Review: A very interesting book with the ethical and moral questions brought up!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2014
“I think I have a guardian angel.”—RachelRachel is nothing more than an ordinary girl who has seen her share of death in her eighteen years. She wants safe; she doesn’t want to feel afraid anymore. So, ordinary is good. Except, when she finally confronts her guardian angel—the man haunting her dreams, stealing her heart, and keeping her safe in the real world—she’ll learn there are far more frightening things than dying. Her guardian angel turns out not to be a guardian angel; she’s being hunted by immortals; and the key to enslavement of humanity is in her DNA…“All things must come to an end…or else, they are no longer good.”—SabasThis was a very interesting book with the ethical and moral questions brought up: if you could live forever, what would happen? The mythology and background for the immortals in the book were fascinating and well thought out, and I enjoyed how the author made immortality walk the line between curse and blessing. We then have to wonder what sacrifices people are willing to make: do you choose the one you love, yourself, or all of humanity?The book starts off slowly as we get to know Rachel with great characterization as to why she’s a cautious individual. We don’t actually get to see her present interactions with her love interest Eaden for most of the first quarter. Instead, we get to see snippets of the past presented like small short stories, which is nice for short reading bursts. As a result, we get to see how the two of them are so intertwined before they finally ‘meet’ each other in the present.I loved how the two of them are so into each other! The first half moves slowly as they fall deeper in love in a very sweet low heat relationship. Instead of insta-lust, their relationship seems more based on emotion and a life-time (well, Rachel’s life-time) of security and love so it was very, very easy to see why the two of them fought so hard for each other when put to the test.And what a test! The book picks up half-way as danger and suspense get introduced, and this is where I got really into the story as we learn more about the paranormal elements. Rachel is in extreme danger, and it’s up to her non-guardian angel…umm…knight-in-fashionable-clothes to keep her safe. He has to enlist friends and play politics to make sure the woman who makes him actually *want* to live stays alive.There isn’t much humor in the book, and with the flashbacks and plenty of introspection, the book has a more emotional/dramatic/literary/character-building vibe to it as opposed to action/plot-driven/shock value. Since Rachel is mortal and Eaden isn’t (my mind kept drifting to the Observer characters in the TV show Fringe), I was worried about the ending since the mythology isn’t like vampire/werewolf paranormal where it’s obvious the mate can be turned. However, I absolutely loved the ending and thought it fit perfectly with the author’s world. Best of all, it looks like this is a series, and even though there is enough resolution to be standalone, I can see how this could be the start of a fascinating series! Overall, this is a 4 out of 5 for me!(Originally posted on my blog; I received a review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)