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Wren Figueiro
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Atancia (The Durand Duology Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Wren Figueiro (Author), Victory London (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 77 ratings
After watching a young boy die, college freshman Atancia Clark begins to have panic attacks. Her heart flutters, her breath catches, and she can’t control her emotions the way she always has. She wants to be strong, but lately she just hasn’t been living up to her own expectations. When she meets Ben Althaus, her breath starts catching for entirely different reasons. He helps Atancia discover the cause for her odd emotional reactions and the history she thought was lost when her mother left her.

Like Ben, Atancia is Durand, an immortal who survives by transferring energy from other living things. He wants to help her hone her emerging abilities, but her focus is threatened by life-altering events. Thrust into a culture she never knew existed, Atancia will have to decide whom she can trust with her secrets and with her life.

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Durand Duology
  2. Print length
    451 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    August 6, 2013
  6. File size
    1.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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 See full series
There are 2 books in this series.
This option includes 2 books.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ED97BEW
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 6, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 451 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ The Durand Duology
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

About the author

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Wren Figueiro

Wren Figueiro

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As a child, I was often kept up at night by an overactive imagination. When I got to college, I decided to study writing so I could put that imagination to better use. I am an avid reader and rarely let a week go by without finishing at least two books. I love the way that books allow passage into other people's thoughts and let me see how they view the world. Though I have been writing stories as long as I can remember, Atancia was my first novel. 

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
77 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story engaging, with one review noting its great twists and turns. Moreover, the character development and romance elements receive positive feedback, with one customer describing it as a fantastic blend of fantasy and paranormal romance. Additionally, the writing style and pacing are well-received, with one review highlighting the author's talent for weaving beautiful narrative.

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Story qualityCharacter developmentRomancePaceWriting style
14 customers mention "Story quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story of the book, finding it entertaining and believable, with one customer noting its well-balanced mix of intrigue and love.

"...story, with characters that are genuinely interesting, likeable and believable. Her first-person prose drew me right in to her fantasy world...." Read more

"...That's part of what makes up the beauty of a good book. The descriptions I did see was just specific naming of objects like. &#..." Read more

"...I was wrapped up in the story and it took me wherever it chose. Spelling/Grammar: 3.5/5. Ah...." Read more

"Atancia is far from just another romance. With crazy plot twists, mysterious Aussies, and a clever spin on immortals, I loved it from beginning to..." Read more

9 customers mention "Character development"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning the engaging suspense between the two main characters.

"...This is a well-written feel-good story, with characters that are genuinely interesting, likeable and believable...." Read more

"...There's not much more to say about her except that she is a highly pivotal character and that she makes a good adoptive mother/grandmother...." Read more

"...Figueiro has a talent for weaving beautiful narrative and empathetic characters...." Read more

"...I thought Figuerio did a great job with world-building and characters...." Read more

8 customers mention "Romance"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, appreciating its blend of fantasy and paranormal elements, with one customer noting its fresh and interesting Durand mythology.

"...Wren did a splendid job of creating a fantasy group of humanoids called the Durand who draw energy from one another and the world around them,..." Read more

"...Mystery, romance, paranormal, (view spoiler) it has it all. Atancia isn't really the heroine we all expect...." Read more

"...With crazy plot twists, mysterious Aussies, and a clever spin on immortals, I loved it from beginning to end...." Read more

"...I think it's the best paranormal romance book I've read since Twilight and the first several Sookie Stackhouse books...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pace"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, with one noting it maintains momentum without feeling rushed, while another mentions there are no dull moments throughout the story.

"...Flow: 5/5. Onward and onward and onward with nary a dull moment...." Read more

"...Their relationships kept the story flowing at an excellent pace. And the end!! OMG...." Read more

"...Atty's romance with Ben was very natural and believable, without ever feeling rushed...." Read more

"I highly recommend this book. A super fast read - full of intrigue and great character development. Great for teens and adults!..." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing style"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one customer noting the author's talent for weaving beautiful narratives.

"...This is a well-written feel-good story, with characters that are genuinely interesting, likeable and believable...." Read more

"...Figueiro has a talent for weaving beautiful narrative and empathetic characters...." Read more

"I loved the story and I can't wait to read the second book. Great writing and the story contains a we'll balance of intrigue and love." Read more

"...I could not put it down, the writing style keeps you wanting more. I can't wait for the next one." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • MSNightwriter
    5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait to read the sequel to Atancia!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Wren Figueiro's young adult novel, Atancia, is a captivating read, with a successful blend of fantasy and paranormal romance. There are also elements of intense young-love sexual tension and suspense between the two main characters.

    Atancia's coming of age as a freshman college student brings her both sorrow and frightening revelations. She loses the hardworking and kindly elderly woman who raised Atancia when her mother left her behind. She also starts dating for the first time, a young businessman named Ben who takes an oddly protective interest in her. Most importantly, she learns that, like her mother, she is not human.

    Wren did a splendid job of creating a fantasy group of humanoids called the Durand who draw energy from one another and the world around them, without fangs or claws or rotting flesh. It was so refreshing to read an original spin on a fantasy society of beings that can blend within our human world without the fantasy characters' constant fear of sunlight or going postal under the moonlight, or being prone to a lot of blood-splattering violence.

    This is a well-written feel-good story, with characters that are genuinely interesting, likeable and believable. Her first-person prose drew me right in to her fantasy world. I was devastated when I came to the last page. I was not ready for my time with these characters to end, and thankfully she has a sequel novel that will pick up where book one ended.
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  • AmazonCustDT2022az
    4.0 out of 5 stars 5 cents says it will be a best seller!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book started off slow, like most best sellers, but the little mystery of her mother kept a firm grip on my interest. Mystery, romance, paranormal, (view spoiler) it has it all.

    Atancia isn't really the heroine we all expect. She is shy and timid and pretty much stays that way throughout the book. But her heart is strong. She has so much love to give. And Atancia takes the whole "immortal" thing and adds a different twist to it than what Evermore did.

    One thing I would have liked to have seen more is description. Clever ways to describe a scene and make me use all five of my senses to actively picture a scene. That's part of what makes up the beauty of a good book. The descriptions I did see was just specific naming of objects like.
    "A Rosewood vanity table sits on the far corner away from the windows."
    But what I want to see is something more like.
    "The warm soothing rays of sunlight flow through the windows and immerse the room in it's glory. The sun's soporific tendrils graze against the surface of my skin, kissing my cheeks like a welcoming mother."

    Paint me a word picture!!! :)

    There wasn't much character building on Ben as much as there was for Nana, but I could kind of get a feel for his character as the story progressed. I got to know Ben at the same time Atancia did. And maybe Wren Figueiro did that stylistically. And there was quite the plot twist that after I thought I finally knew who and how Ben was personally, the rug is pulled from under me and I am left disoriented and not knowing what to believe.

    Nana is the parental unit of Atancia. And though they aren't related by blood, they love each other like family. I could really get a sense of Nana and I received a kind of maternal feel from her. There's not much more to say about her except that she is a highly pivotal character and that she makes a good adoptive mother/grandmother.

    The romance between Atancia and Ben was charged with energy and passion. It kept me begging for more. (view spoiler) and there were the occasional "AAWWWW" moments after that.

    The book lacked action. Something I was getting used to in reading your average YA novel. But just because it lacked action doesn't mean it lacked plot.

    One thing that did keep me kind of unsure was that I couldn't tell what was the main focus of the book. The romance, or the plot. They seemed to be neck in neck. One chapter it was all about plot progression, and the next was about the passionate romance between Atty and Ben. But I just tend to over analyze and be picky on books.

    I can easily see this book to be a best seller. I highly recommend this book to YA fans who want a nice story without all the choppy story line of action fight scenes. But don't misinterpret my words. The lack of action in no way lessens the AWESOMENESS of this book. I would give it 3.5 but since I can't I rounded up.
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  • Jason P. Crawford
    5.0 out of 5 stars Atancia: 4.5/5 from Beyond the Curtain of Reality
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Today, I am reviewing the Paranormal Romance story Atancia by Wren Figueiro. This is a medium-ish book of about 100k words that describes a race of immortals known as Durands who feed off of the energy from living things. The protagonist, Atancia (“Atty” to her friends”) learns that she is one of these beings when Ben, a very handsome, urbane, and mature Durand walks into her life.

    I give this book a 4.5/5. Here is my breakdown.

    Characters: 5/5. Holy…hell. Figueiro does a fantastic job of creating interesting and rich characters. I could feel Atty’s nervousness, Nana’s caring and concern, the electric attraction between her and Ben, Matt’s fumbling…it was all amazingly well done. The characters drive this story, and they do a bang-up job at it.

    Plot/Storyline: 5/5. When a book is this good, sometimes you feel worried that you’re overdoing the praise…but it just really was this good. The last half of the story (which is part of a duology, by the way) had me paging through as fast as my eyes could take in the words. There was a sense of compelling action…without what most people would consider “action.” This links back to the Characters section: if Figueiro hadn’t done such an amazing job of creating the people and making us care about them, the story may have stuttered and fallen flat. It did not.

    Flow: 5/5. Onward and onward and onward with nary a dull moment. Never did I consider that the descriptions were too long, or too wordy, or that there were better things to do. I was wrapped up in the story and it took me wherever it chose.

    Spelling/Grammar: 3.5/5. Ah. This is what kept Atancia from achieving the first perfect 5-star rating I have ever given. There were spelling and grammar mistakes sprinkled throughout – not tremendous, not onerous, not “my-god-what-is-wrong-with-you”…but they were there, and I noticed them. Another proofread (since this is an e-book) would definitely be advised.

    Overall: 4.5/5. Yes! Wren Figueiro is a prime example of how independent authors can do excellent work. This is her debut novel, and, if the next in the duology can even keep up with this one, I think she has the potential for a splendid career.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • JSEdge
    4.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to book 2.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Shy and kind hearted Atancia has her logical world turned on its head the night Ben walks into it. Hit hard with an utterly life altering revelation, she has major adjustments to make and a puzzle to solve. Her journey into her new life among the immortal Durand effectively pulled me in, learning and experiencing right alongside her.

    The pace and tone flowed gently, yet still managed to pack a punch- what it lacked in kick ass action, it more than made up for in plot jolts.

    The romance was beautifully handled and very believable. I could easily relate to Atancia's initial awkwardness and insecurity, as could I follow her growth in confidence as their romance progressed. Though she and Ben did get together early on in the story, it didn't feel rushed -I appreciated the hold off on declarations of love.

    Lack of self-awareness, slight gullibility, poor sense of direction and embarrassing social skills are all traits I share with Atancia, and she did feel very much like a real girl -down to earth and emotionally driven. (Though, the fact that when folk told her she was special, they meant it as an actual compliment rather than a poorly veiled insult did have me resenting her just a tad).

    Ben was initially well developed but once his big secret is outed, I was left wondering how much of that early development could be trusted. There seemed little further development for him from that point on. And, considering the swerve the story takes, I figure this was purposefully done.

    Matt, on the other hand, felt fully bared to me: Open, honest and caring. I loved his special skill and he sounded incredibly hot- who could say no to a tall, dark, sexy-as-hell musician? Seriously.

    A lovely character driven story with a fresh and well developed take on the immortal species living among human-kind. Looking forward to book 2.
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  • Dan Williams
    2.0 out of 5 stars lacked substance
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    2.5 really but you can't so... Not really my thing for many reasons but you can't win them all and that's not why I downgraded my rating from 3 to 2. It would probably be many people's thing. I have the tiniest suspicion that it bears a close semblance to the Twilight saga but, so do a lot of things I guess...

    The writing is reasonable and the development of the romance is highly plausible and very well done; probably the best executed part of the whole story.

    It REALLY fell down for me in a few ways.

    Firstly, the dialogue was often too implausible to ignore (in a, 'come on! nobody talks like that!' kind of way), all the characters 'sounded' the same or very similar (born out by the snippet of the second book offered as a teaser on my Kindle at the end of the first one which begins with another character narrating yet has almost the identical voice).

    There was a lot 'non story' between all the juicy bits until the very end when the pace picks up. I don't need a story to be all action and fight scenes (on the contrary, I hate protracted fight scenes and am indifferent to fight scenes, generally). But this had too much seemingly unnecessary detail to motivate me to keep turning the pages. In other words, it's a hefty read for just a little bit of story.

    If It were shorter and sharper with characters that really came to life for me, I'd give it an extra star.
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