This is not The Hunger Games. I feel that distinction has to be made early on because I was very close to dismissing The Stars Never Rise as sThis is not The Hunger Games. I feel that distinction has to be made early on because I was very close to dismissing The Stars Never Rise as such and putting it down because the beginning is the same, albeit more brutally realistic. A neglectful mother who is rarely seen or heard, a big sister who has to do everything she can to put food on the table and clothes on their backs while also taking care of her younger sister. The Hunger Games was "just" a dystopia, this is also urban fantasy. Demons are walking the streets wearing humans like clothes while quietly consuming their souls.
In a strictly controlled environment, Nina days away from her 17th birthday and 15-year-old sister Melanie have to be careful to obey the rules lest the all powerful Unified Church find out their mother is a crackhead sinner which would see them sent to a children's home. As it appears their mother won't make it to Melanie's 18th, Nina reluctantly plans to pledge a lifetime of servitude to the Church in order to keep Melanie out of an orphanage for the next three years. What Nina doesn't bank on is Melanie's rebellious nature culminating in an unplanned and illegal pregnancy that Melanie's desperate to keep despite the challenges ahead. (Understatement.) To make matters worse Nina accidentally kills her mother (there's alot more to it than that) and goes on the run, painted as a demon-possessed serial killer by the Church.
There are some striking similarities to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Church and state are one and the same after an apocalyptic event. Purity and virtuousness rule. Procreation is under strict control and punishments are lethal and very, very public. Propaganda is ever present and self-determination is pure fantasy.
TV show Dominion appears to share the same world with The Stars Never Rise. Demons seeking hosts to possess. The war against demons wiping out a large percentage of the human population with those remaining living in walled towns and cities, always on guard against the possessed.
Skimming much of the text for the first two thirds of the book to concentrate on the dialogue was the only way I could continue reading. Obviously I didn't miss much as I never became confused enough to go back to read it properly. Pacing is generally too slow and boring whereas the tense moments, more common in the home stretch, are when everything speeds up and suddenly every word is relevant and interesting.
Figuring out the admittedly riveting twists and turns before the characters was frustrating. All the signs about the truth behind the Church were there. Although Mrs Kane's plans for her poor daughters were a complete surprise.
[SPOILER ALERT: Who would expect a mother to breed and sell her children for mere personal gain? I also don't get the assumption that an exorcist can be possessed, wouldn't one cancel the other out?]
I think the only reason I didn't give up on The Stars Never Rise altogether is the shocking brutality. Sterilizing fifteen-year-olds, including Nina, for having a few non-lethal allergies because they could weaken the next generation, burning innocent children at the stake, the demeaning things Nina had to do in order to get away with stealing - disrobing and allowing herself to be groped. All of that kept me reading despite Nina's clichéd insta-love interest Finn. (At least there's no love triangle, like in Vincent's other works.) I'm not so secretly hoping that Finn's body hopping status means he's really a demon. Or in Supernatural style, maybe he's an angel. Since he grew up with Maddock, seemingly born with and bonded to him - perhaps he received two souls at birth instead of one.
While we're on the subject of souls . . . Everyday we're reminded that our population growth is out of control. Star Trek: Next Generation created a world where 60-year-olds die to prevent themselves from becoming a burden to younger generations. Today we have the problem of needing ever more taxpayers than the increasing number of pensioners in order to pay for pensions and elderly care.
Well, here the demons feast on the souls of their hosts and once that soul has been extinguished they either change hosts or become Degenerates, when the host bodies mutate into monsters described like the vampires from the Kate Daniels world. But that's okay, because there's a neverending supply of souls. Until the the day came when babies inexplicably started dying upon arrival into this world due to a lack of soul. To combat this, volunteers usually offer up their souls (and their life) for their unborn grandchildren and people aged 50 and over are automatically added to a community list should no family or friends of any age come forward. Sometimes there are no donors available and the babies die. Anyway, this regulates population.
With all of that in mind, there's only one logical conclusion. Human extinction. No one seems to acknowledge the fact that humanity is doomed. Countless demons eating up the limited supply of souls means a humanless world is inevitable. Unless this reincarnation process is broken by some miracle that no longer requires state sanctioned suicide to provide souls for the young, then this story isn't going anywhere. A handful of exorcists, i.e. Nina the Demon Slayer and co., won't be able to save our species. There will be no happy ending.
Deus ex machina is not something I enjoy, so where's the incentive to read The Flame Never Dies the sequel in this duology?
I've now read twelve works by Rachel Vincent. Political intrigue and edge-of-your-seat tension in her adult Shifters series were amazing. Unique worldbuilding certainly set the young adult Soul Screamers series apart from the pack, while also never shying away from the tough topics that entrance and haunt adolescents such as sex and drugs, and I can say the same about The Stars Never Rise. Gritty relationship drama is another special talent Vincent possesses although little of that is present here other than the weirdness when kissing your boyfriend means kissing multiple males (no girls so far) that he temporarily inhabits.
Character development feels a little . . . iffy. Melanie, Nina's pregnant sister, is a rebel determined to live her life the way she wants instead of how the Church wants. Falling in love wasn't expected. Clearly the pregnancy wasn't planned and certainly threw a spanner into the works, proving her guilty of both fornication and procreation without a license. This strong, smart fifteen-year-old has a fleshed out personality, others don't. Her sister Nina is the stereotypical fighter and protector willing to sacrifice her life in every way for her sister (and possibly Nina's only friend Anabelle). And Anathema, the small band of exorcists plus the disembodied Finn, seem to share a strong-willed yet affable nature apart from the slightly meaner but more practical Devi. Honestly, I couldn't always tell which of them was talking and I got that irrepressible do-gooder vibe you get from Jehovah's Witnesses on your doorstep that sometimes came across as creepy. I shouldn't be thinking that about the good guys. Bad guys, yes; good guys, no.
To sum up, excellent immersive rather than info-dumped worldbuilding, a diabolical political landscape and shocking twists and turns are the positives. But overall, the snail pace, figuring out the mysteries some time before the characters and the lack of forethought regarding the fate of humanity kind of dampened my enthusiasm somewhat.
If my library happens to stock The Flame Never Dies, I may read it, but I'm not going to go out of my way to finish this duology unless I see some stellar reviews, and maybe not even then....more
What kind of teenager are you that you don't have Class A drugs to hand? Hmm? Has The Daily Mail been lying to me? - Lucifer
Every 90 years twelve gods
What kind of teenager are you that you don't have Class A drugs to hand? Hmm? Has The Daily Mail been lying to me? - Lucifer
Every 90 years twelve gods from multiple pantheons are reincarnated in young people to live for two years. The gods reincarnated are different each time and don't necessarily live out the full two years, as the opening pages can attest with only four gods left at the end of the last cycle in 1923, skulls perched in the empty seats. Ananke is their guardian, goddess of fate, necessity and destiny. She's their protector, but also their judge, jury and, if necessary, their executioner.
Wicked and divine these characters are not. Irritating, confusing, frustrating - definitely. Intriguing personalities are few and far between despite the range of sexualities, people of colour and genders (e.g. trans, goddesses reincarnated in male form and vice versa). Lucifer, or Luci to her friends, was witty and sarcastic and the only character of interest. I loved it when she took out the snipers. That was awesome. Annie Lennox is famous for her androgenous style with white blonde hair and matching white suit and I'm guessing Lucifer's look is based on her. Seeing Luci's downfall kind of kills any enthusiasm to read the next volume. However, the cliffhanger implies drama queen Laura is Tara, or somehow connected to Luci. This might prove entertaining, though I doubt it.
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The Wicked + The Divine is certainly culturally apt. Now is the perfect time to be reincarnated if worship is required for the gods to feed. Celebrity culture is in its prime. Live fast, die young rockstars. Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. (It's odd and kind of icky that they can induce orgasms en masse - I wouldn't want to be on clean-up duty after one of their concerts.) But in an age of technology Ananke's lethal punishment is understandable. PR is everything. None of the gods can be seen to be too powerful, dangerous or out of control. Posing a possible threat to humans would incite war and fans would immediately disappear, leaving the gods vulnerable. However, to conform to a watered down version of their real selves is contrary to their nature, but necessary for survival.
Together with their short lifespan, I can understand why not all of the gods are happy. They have no purpose in their lives other than to entertain humans. A hollow existence. With their abilities you'd think governments and media groups the world over would be tripping over themselves to hire them. The devil makes work for idle hands -no wait, the devil's dead. Never mind.
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Antonia Thomas as Alisha in Misfits
I appreciated the British setting in culturally diverse London, the mixed race (like me) protagonist Laura who reminded me of Misfits' Antonia Thomas, the mythological figures and of course the vibrant illustrations.
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But I'm not sure why Rihanna gets to be a god in the form of Sakhmet (Egyptian mythology, warrior goddess depicted as a lioness).
A scene that utterly confounded me was the introduction of Baphomet and the various personas of Celtic goddess queen of death The Morrigan - Gentle Annie (bald), BadB (red-haired) and the black-haired default. They had an extremely cringe-worthy argument for no apparent reason.
The Wicked + The Divine will soon be adapted for TV by Universal Television, although I'm not sure this is wise when the graphic novel series is still in its infancy with not much material to be starting with. The graphic novels may well become novelizations of the show. As it's not being made by HBO, I won't be surprised if the language and sexual aspects are sanitized, though I hope the demographic diversity remains.
As The Faust Act is the first volume and as yet hasn't finished it's introductions of all the gods, I should probably give the series another chance so I've reserved the second volume at the library. Hopefully the mystery of who framed Luci will be solved and maybe the gods will become a bit more compelling because right now they're the opposite.
Okay, so Hannibal isn't in it but there is a mysterious yet creepy girl-child who doesn't minLooks at title.
Hannibal, is that you?
[image]
*Soils pants*
Okay, so Hannibal isn't in it but there is a mysterious yet creepy girl-child who doesn't mind munching on meat of the two-legged, walking, talking variety . . . while they're still alive. (Anyone else thinking of the Eddie Izzard scene in Hannibal when he's forced to eat his own thigh?) The main character really kidnapped the wrong kids. Nothing goes his way.
Kidnappers beware!
*Free short story from Audible, perhaps a little too short for me....more
By reading Eternity Embraced I was hoping to finally finish the series with Ecstasy Unveiled. Unfortu*Cross-posted on BookLikes and Wordpress.
By reading Eternity Embraced I was hoping to finally finish the series with Ecstasy Unveiled. Unfortunately, dipping my toes back into the Demonica universe again with Eternity Embraced wasn't the motivator I was hoping it to be.
I expected too much, for starters. This is a mid-series short story - those can be notoriously unfulfilling. Adding 'paranormal romance' into the mix can result in tired cliches, which I've apparently outgrown. On the positive side, the couple were together before the events in this story take place, meaning there's no 'love at first sight'. On the other hand, these characters are completely new and hail from an Aegis Guardian cell in Portland, bringing little to the Demonica universe which is primarily based in New York City, though the main couple featured in the debut novel do appear at the end....more
"You just have to be a virgin, too. You're twenty-three years old. It's just wrong," he shouted. "I raised you to be more evil than this." "I told you before, not until I fall in love," I said ... "Hey, if it's any consolation," I said in an effort to cheer [Satan] up, "I probably won't wait to get married first. That's a little sin, right?" "I guess."
'The irony of it all, though, was I loved it when guy got medieval and protective. I just wished my feminist side would allow me to enjoy it.'
'His lack of comment intrigued me. In the past, whenever I announced my untouched state, I then became inundated with impassioned speeches of how they were the one. A few even made false declarations of love. Unfortunately for them, my father didn't raise a fool.'
'For the world's biggest slut, Bambi was an awesome big sister. And no, that wasn't an insult; Bambi took pride in winning the title every year.'
"I'm so proud of you, Muri, living in sin." I think he might have choked up a bit. For my part, I was glad I'd finally done something Dad approved of."
I'm torn. There are some brilliant aspects to this book but it was dreadfully slow. I dragged myself through because after figuring out the Meet Joe BI'm torn. There are some brilliant aspects to this book but it was dreadfully slow. I dragged myself through because after figuring out the Meet Joe Black angle I was curious to know if it would end the same way. It didn't. Actually, it took an unexpected yet not unwelcome turn that may not be liked by the masses.
Abbey is excellently portrayed. Her predicament: the ever-present crushing guilt over her mother's death, the growing distance between her and her father, and her misplaced obsession with Nate (the jock who has an obsession of his own with mountain climbing) resulting from her inability to deal with her guilt, wallowing in it instead of moving on with her life. So she imagines this fictitious romantic relationship with him to help her deal with reality. It comforts her. Yes, it's sort of creepy. She was one step away from becoming a full-on stalker but I understood her crush and empathised.
Her only company was her best friend Tanner but she hadn't revealed much about her mother's death and how she felt about it to him. He had his own hang-ups. He'd also been in a tragic accident but he hadn't been so lucky; he was paralysed from the waist down and in a wheelchair. I enjoyed reading Tanner's POV, witnessing how he was treated by others, how his relationships had suffered and the difference in how Abbey treats him. Without pity. She understands how it is for him without even asking.
'Being loners might have drawn us together out of necessity, but it was our friendship that had made us strong enough to come out the other side.'
The story is all about Abbey's transition. Realising that she's tired of being unhappy, of pretending, lying and hiding. She wants to live. It's a great message and I liked the method in which it was conveyed, reminiscent of Riders of the Apocalypse. Love, and the selfish versus the altruistic needs, wants and decisions we make based on that love were also expertly demonstrated. FYI, love's a bitch.
"Dealing with guilt and grief doesn't leave much room for anything else. I know about that dark stuff, but one day if you're really lucky, you get tired of feeling bad all the time. It's like a curtain opens and light comes in. First, it's only a sliver. Then more."
However, it's not all smooth sailing. Besides being slow I really struggled to remain interested whenever we joined Nate's dangerous climb up the mountain. Since seeing Cliffhanger as a child I never even contemplated doing something so unnecessarily hazardous. Rescue teams must love those guys. Anyway, when the Angel of Death does his Joe Black thing to Nate I cringed at his interactions with Abbey. Perhaps it was realistic given her crush but the way she sort of accepted not-Nate's behaviour was uncomfortable to read. I wanted her to push harder when she called him on it, which would've sped up proceedings.
Death had been dealt a bum hand, poor guy. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. As powerful as he was he couldn't control everything and he wasn't perfect. He made mistakes. The mythology surrounding Death was intriguing. He's sort of a swallower of souls, holding them inside him for safe-keeping until the day he's the last one to die. But each soul changes him, for better or worse and this is what prompts him to make contact with Abbey. The ravens were a nice touch -suitably eerie.
As for the romance, well this is tricky. How much to say? There are three potential boyfriends, I guess. One from Abbey's past, her present and future. And the most obvious is not the guy Abbey chooses, and I'm glad of this. Some might not be pleased but just this one aspect makes On a Dark Wing unique, for multiple reasons. The resolution at end was well done. I can definitely see people reacting in that manner to such an extraordinary situation although the lead-up to the climax was a little ludicrous.
Would I recommend this to anyone? Well, I didn't hate this book and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it. In fact, I might warn them it's slow but I'd encourage them to read to the end because I think the effort just might be worth it.
***Thank you to Harlequin Teen for providing me with this ebook.***...more
Not at all what I was expecting after the numerous 5 star reviews from the most discerning critics.
My UK cover: [image] Pretty unremarkable, right?
The Not at all what I was expecting after the numerous 5 star reviews from the most discerning critics.
My UK cover: [image] Pretty unremarkable, right?
The US cover: [image] Striking, wouldn't you say?
The US cover plus the 5 star ratings and general popularity spurred me on to grab this from the library. I'm very pleased I didn't pay for it. The UK cover advertised it perfectly i.e. not worth your time and cold hard cash, especially at hardcover prices.
Those loving reviews whispered in my ear to keep going, to not put it down because there's precious awesomeness to be had, until they were over-ridden by the knowledge that if my hands lowered at any moment I'd never raise them with this book open again.
The slow dry start, the excessively wordy prose, the change from kickass, bohemian, independent heroine raised by "monsters" to typical teenage starcrossed insta-love, and characters I couldn't connect with -made this difficult to read, let alone love.
I was confused by the change in Karou. I liked her better when she was artsy but jaded by her failed naive romance, running errands collecting the mysterious teeth for her Chimera family who raised her from a baby. How could she fall in love with someone who tried to kill her and not be wary of his beauty when the last beautiful man to enter her life broke her heart?
And then the twist. The memories were a flood of information filling in all of the gaps and answering questions one after another but by this point I was skimming to freedom, occasionally slowing to look for the golden nuggets others had obviously found in spades. This part was interesting, I'll admit, but it was like the book contained different stories that didn't quite come together as one tale.
We have: -- Karou's double life as the art student and the teeth trader who knows how to wield a knife. -- The inexplicable insta-love for the angel who tried to kill Karou. -- The recovery of memory. -- The repercussions of today's events in light of that memory.
It's a mixed jumble that left me frustrated and confused. There are some good ideas but they didn't really get to shine. Much of the story is in the last hundred pages and then the book ends abruptly.
I don't understand the hype surrounding this one. Unremarkable....more
The best YA angel book I've read. Fully-fledged characters with no self-respect issues and solid, healthy relationships. No insta-love here, and no plThe best YA angel book I've read. Fully-fledged characters with no self-respect issues and solid, healthy relationships. No insta-love here, and no plot holes plus, there's a truly mysterious mystery...but I won't be reading the sequel.
Clara is one quarter angel who has just received her Purpose, the one thing she was born to do as an angel. Her vision of her Purpose implies she will be rescuing a boy from a forest fire. Small details show her he is somewhere in Wyoming so the whole family moves from California so she can fulfil her destiny. She finds the boy, Christian, is the most popular guy in school with a possessive girlfriend. Clara studies him to the point of obsession in order to understand the where, when and why she is to save him. She comes to believe she has quasi-romantic feelings for him until he manages to completely embarrass her at the school dance and sees Tucker, Clara's best friend's twin brother, step in to save the day.
Previously Tucker had acted like a child, calling Clara "Carrots" due to the shade of her dyed hair and picking on her. It isn't until a school break when all her friends, including Christian and her mother, leave town and she's alone on her 17th birthday when Wendy sends Tucker to be her present. He takes her on a nature tour over a number of days, always setting up another appointment to spend the day together. It's during this time they grow closer. Unfortunately, when they first kiss, her angel powers activate and his love turns to fear...I absolutely loved this aspect of the story. It's so well written I was right there experiencing the wilderness with them, wishing I could be doing the same activities. I was pleased to see Tucker and Clara gradually fall for each other. Tucker was a true gentleman cowboy with an easy smile and a loveable character. I was disappointed in Clara's mother's reaction though. Any mother would be happy for her daughter to be dating someone like him. And it's not like it was against the rules to date a human. All work and no play...
Clara's mother is a half-angel with secrets. She holds so much back to the point of putting her children in danger but as a mother she's loving and caring and fully involved in their lives, always knowing how and what they're doing. I do wonder what her Purpose is/was and whether it has something to do with her children. On the other hand, Clara has a long-distance, almost non-existent relationship with her human father who sends guilt presents.
Jeffrey, Clara's younger brother, is practically an open book at first, struggling to balance his need to compete in sports, wanting to be the best but also needing to hold back to ensure he's not accused of cheating. He feels like a fraud. At some point I believe he receives his Purpose but tells no one, he becomes pensive and broody. I'm assuming his Purpose isn't a particularly "good" deed.
I liked these angels and the concept of White Wings (the good) and Black Wings (the bad, who don't fulfil their Purpose and are unable to love). However, I found it strange there were so many angels in one small town, albeit a tourist one. Angela came across as not just intense but I kept expecting her to turn on Clara because she's so enthusiastically helpful when it came to anything angel-related.
My only problem I have with this book is the serious implication that the reason Clara must save Christian is because they are meant to be together, romantically-speaking. I abhor love triangles. I hate them, I do. In this case, it really makes me mad because the love Clara has for Tucker, and vice-versa, is genuine. I fell for Tucker right along with Clara. Why must Hand go the route of so many other authors and implement a love triangle? It feels like a huge insult to have these characters form a strong relationship we rarely see in YA paranormals and then basically say "Nope, he's not for you. This one is." For a moment there I really thought "Yay! We have an honest to god healthy teen relationship." And now, I'm pretty sure that will be ruined in a sequel, for a character I never cared about. I don't want to see this happen so I doubt I'll be continuing with this series.
ETA: I will, however, be interested in watching the TV show of the same name based on this book, announced in October....more
"The Craft" meets Evernight. Despite the fast pace and entertaining story that Evernight comparison is worrying me. I don't want future books to revol"The Craft" meets Evernight. Despite the fast pace and entertaining story that Evernight comparison is worrying me. I don't want future books to revolve around star-crossed lovers I don't give a hoot about.
Sophie is sent to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for faeries, shapeshifters and witches, after Sophie uses her magic to perform a love spell gone awry for a friend, risking exposure which could attract various dangerous hunters of the supernatural. Raised by a human mother, her only supernatural contact is her warlock father whom she's never met bar a few phone calls. She's completely in the dark about who she is, her abilities, her father and his family history. Bombshells are dropped on her at the worst possible moments, leaving her vulnerable to manipulation and bullying. She copes admirably with the help of her headteacher, roommate Jenna (the only student vampire) and Archer, the resident mean girl's boyfriend.
Said mean girl, Elodie, is the leader of her coven of three and they need a fourth, a position Sophie can't turn down fast enough after their dark display of power and general racist, elitist and bitchy behaviour. It screams The Craft with Elodie as Nancy.
From the very beginning I knew Archer would play a big role in this book but as a love interest he wasn't someone I saw Sophie with but I was glad her crush on him wasn't merely based on looks and insta-love and instead deepened, as they became friends after being forced to spend a lot of time together chatting and trading snarky jibes as part of their playful flirting.
However, when Archer mentions that every witch's parents arranges a betrothal to a good match for their child at age 12 and we meet Cal, his Freudian slip about becoming a groundskeeper at the school to protect "you" and then quickly rushes to clarify that "you" meant all students, had me assuming him as her prospective fiance. After that I was looking for Cal-time. The small amount we get wasn't nearly enough for my liking though I did perceive him to be more mature, stable and kind of adorable. His hunky lumberjack look doesn't hurt either. I'm hoping he gets the page time he deserves in future. Archer is good friend material whereas Cal, I see him as someone more important. I hope Sophie sees that one day soon.
(view spoiler)[We left Archer with tears in his eyes as he escaped without attacking Sophie. I'm assuming he's being manipulated somehow. His family is either being held hostage or he's being forced to play on the wrong side -something like that. (hide spoiler)] And this is why I'm worried about the comparison to Evernight. I don't want Sophie endeavoring, risking her life, to save him. Neither do I want her pining and waiting for them to be together again. Sophie has thus far impressed me with her intelligence and snark, she's a practical girl trying to do the sensible thing, I don't want her to lose that because of some rebellious boy in a tricky situation.
I enjoyed the humour and fast pace. The plot was a good one. It was an easy read. My only other concern was the rushed ending. At least, it felt rushed to me. I needed more, to see it, the aftermath of the climax and the reactions of everyone around Sophie. I didn't like the showstopping last line either -a decision made in the heat of the moment without any detail about what that would entail. It's a hook to get you to read the next book, one that probably would've worked on me if not for my Evernight worries.
Favourite Quotes Sophie to her mother:
"Good luck explaining to God that you used to spank one of his heavenly beings.
'It's one thing to be different around people who you're really, well, different from. It's a whole other problem to be an outcast in a group of outcasts.'
Archer to Sophie:
"I'll get Elodie and her friends to lay off you, okay? And seriously, try to give her another chance. I swear she has hidden depths." Without thinking, I shot back, "I said spare me the gory details." For a second I'm not sure I even realized what I'd just said. And then it sank in and I damned my sarcastic mouth strain to hell. Face on fire, I glanced over at Archer. He was staring at me in shock. And then he burst out laughing.
'There was a sensible part of m somewhere that clutched its pearls and hissed that I better not give up my V-card in a cellar, but when Archer's hands slid under my shirt and onto the skin of my back, I started thinking a cellar was as good a place as any.'
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