Review: The Vampire Stalker

The Vampire Stalker, by Allison van Diepen

Series: None

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Sci-Fi

Published:  July 2011

Pages: 250

My rating:

The Blurb: What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?

Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.

Despite some of the less positive reviews I wanted to read this book for myself anyway. I certainly don’t regret reading it. It wasn’t a waste of time, because it didn’t take up that much of my time, fortunately. The 250 pages can easily be read in a few measly hours. And a few hours later you will have forgotten all about the book already.

Why?

No matter how promising the premise of this book is - a fictional character suddenly comes into our world- the execution of the story seriously lacks. Which is a shame, because the idea of ‘Literary Physics’ (writers who unknowingly tap into other dimensions while they are writing) is very original. It could have been epic, if written the right way. It deserves to be explored more, further, deeper. ‘Otherworld’ (the parallel Chicago from this book) deserves more world building. It is a very interesting place in my opinion. Imagine all sorts of technical and medical developments never happened because of a vampire-dominated society. Imagine an evening curfew because of those dangerous creatures out there. Imagine the shortened life expectancy because of the dangers and lacking means to aid people. Imagine people fleeing, immigrants never showing… I imagined those things, because besides the mere mention of these points, we never got to know the real ‘Otherworld’. A shame.

The story seems to be told simply because the writer wanted to tell it. It feels like reading the fan fiction often referred  to in this book. Contemporary, simple, fluently, shallow, a bit juvenile even, but never poetic. I love it when a book grabs me with beautiful prose, which was never the case here. Another shame.

I seriously missed some elaborate world and character building. I hardly knew what the characters looked like! Besides their appearances not much detail was provided about their inner selves either. We were told Amy had it bad for Alexander, but the feelings weren’t conveyed. I couldn’t feel her crush, nor did I understand it. Alexander was a flat character, a cardboard cut-out. There was no spark of life in him, or any sparks between him and Amy for that matter. He didn’t make sense either: thinking it’s not normal Amy isn’t engaged to be married yet, at age 16, but still kissing her, thus possibly ruining her reputation. Yet, another shame.

And what about Amy’s gullible mom? If I showed up with an attractive guy she’d never seen, or even heard about, she sure as h*ll wouldn’t let him stay over at the house, for indefinite time! Without making any fuss or asking too much questions. Seriously?!

That is one example of how ‘easy’ (fluently if you will) the story was written. Everything happened neatly the way it was supposed to go, the plot ‘twists’ were predictable, the villain came from a Disney movie, the plot was rather simple and the ending? Yup, saw it coming from the start. Quadruple shame.

But still this was a pleasant story to read. Seriously. Despite its many flaws I didn’t hate it. Why? It’s a quick, fun, romantic ride. Which, in my opinion, could do with some more fan fiction. To spice things up a bit. To finally tell the untold story that deserves to be told...

Review: Fallen in Love

'Fallen in Love' by Lauren Kate 

Series: Fallen (#3.5)

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Fantasy

Published:  January 2012

Pages: 201

My rating: 

The Blurb: Unexpected. Unrequited. Forbidden. Eternal. Everyone has their own love story.

And in a twist of fate, four extraordinary love stories intersect over the course of a romantic Valentine’s Day in medieval England. Miles and Shelby find love where they least expect it. Roland learns a painful lesson about finding and losing love. Arriane pays the price for a love so fierce it burns. And for the first-and last-time, Daniel and Luce spend a night together like none other.

Lauren Kate’s ‘Fallen in Love’ is filled with stories… the ones everyone has been waiting for.

Despite the dissension surrounding the ‘Fallen’ series by Lauren Kate, I’ll gladly admit I enjoy the series. I’ll also gladly admit I had some trouble finishing the first book. However, the concept of 2 lovers who are destined  to meet, fall in love, yet never survive their love (until now!) is heart breaking.  Yes, haters, it is. Even though Daniel Grigori is a drag, I get why Lucinda Price loves and chooses him every single lifetime, despite the collision course she’s headed on.

*Love where you least expect it. The Valentine of Shelby and Miles.

I loved ‘Passion’ with all its peeks into Luce’s former lives, because I love reading about the past. There are many eras that still could be explored in Luce and Daniel’s history, and hopefully will be.  Which is why the tale of Shelby and Miles was –besides being a good point to start- right up my alley. However short and sweet it was, it developed very natural, credible and slow-paced. Maybe the magical setting of the Valentine’s Faire in medieval England contributed to Shelby and Miles’ change in perception of one another and the shifting of their feelings, who knows. Despite the harshness, or maybe because of the simplicity in those days, I felt the happiness Shelby must have felt just being around Miles. I guess you could conclude that Shelby and Miles found love when they least expected it, not where. 

At first Shelby feared for a dreadful outcome though: 

‘Thrilling. Twenty-four hours of feeling especially single and pathetic…medieval-style.’

Especially when she was reminded several times that her lack of knowledge of the past was eclipsed greatly by Miles’ scholarly mode. 

‘Traveling with him was like carrying around an encyclopaedia.’

*Love Lessons. The Valentine of Roland.

Once Roland’s story began I was pleasantly surprised Lauren Kate wove these 4 stories together the way she did: each one is sort of a follow-up of the next, set in the same time and place, only seen through someone else’s eyes, dealing with someone else’s love life.

A quote that best describes the way Roland felt about his former love Rosaline is this one:

‘He might have been experienced at war, at rebellion against the divine, but when it came to romance, Roland’s heart had been the heart of a child.’

Next, add the advice of someone who didn’t have any luck with his own relationship (Cam) and you’ll understand what happened to Roland. Or rather, what Roland made happen to Rosaline. That it took him several centuries to finally come to peace with his past, was –despite my lack of affection for / interest in the guy-nothing short of heart breaking.

*Burning Love. The Valentine of Arriane.

Arriane’s story has two sides, like good and evil, day and night, darkness and light. I should have expected a lover like Tess I guess, but I still found myself pleasantly surprised. The sugariness was too much sometimes, but the daring proposition and consequences of the offer Arriane’s lover did, made up for that big time! This story had all the ingredients that lacked in the other stories. More spunk, more action, more epic-ness. And a devastating ending…

'As far as possible, Arriane realized, each soul had to be content alone before plunging into love, because one never knew when the other would move out of that love. It was the greatest paradox: Souls need each other, but they also need to not need each other.’

*Endless Love. The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda.

This story actually takes place during ‘Passion’ (‘Fallen’ #3) which is a fun bonus in its own way. The soul-clefting with Luce’s own old selves stays amazing. Of course, the readers already know about Bill’s intentions by now, which makes it feel like an inside joke.

Other than the fact this Valentine has been the only one Lucinda and Daniel ever shared (and Cam’s cameo), nothing interesting happens. No new realizations for Luce, simply more Luce and Daniel in their own sappy way…

Yes, our medieval Luce was a broken-hearted but wise girl. 

‘The idea that a stroke of chance could decide my heart’s destiny does not appeal to me.’

*My overall impression of ‘Fallen In Love’.*

Sugary sweet ‘n easy: as in easy to read, but also easily written.

Honestly? Most side characters never interested me that much. Besides Cam, obviously. Who happens to be left out of this novel, much to my regret. Then again, given the high doses of sweetness presented in this novel (yes, I’m aware it’s about Valentine, but still…) Cam’s absence is probably a good thing.

At times it feels like Lauren Kate knows her characters too well and they’re not exciting to her anymore. (Enter the ‘easy’ part!) Which is why my favourite, most surprising and most epic story from this novel, has to be Arriane’s story. Because despite the fact this Valentine was the only Valentine ever Luce and Daniel got to share, the story wasn’t refreshing and shared no new insights. Same old Luce and Daniel.

Even though I enjoyed the setting (the medieval Valentine’s Faire in England), it felt easy too. Some parts were described vividly, but the entire setting felt shallow and functioned like a backdrop rather than a well-described, detailed society.

Also, it struck me that some sentences that could have been beautiful, life-altering and epic, failed to deliver their message because it was like Lauren Kate couldn’t find the right words to express her feelings. She simply told the stories she felt the need to tell, but neglected to use the prose it should have been accompanied with.

Enjoyable but slightly disappointing, fluently but shallowly written, a nice bonus but abundant in some ways, extremely sweet… but average. I'm giving it 3 stars because I like the series as a whole and this book adds some background.

To my regret… I haven’t ‘Fallen in Love’ with this book.

Review: Cat O' Nine Tails

Cat O’ Nine Tails by Patricia Leever

Series: None

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Adventure (Pirates), Erotic

Published:  August 2011

Pages: 206

My rating: 

The Blurb: When Orrin and his brother Kale are hired by Queen Winifred to hunt down Aeron and her band of miscreants, Orrin never dreamed he’d fall in love with the beautiful she pirate, or the kind, accepting people of her island hideaway. As they grow closer, Aeron reveals her jaded past with Queen Winifred to Orrin; he doesn’t hesitate to offer his help to bring Winifred’s evil reign to an end. Aeron and Orrin soon discover that the strongest weapon in their combined arsenal is the love they have for each other.

After shamelessly offering a review in exchange for a paperback copy of  ‘Cat O’ Nine Tails’ -to the woman who happened to marry a man with the same last name as my own husband, Patti was kind enough to send me not only a (signed) copy of her book, she added a bookmark and some trading cards as well! So thanx once more, Patti!

Thus began my journey through the hungry  eyes of Aeron and Orrin. (Yup, I’ll gladly admit I had some trouble separating them at first, because of their names…) Now, I’m all for sexual tension, don’t get me wrong, but Aeron and Orrin weren’t the only ones who felt relieved once that tension was eased. Because besides some minor world building (serving more as a drop-dead gorgeous background for the sexy fantasies lived out in this novel) the first 50 pages were oozing with cravings from Aeron for Orrin, and the other way around. Old-fashioned ‘Candlelight’ romance novels is probably what ‘Cat O’ Nine Tails’ compares to best. LOTS of lovin’, little plot. A feel-good book of which you already know the ending, then still end up with a big smile on your face because of said ending.

Once Aerons secret connection to Queen Winifred was revealed I had a hard time believing all of it. However, when Aeron was faced with the Queen, the way she froze and went completely catatonic was understandable and heart wrenching. So yes, Patricia Leever knows how to write, how to convey feelings.

Perspectives in this novel change from Aeron to Orrin, to William, to Kale, to Maura even. It’s written in a pleasant, fluent prose, suiting the era. The island, castle, ships and fight scenes are very well envisioned, despite the lack of descriptiveness.

Aeron is a pretty believable character, as far as female Pirate Captains are believable. She’s kick-ass, but too flawless at times and OOC in NOT taking the upper-hand when it comes to love-making, no matter how feministic she is supposed to be. It took me some time, but then Aeron really grew on me, especially when she showed her vulnerable side. I sympathized with her a lot.

I had some trouble with Orrins feelings/thoughts sometimes, he came off just a teensy bit too perfect. He seems a bit too much like the men one usually only encounters in fantasies and books, never in the real world. Yes, he’s dreamy, but he could never be existent. He’s written the way a woman thinks a fantasy guy should be, not the way a real man is.

Honestly, the romantic moments were too sweet (and frequent) for my taste, but if that’s your sort of thing you cannot go wrong with this book! Don’t expect too much action (except between the sheets) and anticipate a slowly paced plot. This book is about romance and location, about lovers finding each other.

You will be left with the exact feeling the blurb promises you: An escape to a place where love is the strongest bond people can share against a mutual enemy. Easy peasy if you ask me, when they’re both gorgeous and inhabit a dreamy fantasy island… ;)

Have a nice day! :)

Book Review: When Copper Suns Fall

When Copper Suns Fall, by KaSonndra Leigh (e-ARC provided by the author)

Series: Copper Suns book 1

Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal, Dystopia

Published:  November 2011

Pages: 381

My rating: 

In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected.

Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories?

With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease.

After eyeballing this book for its gorgeous cover and appealing contents, becoming Facebook-buddies to KaSonndra Leigh and shamelessly offering her my review in return for a free copy of ‘When Copper Suns Fall’, KaSonndra was kind enough to indulge me with an e-version of her book! THANK YOU once more for that, KaSonndra. And good luck on the book sales!

Let me start off by saying that digital reading and I will never, ever become friends. I find it harder to feel a connection with characters, kind of like the same way chatting to someone on your computer makes you feel. You know it’s them you’re talking to, but it’s not as good as the real thing. Something personal is seriously lacking.

Maybe that’s why it took me a little time to get into the story, but once I did, I really did! KaSonndra’s writing strengths truly lie with action sequences, because these happen fluently and believable. Her story-telling skills are great. Exciting plot turns, fencing scenes which made me hold by breath (unbeknownst to me) and mysterious boys slowly being unravelled. The plot has been given much thought and the story has a good build-up towards the climax. Great potential exists to develop this whole world even more in further books. I was confused many times though, about who the good guys were, and the bad guys. Which in my opinion does make things even more realistic: in real life there (usually) isn’t ‘just’ good or evil, there are so many shades of grey in between!

For the biggest part this a very fluently written story, it reads away easily in an agreeable, but sort of poetic prose. Some beautifully written, poetic comparisons are easily woven throughout the entire story:

Or maybe they thought I was a little bird waiting to be given an award for staying quiet.

Feelings however, are kind of suppressed -or get repeated in words (‘telling rather than showing’) several times. Also, sometimes there are (tiny) jumps leaving me confused and wondering whether I missed a bit. Then there were times descriptions of some things were lacking, like the depiction of the other world beyond the graveyard. Also, I stumbled across some wrongly written referrals which made me wonder who edited the book before it was published.

The romance between Chela and Faris, much like the time they spend in the other world, evolves rather quickly. Too quickly. They share some time and memories together and somehow out of the blue, a kiss happens. Without really reading about Chela’s change in feelings. It felt shallow somehow. 

Overall Chela is an easy-to-sympathize-with-character, as are the other characters. There’s some growth, some struggle. They’re not cardboard cut-outs, but they’re not the best-written characters I’ve encountered either.

I realize how hard it is to write something original, something nobody has thought off yet. Everything has been done already. And most of this story was very original in its plot, setting and time. But there were many details that felt familiar to me (you can play a guess-game if you’d like), like the fencing, body-tattoos, paintings that come to live, the mansion where kids with special abilities are being trained, the other world not susceptible to normal persons’ eyes, etc.  

Of course, no author owns the rights to any setting unless it’s a world they created themselves, so there’s nothing actually wrong with KaSonndra’s choice of having an important part of this book take place in an amusement park… So what if it happened to play a big role in the 'Hush, Hush' books too? (Which, by the way, dealt with angels also...) Mind you: since ‘When Copper Suns Fall’ trumps ‘Hush, Hush’ on various levels, there’s no loss here, only gain.

All in all I enjoyed the story in itself, but it felt like a draft version, still rough around the edges. It definitely has potential, it’s a promising story, but it needs some more editing and tweaking. ‘When Copper Suns Fall’ deserves those extra pages to improve the story, in my opinion! So it can truly shine like a copper sun, not fall...

~Have a nice 2nd day of X-Mas (and nice Holidays maybe?)~

P.S. By finishing this book, I finished my Goodreads Reading Challenge! I read 20 books this year. It may not seem much, but I only started counting from July, so... ;) How about your 2011 reading list, and 2012 Reading Challenge?

Review: Once a Witch...

Once a Witch, by Carolyn MacCullough
Series: Once a Witch, book 1 of 2
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Paranormal, Contemporary
Published: September 2009
Pages: 292
My Rating:

'Once A Witch' was a quick and easy read. Aimed at a younger audience I think. If you want to read a nice book, that's not too complicated, and able to finish within 2 days, go for it!

First I'll talk about the things I did not like. Or maybe the things I missed is a better way to put it. Because I missed some descriptions. Environments and persons weren't very well described. Maybe it's good because it leaves your imagination at work, but I like my books more descriptive. That would have given the book, the characters and the environments a little more colour. Because it was a colourful life going on here.

The dialogues between Tamsin and Alistair, as well as those between Tamsin and Gabriel, could use a little more spice. I guess the whole book lacked a little spice. It was a very nice read indeed, but nothing very special or memorable that stands out.

The story enveloped at a slow pace, but not annoyingly slow. Things happened, but no major events at first. I think about halfway through the book, the story picks up speed.

The farther I read, the more the plot sped up. When something happened to Tam's sister Rowena, I was really curious how and what had happened to her. Albeit the plot being somewhat simple, the story not too complicated, I still found myself wanting to know what was gonna happen next, how Tam was gonna fix things.

Because of the 'action' I liked the second half better than the first, admittedly.

I like the book/plot/characters and promise of romance enough to read the sequel 'Always A Witch' today or tomorrow. The ending sort of forces you too, actually ;)
(Also because I know it's a quick read, I'm not always in the mood for a book that takes too long to finish.)

It's purely the lack of description (details) and the simplicity of the writing/ story /plot /characters that make me give this less than 5 stars.

If 'Once A Witch' were a meal, it would be a simple but pleasant supper, lacking a little spice... A meal that wouldn't linger too long on your brain for its complexity, or the fact that it touched you deeply somewhere because of its originality and boldness, but still an agreeable meal. An every-day supper.




****SOME SPOILERS: THINGS I LIKED VERY MUCH****

The family gatherings, and 'Talents' (witchcraft related gifts) every family member has, were sometimes really fun. After all, these people are normal people too and use their Talents for entertainment purposes as well. The uncle who allows the littles kids to break the china plates and then puts them back together with his Talent was a nice humorous touch. So was the uncle who keeps (dis-)appearing everywhere out of thin air, startling everyone all the time. Or the poor aunt who kept saying she had lost is, though no one seemed to know what it was she lost, including herself. I could imagine the chaos vividly.

I really liked the scene where Tam and Gabriel attended a party in 1939 to locate the object Alistair desired. It felt romantic being there, doing a waltz all dressed up, magic surrounding them. Magic, because of all their 'Talented' family members, even more magical because it was Tams own heritage she was in. She got to meet her own grandmother as a young woman, how cool is that? Also, she finally got to understand the things her grandmother would tell her later, *why* things happened the way they did, why everybody kept Tams talent a secret, letting her believe all this time she wasn't special in a family where everybody else is. But that's exactly what gave Tam her strength I think, to try and be normal.

And of course the ending scene was brilliant too. I could just see that before me on the silver screen. I didn't quite understand what it meant when Alistair vanished into the clock, but the epilogue clarified things for me. Tamsins family's future is blank, as in there will be none. Obviously Tamsin's got her work cut out for her and I am curious to see what will happen. Especially because that will happen in the Victorian Times. Can you say 'jummy'? ;)

Have a nice day! :)

Review: Kissed by an Angel

Kissed by an Angel (trilogy), by Elizabeth Chandler
Series: Kissed by an Angel, book 1-3 of 5
Genre: YA, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance
Published: August 1998
Pages: 690
My Rating:

The plot of this book is what attracted me. Ivy falls in love, but when her boyfriend dies in a car-crash (the same car crash Ivy survives) she's left behind. Or is she? Tristan finds himself being an angel and tries to get through to Ivy. Which is very hard because she's given up on angels when Tristan died, after once being a firm believer. Tristan believes Ivy is in terrible danger so he needs to get through to her desperately.

The book was an easy read, a page-turner in the sense of simplicity. The characters were a bit shallow, feelings not entirely believable conveyed. Some parts dragged on too long. Especially towards the ending. I had to force myself to continue reading, hoping the plot would finally reveil itself. Because as a reader I knew what danger Ivy was in, and eventhough I understood that danger couldn't be dealt with another way, I was almost desperate for it to end. It took a bit too long even if it did turn more dark and creepy towards the end. The things that happened then weren't that original, and I didn't sympathize enough with the characters to really feel their pain.

There were some humorous side aspects in the shape of Tristan's little helper who uses her powers to... confuse people.

Even if the plot idea sounded original to me, it felt like something I have seen/read before already. The story had a murder-mystery feel to it, somehow not what I expected. It was a nice book to read, but average. I already own its sequel, 'Evercrossed' but I'm not in any hurry to read it...

Enjy your day! :)

Review: The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale, by Christine Bell (aka Chloe Cole) 
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Steampunk, Romance
Published: April 2011
Pages: e-book without pages
My Rating:

This e-book was a quick read; a steampunk story that captures you in the middle of the action, making you curious. Humorous, inventive and romantic, sexy even. A very original plot that deserves to be worked out more in a longer story. I'd buy the full-length book in a heartbeat because there are some interesting angles that could be explored. The time-traveling felt natural, the characters were nice, the past live of the main character was heartbreaking.

It's nice though sometimes, to read a quick story 'inbetween'. Something that leaves you satisfied and happy. Because of its 'shortness' it was to the point, which was fine and necessairy but I wouldn't mind more elaborate sentences and side-plots. This is why I'm giving it a 3-star rating instead of a 4-star rating, it lacked some depth and was sort of hastened/rushed towards the ending. I know this is because there was not enough time/space to develop everything/everyone, but it was a pity.

It deserves more, really. It deserves a full book, read by a huge audience. For now a sequel or prequel will do too ;)

Worth your time though, have a go at it!

Enjoy your day :)

Review: Fallen

Fallen, by Lauren Kate
Series: Fallen, book 1 of 4
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Published: December 2009
Pages: 452
My Rating: 

In all honesty I have to admit I'm writing this review whereas I've read the book quite some time ago. (About 2 years ago even!) That's not my usual style, but 'Fallen' deserves a review, so here I go.

The original (movie-worthy!) setting of this book set the tone immediately to a dark read: the reform school 'Swords and Cross' Lucinda is being sent to is a grim, gruesome place. It wasn't even her fault she got sent there in the first place. It's not like she meant to set her boyfriend on fire, it just happened. But maybe it was for the best Lucinda was sent away, it gave her the chance to live her life without being judged by all her fellow students.
Whether the academy is the best place to have a fresh, new start is debatable. It's not very inviting with all its grey buildings, the cemetery on school grounds and the old church now harboring an Olympic size swimming pool. Most of the students seem to have adapted to their surroundings and fate and seem like they actually belong in a place like that. The mandatory all BLACK dress code doesn't do anything to add to the cheeriness. However, Luce quickly finds herself a new friend in Penn, whose father used to be the janitor. Even Arianne who seems very strange at first turns out to be a loyal friend.
And of course, then there is Daniel. Daniel who doesn't seem interested in Luce and treats her with her disrespect. That is, when he acknowledges her at all. But Luce can't stop herself from feeling attracted to him. (Although why I can't figure out: I don't like his looks and he's the wrong kind of tormented. He's a drag, actually!)
Anyhow, Luce pines for Daniel and tries to get in touch with him. This goes on for the major part of the book, nothing else of importance happens. There were times I wondered why I kept reading even, it felt rather boring to read about this seemingly unrequited love.
Luckily, we have Cam to keep things interesting, with his black hair and cat-like green eyes. And even though you can sense from a mile away he's BAD news (yes, with a capital B, A and D!) he's smoking hot. Now there's an attraction I understand!
When it comes to Cam, you can sense Daniel is jealous, or rather protective of Luce, in other ways, deeper ways. Like he knows about Cams badness. And finally things start to make sense, the romance takes off (a little, in a goody-two-shoes-way) and we find out why Daniel kept Luce away but didn't want Cam near her either. At that point there hadn't been any 'fantasy' aspect to the book, so although I knew what the book was about, I was still surprised when Daniel showed his true self. Like his angelic-ness didn't belong in the book. But I got used to it quickly. One things that kept being annoying though, was that Daniel couldn't tell Luce what the deal was about. No, she has to find out herself.

The semi-epic ending of the book was harsh in ways I did not see coming. Well written, realistic when it comes to feelings, detailed when it comes to he angels' appearances.

All in all a book with an original concept, a promising story with epic battles lurking around the corner, an endangered romance without knowing how to make sure it will last this lifetime. The writing is okay, not too hard, but detailed enough. The characters aren't that well-written and I can't really feel the chemistry beyond the fate-link Luce and Daniel share. A bit of a mediocre book perhaps, with a little extra though. It certainly  kept me engaged enough to read the sequels!

Also, I dare say it's right up there with the 'Twilight' Saga. If you liked those, you'll like these as well. I hope the movie they're planning on doing about this one will go through, because I know these books will translate beautifully onto the silver screen!

Have a nice day! :)