Review: Well-crafted and entirely relatable!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 19, 2012
The first book in this series, Sovereign Hope, is making my Best Books of 2012 list hands down, so I was biting my nails in anticipation for the release of this one. And it does not disappoint. The plot, characters, and world building are so incredibly well-crafted; it's hard to believe it's not actually real. Plus, Frankie Rose writes some of THE BEST kickass action scenes.I love Frankie's writing! The narration is entirely relatable. She weaves in the side stories seamlessly. Not too much or too little, and she places them exactly where they belong. And the pacing - another flawless execution. EVERYTHING is where it ought to be...we garner new information at the precise time; it is all just so perfectly balanced.I don't want to spoil the plot, but it is completely engaging. There is so much that goes down in this book; it's not just filler like a lot of second novels in a series. It's full of action and suspense, yet there are also nice amounts of character development and fresh revelations. And, then there is the romance...I absolutely adore Farley and Daniel together. There are moments between them that sizzle off the pages and left me fanning myself. However, the romance doesn't overpower the story in these books. Farley and Daniel have actual communication; it's not just a bunch of getting lost in each other's eyes and drooling over one another. They aren't so busy with each other that they completely (and ignorantly) neglect the events happening around them. So refreshing.Then there's Kayden. He wasn't present in a lot of the first book and he is awesome, so I'm happy to report there is MUCH more of him in this installment! We find out what the tension between Daniel and him is all about. I mean, wow, no wonder Daniel is so on edge around him. Not that I dislike Kayden, obviously...what happened between them is horrible, but it was long ago and I forgave it.I also thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Simeon (a Reaver introduced in the first book who accidentally turned his wife into a vicious creature while trying to save her). Simeon and his wife's story is heartbreaking and I felt so bad for him. And Aggie! Oh, Aggie. I can't actually talk about her, because it would majorly spoil it, but I love her so much! I'll just say she is one of the friends mentioned in the synopsis that disappeared and we learn what happens with all that in this book.To top it all off, the ending is perfectly setup for the third book. It's satisfying while still maintaining an edge of anticipation. I could literally go on all day about how wonderful this book is, but I'll refrain because you need to read it for yourself. :)So yeah. This book is made of win. It is completely absorbing. If you haven't started this series yet, then what the heck are you waiting for?! Really, I highly recommend it to not only the target YA audience, but adults too.**A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. No incentive was offered or accepted for a favorable rating or review.