Book one....decent
Book two....better
Book three.....well....
I have to say that this series has been okay for me but not my favorite. The third book starts out right where we left off in Torment (Book 2) with Luce having just stepped into an Announcer. Let the road trip begin!!!
While trying to discover some crucial piece of information about the curse on her and Daniel, Luce visits numerous accounts of her past lives. We go from Prussia, to Italy, to Ancient China and back again all trying to uncover the secret of a loophole in the curse. Of course, Daniel (and the other angels and demons) are hot on her trail, trying to stop her from make a fatal mistake but they are always a step behind.
Halfway through her journey, Luce meets up with a gargoyle named Bill, who is supposed to be a Scale (someone who helps guide others through the Announcers). Luce is alone and needs help and she confides in Bill who leads her to unique stages of her past lives. He also introduces her to "3 D" which occurs when she touches one of her past selves. She can then relive the moment as if she were actually there again.
Luce finds one thing consistent through all of her experiences. Daniel loves her, through and through and it only strengthens her love for him. Daniel continues to chase her but then figures out he might be able to find a loophole in the curse himself. Off goes Daniel on his own little quest to places within his past.
After many of Luce's lives, Bill finally suggests that he knows a way for Luce to be free of the curse. She must split her soul away from herself with a starshot (the fatal immortal arrow) when she is about to die within one of her past lives. The only catch is she won't be connected to Daniel anymore. Luce contemplates this decision because of her longing to stop putting Daniel through pain when she dies over and over again throughout time but in the end she just can't bring herself to separate the love that they share.
Bill becomes furious when she fails to "separate" her soul and then shows his true form. That's right, he's the Devil in disguise (shocker). Since his plan fails, he takes Luce back in time to Heaven in the beginning of the Fall. He also deceives Daniel into being there as well. The Devil is convinced that if he relives the Fall again, this time he can turn the tide in his favor. However, he misses one crucial thing, this is the very thing that Daniel needs to create a loophole in his and Luce's curse.
Daniel pleads with God to have mercy on him and Luce, thus creating a loophole. If Luce is not in covenant with any side and chooses Daniel over everything then the curse may be broken and they can be together.
End of story, right? Guess again. Even though the curse has a loophole now, Satan's plan is still in action. The Fall is supposed to take nine days. Now the Fallen have nine days to figure out a way to defeat the Devil and change history forever. Guess we'll find out how that goes in the fourth book due in Spring of 2012.
Sooooo....as far as this particular book of the series is concerned, I wasn't really impressed. It was a little repetitive and the mushy, gooey stuff got to even me after awhile (*gasp*). Not that I don't enjoy a good romance (cause you know I do) but it was just over and over again and by the end of the book I was just ready to be done. I definitely see why the author went this way but it felt like she was dragging things out, kind of forced. I didn't even really feel like Luce learned anything huge on her journeys. So, she found out she loves Daniel and that he loves her. Didn't we already know this?
In the end, it's Daniel who creates the loophole in the curse not Luce. She doesn't even realize what is exactly killing her in each life. We get that confession when Daniel is before God.
Am I saying I didn't like the book. Well, yes and no. I didn't care for this particular book of the series but I don't dislike the series as a whole. Book two was, by far, my favorite so far. I am looking forward to the next book. I think the author created a great set up for an epic end. I just hope she lives up to the hype.
On a whole, I would label this series a filler series (in between reading when you can't find anything else). Good reading but definitely not the best. I've read far better series by far better authors (no offense intended as I respect anyone who has had as much success as Lauren Kate).
Parents, I'm kind of cautious on this kind of a series. It definitely touches the spiritual realm deeply. Make sure you are comfortable with your impressionable teenager delving into it. As for content, there are definitely kissing scenes and passion (duh) but nothing too saucy. Also there might be a few curse words involved but nothing extensive.
And that's a wrap :)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Vanish by Sophie Jordan
Just finished the sequel to Firelight by Sophie Jordan called Vanish. I had been anticipating the sequel for quite some time and it didn't disappoint. The book was shorter than I like but I couldn't put it down.
The book starts where we left off in Firelight, with Jacinda and her family headed back to the pride. However, something unexpected happens. On the way there, Tamra, Jacinda's sister, manifests after years of thinking that she would never be a draki. We also find out that she is just as rare as her sister, a shader draki. There are only two in the Pride.
Things go well for Tamra upon returning to the Pride but not for Jacinda. She is seen as a traitor and is shunned by everyone, except Cassian. Cassian is determined as ever to win Jacinda's affections but she is still pining over Will. At first, she finds Cassian's advances annoying but eventually her loneliness leads her to see that she feels something for him as well.
Then the impossible happens. Will finds the Pride by some stroke of luck, or is it the draki blood that runs through his veins that leads him there? Either way, he's created a problem that Jacinda just can't ignore. Cassian orders her to break off all connection with him or he'll tell the Pride about the draki blood inside of him. There is only one problem, she can't live without the boy she so desperately loves.
Will and Jacinda concoct a plan to run away together but it goes horribly wrong when Will's hunter family shows up. Jacinda and Cassian's sister, whose been spying on Jacinda, are captured. Will helps Jacinda escape but she cannot run knowing that Cassian's sister is still in the hands of the hunters. She heads back to the Pride, against Will's wishes and bears the full punishment for her actions.
The Pride is livid and demands the cutting of Jacinda's wings but when it comes down to it Cassian can't bear the thought of it and offers an alternative. If Jacinda will bond with him, then her wings will be spared. Unwillingly, she accepts and is thereafter bonded with Cassian. Afterwards, her plan to run away only strengthens. She needs to be with Will more than anything.
After convincing her sister to run with her, Jacinda and Tamra sneak away and head out to meet Will. Cassian finds them and tries to stop her until he finds out her plan. They are on a mission to save his little sister. Cassian insists on coming along and the group follows Will into the heart of the draki hunter's operations.
Will they live or die? Will Jacinda choose Cassian or Will? We won't know till book three because that's exactly where Sophie Jordan ends the book.
Altogether, I loved the book. The twist with Tamra was an awesome addition to the series and I absolutely loved seeing this side of Cassian. I actually think I wanted Jacinda to end up with him after this book. As always, Sophie Jordan's books are a little on the short side but the intensity was so great that it didn't matter. I never once got bored, maybe a little mad at Jacinda for how she was treating Cassian, but never bored. I can't wait for the next book. This series is such a different concept and I love the descriptions of the changing from human to draki. Sophie makes it so believable you feel like you are right there.
As for parents looking for a good read for their teens. This is a great choice. There are a few intense kissing scenes but outside of that it is a relatively clean book. I give it two thumbs up!!!
The book starts where we left off in Firelight, with Jacinda and her family headed back to the pride. However, something unexpected happens. On the way there, Tamra, Jacinda's sister, manifests after years of thinking that she would never be a draki. We also find out that she is just as rare as her sister, a shader draki. There are only two in the Pride.
Things go well for Tamra upon returning to the Pride but not for Jacinda. She is seen as a traitor and is shunned by everyone, except Cassian. Cassian is determined as ever to win Jacinda's affections but she is still pining over Will. At first, she finds Cassian's advances annoying but eventually her loneliness leads her to see that she feels something for him as well.
Then the impossible happens. Will finds the Pride by some stroke of luck, or is it the draki blood that runs through his veins that leads him there? Either way, he's created a problem that Jacinda just can't ignore. Cassian orders her to break off all connection with him or he'll tell the Pride about the draki blood inside of him. There is only one problem, she can't live without the boy she so desperately loves.
Will and Jacinda concoct a plan to run away together but it goes horribly wrong when Will's hunter family shows up. Jacinda and Cassian's sister, whose been spying on Jacinda, are captured. Will helps Jacinda escape but she cannot run knowing that Cassian's sister is still in the hands of the hunters. She heads back to the Pride, against Will's wishes and bears the full punishment for her actions.
The Pride is livid and demands the cutting of Jacinda's wings but when it comes down to it Cassian can't bear the thought of it and offers an alternative. If Jacinda will bond with him, then her wings will be spared. Unwillingly, she accepts and is thereafter bonded with Cassian. Afterwards, her plan to run away only strengthens. She needs to be with Will more than anything.
After convincing her sister to run with her, Jacinda and Tamra sneak away and head out to meet Will. Cassian finds them and tries to stop her until he finds out her plan. They are on a mission to save his little sister. Cassian insists on coming along and the group follows Will into the heart of the draki hunter's operations.
Will they live or die? Will Jacinda choose Cassian or Will? We won't know till book three because that's exactly where Sophie Jordan ends the book.
Altogether, I loved the book. The twist with Tamra was an awesome addition to the series and I absolutely loved seeing this side of Cassian. I actually think I wanted Jacinda to end up with him after this book. As always, Sophie Jordan's books are a little on the short side but the intensity was so great that it didn't matter. I never once got bored, maybe a little mad at Jacinda for how she was treating Cassian, but never bored. I can't wait for the next book. This series is such a different concept and I love the descriptions of the changing from human to draki. Sophie makes it so believable you feel like you are right there.
As for parents looking for a good read for their teens. This is a great choice. There are a few intense kissing scenes but outside of that it is a relatively clean book. I give it two thumbs up!!!
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