Review: Prepare to be enthralled!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 15, 2013
H.D. has done it again!I've read her Alexa Montgomery Saga, every one, and just like with them, this series just keeps getting better.I loved Shooting Stars, just loved it. Now that I've read Falling Stars, I'll tell you, it's so much better. Not to say the first book wasn't awesome, but with each book, H.D. ups her standards and rises above it every time.This book grabs hold of you with the first sentence and never lets you go.My favorite books are character driven and the stars of the Surah Stormsong Series are incredible.Surah is wonderful. She's smart yet impulsive, self-confident yet vulnerable, scared yet double-tough. And Charlie has her acting all girlie."...this man, just had a way of making her feel like a silly teenager, which was ridiculous considering she was older than most creatures on Earth. For the first time in a very long time, she felt as young as she looked, which was no older than twenty."I had such a great time getting to know Surah better. Wait until you read how she cleans house. Wish I could do that.Charlie. Charlie is delectable. Sexy and sardonic, confident,and shy. How could I not love Charlie. What worries Charlie, worries me too. Will Surah still feel the same about him when she learns his secret. A secret that will shoot straight to her heart?"The Charlie Effect."Another thing H.D. does really well is the romance. This is the second book and Surah and Charlie are slowly falling in love. It's not instant love but a fondness built on getting to know each other. That makes it much more fun to read. You want them to finally say it, to admit their feelings, and that keeps you pouring over the words, looking for it.Then there's Black Heart, Charlie's brother. He goes deeper into his lust for revenge and is hooked up with Tristell, the Fae Queen. Boy, what a twisted affair that is. Neither one shows any feelings for others. That makes them the perfect diabolical companions.Follow one of their conversations if you can."Michael is always thinking inside of boxes," she said.He sighed, "And Tristell is always speaking in riddles."I can't forget Samson, Surah's tiger. He's been left behind at the castle while Surah and Charlie are on the run and he's being very sneaky, staying in the shadows, watching and listening as sorcerers whisper and conspire in dark places. I love reading his thoughts. He's almost human sometimes, then his tiger side comes through. Wouldn't want to be on his bad side.There are some wicked creatures and extreme action in this story. I wouldn't expect anything less from H.D. Her fight scenes are almost graceful when described. You can practically see the action, feel it, and hear it. Just like her characters, it's all so real.Some scenes remind you that Charlie and Surah both can be cold-blooded and it chills you when they exact punishment. And at some points in the story you almost can't discern their individual voices. That's how well this is written. You begin to understand how similar these two are, how they think alike, how well they go together, like soul-mates."I can only breathe right when you're breathing beside me."Most excellent writing.As the story races to the finish, you wonder how anything can be alright, how anything good can happen. Each time you think it's going okay, something goes horribly wrong, taking you in another direction. I felt as Surah so eloquently put it,"However this ends, wherever this is going, it's going to effect a lot of people. Innocent people. I can feel that in my blood...I just hope whatever role I play isn't one that causes heartache and pain."There's so much more I want to tell you. I have nine pages of notes. But I'm going to let you read this super awesome story and find out for yourself.One more thing. Watch out for the ending. It will rip you up one side and down the other. This ain't over.Prepare to be enthralled. I was and still am.I received this book for my honest review. I've read all of H.D. Gordon's books and loved them and would gladly buy anything she writes.