Review: FANTASTIC!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 27, 2013
Action-packed, exciting, fun, sexy, with a dark edge... King Hall is like Sookie Stackhouse, Harry Potter, and something else completely original all rolled into one!This fast-paced and engaging series debut immediately tosses the reader into the middle of a world much like our own, but with an added population of Shifters, Vampires, Mages, and Elementals. King Hall is about the Mysticals, specifically four very special Mysticals who will eventually be in charge of their entire population. Because of the fast-pace, I found the very first sections of the book slightly confusing as I absorbed so much information about the characters and the added information of the back-stories. For a brief time, it felt like there was a first book in the series that I could have missed (I'm secretly hoping for a prequel!). But overall, the author does a very good job imparting all the necessary information while engaging the reader in the story. And let me tell you, I was hooked.If it was the compelling plot that drew me in, it was the characters that held me there. Dawn has created a brilliant ensemble cast, each character unique and interesting. On their own they are fantastic characters, but together they are unforgettable. She forges an amazing, emotional, and palpable bond between the group, so much so that as I reader I simply couldn't imagine them without one another. Though the story belongs to Lily, it is her friends that make her the amazingly strong character that she is."Jaw clenched, Ezra took five long strides in my direction and bent down, whispering against my ear, `Sweetheart, is today the day you run away alone in fear? Or the day you have the balls to trust in our friendship? Trust in the four of us. Together.' "Okay, so here's my favorite thing about this book: while reading it, I felt a little out of control; and I mean that in a GOOD way. The author's writing style is incredibly brave. The story is not simply unpredictable, it's much more than that. No one is safe and nothing is sacred.  It's like the author gave these characters life, created a world for them to live in, and then let them go, like the story itself has a mind of its own. And then she brings the reader along for the ride. Brilliant.Though there's no graphic sex, the book has a constant buzzing sexual undertone. And even though it's often dark and violent, the despair is equally balanced with a sense of humor. I loved this book, even the cliffhanger ending, which left me eagerly anticipating more of this fantastic story.*I received a complimentary copy of the book (via Netgalley) in exchange for a fair and honest review.See this review and more at TattooedBookReview dot com