once again narrates for McMichael. I have truly enjoyed her voice from day one! She is doing an excellent job, and I hope she continues to deliver a great performance with this series. 4 Stars.

**Audiobook provided by the author for an honest review**

[Angi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-9-15: Ok, I'm not very far in but I'm soooo ANGRY!! Why does she keep placating them??? They are basically holding her prisoner, using excuses and forcing her to do what they want. Where is Mari's fire?? She just keeps rolling over and I'm seriously irritated. My blood is boiling. Grrrr.

Every time I com down enough to start reading again I find myself in a RAGE. Seriously?!?! No one told her before she walked into that room? And she is staying WAY too calm about all of this...

I just keep getting more and more irritated. I have been looking forward to this book so much. This is really pissing me off.

I am so irritated and unhappy...this better get better. Mari can't say in one paragraph how she can never love anyone the way she loves Seth and then asked herself if she could love Logan again. This is ridiculous. He is a classic abuser. He has isolated her from all of her friends and family, taken away all of her freedom, he chooses her freaking class schedule and memories and friends without regard to what she wants...wtf? Why has she never one time kneed him where it counts? He is a kidnapper, an abuser and is still holding her against her will...what is wrong with her? If I have to hear anymore about how Logan is anything but an ass, I may have to go throw up. Not redeemable.

Ok, I'm done and it was good. I think the whole thing would have been better with Kye's POV added in, but I still liked it in the end. Ultimately I am glad there is another book and I think there needs to be a pretty major confrontation with Logan. He's a jerk and needs to just stop. Also at some point Mari needs to be honest with him. There is no way that Seth is replaceable. Especially by a weasel like him. Aargh, it did feel a bit like filler because we didn't really get any farther in the story and now we have to wait until the summer for the next one!

9-2-17: Wow, my original assessment is right in. I feel EXACTLY the same as the last time I read this!

[Casia Pickering · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about Aventurine. On one hand, it does continue the story that I was interested in Chrysoprase. However, on the other hand, it fell short on a few aspects.

Aventurine is the third book in the Chalcedony Chronicles and, in my thoughts, the second best in the series. We get to see more of Logan, which was a big plus for me. I wanted to know more about this antagonist. I wanted to see him work. McMichael does a fairly good representation of what our antagonist is like and I was able to see his motivations clearly.

Unfortunately, that made me want to smack around Mari. As a character, she has changed from the first book. Which is what you want in a series. However, I feel she is going downhill instead of up. Mari is too trusting to Logan. Even though she goes through Ky's plans, she doesn't recognize the dangers Logan poses.

I feel the book was a good attempt at strengthening the story, but at the cost of Mari's personality. She lost some of that spark she had before meeting Seth. I understand that she needed to play a part, but even she seemed to believe that part quickly. It didn't just piss me off, it annoyed Ky too. Who, I may add, is a very sound voice in the last two books.

All in all, it was an okay book. Not my favorite, but better than the first.

[Devon Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good addition to the series. The only thing I didn't like is that Mari seemed sooooo passive in this book. She just kind of accepted her fate and trickery that Logan used on her. She didn't really seem to try much to get out of it. I mean, I understand a bit because she was doing it because she thought she was saving Seth, but she was doing basically nothing but complaining about what had happened and how she couldn't get out of it. I don't know. It was just so different compared to the first two books where she at least had determination and a bit of fight, even if she didn't know if she'd succeed. But in this book she was totally submissive and it bothered me a bit. I'm hoping she has more fight in her in the next book. Other than that I really did enjoy this book. And I can't wait to find out more about Kye. He's been an interesting character so far and I'm sure we are going to find out who he really is in the next book. I don't believe he's Logan's brother for one second. So let's find out!

[Annemarien Faraminan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can be said about again another excellent work by BKM. I personally have read all her books and the these series Chalcedony Chronicles is my favorite. This book (#3) to me was a chance to understand the other side of the coin (aka Logan). I also enjoyed the explanation of how it all began and who the people are. I felt thru out the whole book that Kye was the best character by far. I don't know what Mari would have done with out him. He was definitely her life raft. If you are expecting a book full of Seth its not going to happen. If you expect a book full of growth and explanation of the worlds, the people and how it all began then you will not be bored or disappointed This book is all about Mari, Kye and Logan. I cant wait for the 4th book.

[Savannah Eaddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the rest of the books in this series I loved it! it was well written and added to the previous stories wonderfully. I can't wait for the next book to find out how Kye really fits in.....HURRY!

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great conclusion to the series. Mari is still a little confused about Logan. Who can she really trust? How can she fix things? Sometimes you felt like shaking Mari, but she eventually figures things out.

I would recommend this entire series to a friend.

[Kim]

It was a very good book.

[Angela(demonsangel) Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to be posted on Audible and Amazon soon.

[Sue]

Review to come soon.
*Received in a giveaway.

[Donna Jacoby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This continuation did not disappoint me and is worth the time to read. The characters are interesting and you will want to know what happens next. I am looking forward to the next book!

[Chandelle Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!!