Review: This was a great sequel with lots of action, romance, and a great cast of characters.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 14, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: This was a great sequel with lots of action, romance, and a great cast of characters. It is a really fast read and very entertaining. I would highly recommend this series.Opening Sentence: It wasn’t the first time I went back there.The Review:Maggie finally has gotten what she has always wanted, to become a guard in The After. She has a lot to learn still and there is only one guard willing to train her. The gorgeous guard from her past –Jackson. Maggie knows that they have a history together, but she only has a few memories from her past, and honestly she doesn’t want to remember the rest. Strung with guilt from what she did in her previous life; Maggie would rather leave the past behind and look forward to her future as a Guard. There’s no denying that she is extremely attracted to Jackson, but letting him in could be a distraction that could prove to be very dangerous.When she and Jackson are given their first mission to go and scout out an area where the Shadowed have been spotted; Maggie couldn’t be happier to finally be proving herself. But her boss decides that she needs extra backup and she sends Cooper and Ally along as well. It’s no secret that Jackson and Cooper despise each other, but if they are going to secede in their mission everyone is going to have to play nice. Maggie has also been given a secret mission that proves to be much more difficult than she ever thought possible.Maggie is a really fun and loveable character. Maggie’s situation is a tough one and I found myself sympathizing with her throughout the book. There are times she got a tad bit whiny, but nothing too bad. She is very independent which I really liked, but she also wasn’t afraid to ask for help if she needed it. She has a huge heart, and she really cares about her small group of friends. Her new powers terrify her, and she’s not sure she can control them. She will do anything to do the right thing, and protect the people she loves. Unfortunately, not everything in Maggie’s world is as black and white as she thought, and she is not sure which side she should be on. I found Maggie very easy to connect with and the more I got to know her the more I liked her.Jackson really grew on me in this book. He is gorgeous and mysterious, but it is totally obvious that he is head over heels in love with Maggie. He is very protective, sometimes to the point that it is overbearing. You get to see glimpses of some of their past together and it is sweet yet heartbreaking. Jackson has this dark side to him that is very intriguing. With his smirks and his lack of personal boundaries, he tends to leave you feeling a little breathless at times. Jackson and Maggie have great chemistry and their romance was beautifully done. I loved getting to know him better and I am really looking forward to seeing what happens with him in the next book.Cooper plays a slightly smaller part in this book, but I have to mention him because he is one of my favorite characters. I fell in love with him in Soul Taken and my connection with him just intensified in the sequel. You learn more of his back story which made me develope a new level of respect for him. He is just a genuinely good person that was nice to have around. It doesn’t hurt that he is totally gorgeous and swoon worthy. The romance between him and Maggie is very subtle and I am hoping that it will maybe be explored more in the next installment.Soul Possessed is a great sequel filled with good action, an interesting plot, and adorable romance. The cast of characters are all very unique and relatable. They each play an integral role in the story and it was interesting to see how each one developed. The plot had some surprises that left me guessing clear to end. The pacing of the book was good, but there was a part in the middle that dragged for me a little bit, overall, it flowed really well. I enjoyed learning more about the world Duncan created, it is captivating and beautiful. The ending does have a slight cliffhanger which leaves me very eager to read the next book. Once again, Duncan did a wonderful job writing a very engaging book that is sure to leave readers very satisfied. I would highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for a unique YA paranormal series.Notable Scene:I needed to fix it. “Jackson, I—”“No.” He grabbed my arm, steering me away from the gym down a long, empty hallway. He stopped in front of a row of lockers and let me go. Then proceeded to stare at me, a silent war waging across his face.“Again, I’m sorry. I don’t know—”“I know I don’t deserve anything from you after—” He dropped his head to his chest.Without thinking I clasped his hand in mine. “It doesn’t matter what happened before.”He moved closer, slowly shaking his head. “This would be so much easier if you remembered.”“Easier for who?” I asked.“Me. Is that what you wanted to hear?” His mouth lifted into a lopsided grin. “But not in the way you might think.” The grin morphed into a grimace and I yearned to bring his playful smile out again. “I will prove my trustworthiness to you once again. If it’s the last thing I do.”“You don’t—”Jackson’s fingertips touched my lips, silencing my next words. “I do.” His fingers brushed against my cheek before he dropped his hand to his side.A fire had erupted inside of me from his one touch and I was thankful when Jackson took a step back.A group of young children came screaming down the hallway playing a game of Tag.“We should—” I started, breathless.“Yeah.”FTC Advisory: Carina Press/Harlequin provided me with a copy of Soul Possessed. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.