Review: riveting, suspenseful read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2014
Shield. Allie's War, Book Two. JC AndrijeskiReview from Jeannie Zelos Book reviews.Many years ago, spurred by the you too can be a writer ads I gave it a try. They lied, I can't write! Even I was bored by what I produced, rejection letters came as no surprise,  so I've long admired those who Can write. I accept my brain Can't :)Most writers pull a story we love to read out of their imagination,  sparked maybe by something they've heard or read. Then there's a special breed of writers, the fantasy ones, who can produce such a riveting and imaginative world that's nothing like the one we know. JC has done all that and more to produce a fascinating series that's  kept me, a non sci fi reader, gripped in it's clutchesI enjoyed book one, though struggled to get my head around some of the complexities, read the Allie's early years novella that's currently free on Amazon, and that helped me to get things a bit more into context. Even though I was struggling with the world setting, and the way people were more than they seemed I was still transfixed, hooked, unable to let go of the developing romance between Allie and Revik. I love them both and yet they seem to be so full of misunderstandings, the way Revik's world works is so different to Allie's. For example - thinking with human concepts she caused a huge problem inadvertently in book one, when she thought she was simply offering the human gesture of letting Kat see Revik after he'd been injured, thinking they were friends and he'd want to see her, and yet in Seer terms it was something totally different and she was offering something very sexual. I think the Seers don't make enough allowances for Allie when she is puzzled by what they mean, or even when in situations like that she could cause such misinterpretations of a friendly gesture. Revik seems to be grasping it but there's still a lot of what Allie calls Fortune Cookie speech :) but then – what would the book consist of without those little things that lead to massive consequences ??Once again I’m hooked, still struggling with the concept of Seers etc and their abilities, which seem to vary from person to person, and keep on growing. Then there's all the different groups, who is allied with who, and for how long and what are the consequences. Allie doesn’t know who to trust, her life has changed so much in such a short while, and as Bridge it seems a lot is placed on her shoulders. Then of course the way they share light?? the constructs that seem to offer a sort of protection, the place where a sort of astral part of them can go and look at others and talk to others, and the whole body splitting thing...its a lot for my feeble brain :) and I may well have got it all wrong... I found if I concentrated on Allie and Revik – and they're by far what keeps me reading, interesting though the others are, and just let all the other things wash over, accept them as is, rather than struggle with understanding, I’m actually absorbing and beginning to understand more than I thought.Just when I thought things were finally coming together for Allie and Revik – and how – wow, some sensual and steamy scenes there! - then things go wrong. Badly wrong, Allie is captured by Terian – well one of them I guess :) - accompanied by a Syrimne boy, Nenzi. He's more than a boy though, an old soul in young man's guise, and a psychopathic, dangerous person convinced Allie belongs to him, and he's  dangerously jealous of Revik.  There's more plots and plans, more journeys into the other plane ( the Beyond?), more misunderstandings, rescues, trusting of people who may have another motive, and learning more about those collars that some wear. In the human world all seers have to wear them, and be owned by someone. Horrible concept that of ownership – like slavery really, and makes out that other races are lesser. The collars were described before as organic and I was puzzled, I’ve finally worked out that means they're living in some way, they have some kind of creature in them that sinks ...claws maybe, talons, spikes ? Something like that into the receptor's neck and blocks their powers. Eurggh, horrible. As much as I am confused I’m also getting a feeling for this world and its people, and I found myself getting out ( well searching kindle files )  book one so I could check on certain things I didn't understand but which became clearer. I have to be really interested to do that, and not just carry on, and surprised myself by wanting to do it.If you're a fan of sci fi no doubt you'll be far better than me at understanding this world, but even with my shallow understanding I find the series gripping, and want to learn more. The romance, the strong connection between Allie and Revik is what holds it all together for me, and my desperation to know that they make it through together in the end :) OK I’m a romantic sap, so what.. Priced at 3.08 for 426 pages it's a bargain for those who want something they can really get their teeth ( and imagination) intoARC provided via NetgalleyStars:  Four and a half.