Review: Beautiful Writing, Fantasy Galore
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 18, 2014
Wow, what fantasy... it is so strong and prevalent in this book.  The author effortlessly weaves in several strands of fantasy.... werewolves, vampires, fairies, shapeshifters, mages, and so on.  The ultimate couple in this book is of a vampire bond, thus making me think of Twilight, but the emphasis on vampires is very light and doesn't really occur until halfway through the book and even after that, only sparingly.  And it's tons better written than the Twilight trilogy and nowhere near as mind-numbingly long!The author loves positivism and it shows.  The central character is extremely caring and kind, and she is so devoted to her boyfriend, whom she meets after the start of this book.Normally I don't read romance books, but this book doesn't feel like one.  Above all, this is pure fantasy, and what more can you ask for?  There are some good battles galore, and plenty of magic being used.  The main characters shift into animal form easily, and enjoy doing so.  The villain is delightful.The only thing holding me back from awarding it an extra star are twofold: one, there perhaps can be more description of the relationship of Eden's world to our world.  At the beginning of the book, Eden lives in a human village.  How does Eden and her guardians go from their human home to this fantasy world?  It seems that Eden and her family live close to nothing but forest -- why?  Or did they transition into a fantasy world that is not found on Earth, but is a close copy of a more natural Earth?  The novel seems to be set in modern day times, so where are the modern-day cities?  Secondly, at the end of the book, Eden has to face trials to discover her true potential, and was told that she had to do it on her own.  At the end of the book, I felt a bit of a letdown, because 1) the trials weren't really difficult contests of strength or endurance, I was expecting something more dramatic or heart-rendering, and 2) Eden had plenty of communication with her team during the trials!For pure fantasy, you can't go wrong.  You'll love this book if you love fantasy.