Date
Published: May 7, 2012
Number of Pages: 366
Publisher:
Self-Published
First
Thoughts:
I fell in love with
this story, I essentially enjoyed every second of it…I found myself up late in
the night just wanting to read it…to know more about what was happening in this
unique world. It really captured my full attention and I had no problem with
wanting to read it, each part was just as important as the one before it. The
writing is captivating and beautiful and the characters were so enticing that I
found myself falling in love with them…this book had a really good connection
between the story to the reader. This is a story you’ll find you can’t put
down.
Plot:
The plot was
complicated in a way that it dealt with a new and unique concept. There was an
interesting backstory that you learn about as the story progresses. And the
ending! Wow, such an intense and cliffhanger of an ending, it literally left me
yearning for more…this period of waiting for the next book in the series is
going to be a long one. I enjoyed that the story itself was interesting and fun
to follow but at times it was a little hard to follow because of the unfolding
of the world itself (a bit complicated to explain) The plotline itself was good
and I felt it had all the elements it needs to be considered as complete. The
concept/idea was new to me but there were parts of it that aren’t…they were
just kind of mixed in with the new to create a unique and interesting world. As
for the sub-plots I felt they were both amazing and necessary; without them the
main conflict wouldn’t make sense; you’d be left in the dark. Some of them were
really interesting while a select few weren’t (I could have done away with them
but in the end they helped tell the story). As for the pace of the story I felt
it to be fast but at times slowed down,
allowing the reader a reprieve from the action and time to digest the newest
information. I also felt this book was a mixture of the different sub-catorgories
of the paranormal…and I found it fun that the different categories clashed
together and had to co-exist in some way. So overall I found the plot to be
unique and a great aspect to the book.
Romance:
Yes romance is part
of the conflict but not necessarily the ultimate conflict. It’s there and it
can be gooey at times I won’t lie to you but I kind of liked it. And I know a
lot of YA are all about romance and it is getting old but I enjoyed this
romance…it was fun to read about and I loved the conflict involved in it. So
whether this aspect of the book would affect your decision to read the book is
up to you but just know that it was fun to read about and was comical at times.
Characters:
The main
protagonist was interesting and well created. I instantly clicked with her; she
was filled with so much dark and sad emotion that I instantly felt remorse for
her…she had endured the death of both of her parents; I can only just begin to
guess at how much that can affect an individual. And yet at times throughout the
story I saw a little more than that remorse, I saw a part of her that has been suppressed
and I can’t wait to see it resurface and be permanent. As for the other
characters they were well created and placed within the story, though there
were a few minor characters that could have been taken out of the story (they
really didn’t add anything to the overall plot or feel of the story). So
overall this was a good aspect to the story.
Transformation
of the Character:
There weren’t
really any transformations that took place within this first book in the series;
it was mainly just the introductions of the characters and allowing the reader
to get to know the current character so that in the books to come the
transformation can really be noted. But I did enjoy reading about the current
statuses of the characters and can’t wait for the transformations to come. So
overall this is not a real important aspect of the series yet.
Description:
I really enjoyed
the description in this story; it was beautiful and poetic at times. The author
did a great job on describing the emotion of the character; she dug deep within
the characters mind and used emotion to describe the current status of the
characters mental well-being; it allowed the reader to better understand the
situation and predict the events surely to follow. The author also did a really
good job on describing the scenery, I felt like I was actually there, right
alongside her; each little detail helped support the world she created. And
like I mentioned earlier some of the scenes had a really poetic feel to it,
especially the cabin scene…and I don’t know if it was just me and my love for
this author but I felt that some of the landscape description was influenced by
the poet Robert Frost, there’s just something about the way she described some
of the scenery that caused me to make that connection. But overall I felt there
was just the right amount of description and felt this added great texture to
the overall feel of the book.
Style:
The author chose to
write in one POV (well up to the epilogue) and I really felt that allowed the
reader to better connect not only to the concept of the story but to the main protagonist.
As for the authors writing itself I really enjoyed it, it was easy to read and I
instantly fell in love with the way she arranged the story. One thing else I liked
was that at the beginning of each chapter there was a little quote…it just kind
of added another element to the story. Also the flashbacks were well placed and
created, I had no trouble switching from present to past, it was actually quite
fun! So overall the style of the book was good.
Quote of the Book:
““I miss the old
times, you know? I want things to be like that again…”
“Things will never
be the same, Ella. That’s just the way it is.””
Goodreads
Summary:
After a fatal hit
and run accident, Ella Monroe fears that she’s lost more than her beloved
parents. Horrifying visions of a past life and a disturbing voice in her head
have psychiatric professionals convinced that she’s lost her sanity as well.
But when Kale--a dark and handsome stranger with a mysterious past--reveals the
true meaning of her visions and the tremendous power she wields through them,
Ella must come to terms with the devastating truths of her own past, while
eluding an ancient Dark Prince who seeks to control not only her future, but
all of mankind’s, by means of abilities that Ella is only beginning to
understand.
Enter the shrouded
world of an age old battle between an ancient race known as the Immortals and
their bitter enemy Laurent, the so-called Dark Prince, who commands an army of
half-breed vampires known as Chorý. Both sides have been desperately searching
for the prophesied emergence of the Arc, a clairvoyant with unparalleled power
to recall the past and a soothsayer with clear vision into the future.
The Council of
Immortals has sworn to protect the Arc, whom they have identified as young Ella
Monroe, a college freshman from Virginia living quietly and unaware of her
powers or her past. But a renegade Chorý has other plans for the protection of
a girl he has loved through the ages. Can Kale convince Ella of who she is,
what she is destined to become, and what he once meant to her? Is he truly the
best protector to shield the world from the devastating misuse of her powers
that Laurent is bent on controlling? Or will the forbidden love they share and
Kale’s cursed condition as a retched and hated Chorý be used against them both?
Last
Thoughts:
I would recommend
this to fans of the paranormal and to those who just like a good story. I liked
the emotion and writing itself, this was a book that I could get myself lost
in; to just forget all stress and worries and become immersed in a world unlike
my own. I can’t wait to continue this story, Ella is just a character I have to
know the conclusion to and the ending….just WoW. This is an author I’ll
definitely be keeping my tabs on.
My
Rating:
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