Fractured Soul (Fractured Light, #2)

Jan 05, 2013 a_tiffyfit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, reviewed-2013

I received this from Netgalley as an ARC in exchange for my honest reader review.

I did not happen to read "Fractured Light" which was book one to this series. Happily, while it would give you a better initial understand of the Auras, Furies, Christian and Llona and May and Sophie, you don't have to. The book references the first, but with concise explanations instead of vague descriptions, resulting in quick information that enhances the current plot.

I was frustrated with the aunt, Sophie, and...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Nemo (the Moonlight Library) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-published, 2013-read, arc, awesome-author, ebook, mine-mine-mine, sparkles-sparkles-everywhere, series-to-finish, teens-rule-the-world-yo, sts, publisher-sweetwater-books

See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Fractured Soul (an adept name, too!) is the sequel to Fractured Light, and finds our resident Aura Llona Reese (an Aura is someone who is basically a descendent of Light itself, and they are good people and their purpose in life is to make others feel better) at Lucent Academy (I LOVE the school’s name!) to learn more about being an Aura and how to use her skills. Unfortunately, not everything is above the board at the school of light, and darkne...more See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Fractured Soul (an adept name, too!) is the sequel to Fractured Light, and finds our resident Aura Llona Reese (an Aura is someone who is basically a descendent of Light itself, and they are good people and their purpose in life is to make others feel better) at Lucent Academy (I LOVE the school’s name!) to learn more about being an Aura and how to use her skills. Unfortunately, not everything is above the board at the school of light, and darkness and corruption lurk around every corner putting not only Llona and her guardian boyfriend Christian in danger, but the entire school as well.

On the surface, there is nothing wrong with McClellan’s writing. She has a firm grasp of the English language and there are no overt language mistakes that I can recall. The issue I have in and of itself is the storytelling skill. McClellan clearly has a strong plot, and great characters, but I never get a sense of urgency or danger. Llona is never really threatened because she’s just so amazingly kick-ass, but then all of a sudden for no reason in particular she’ll need rescuing. I understand that it presents a truth: that even the most amazing of people still need help sometimes – but it happens frequently, and in the end I was frustrated by this simple fact: when Llona fights, she’s awesome. Then she’ll become the underdog for no reason. Someone rescues her, and afterwards she’ll reflect how she nearly died. Yet I never actually felt that Llona was threatened. I never really felt that Llona was in danger. Her kick-ass-ness did not balance well with her helplessness, and although I can see what McClellan was trying to do, it didn’t work with me.

The other thing that I felt was flat was the fight scenes. When Llona fought one on one with an enemy, she was amazingly agile and super strong and could backflip and perform flying kicks with absolutely no training whatsoever. But at least the actual writing of the scene was balanced. When it was a group fight, the attention was not thoroughly spaced on the other characters and I often felt that the villains were just standing around, watching. In a scene where absolutely everyone is moving and everyone is fighting for their lives, I often felt that the focus was spent too long on one item or another, or the details were a deliberately vague “He fought well” kind of thing. The fight scenes often left me frustrated and wanting more. And also, Llona learns to do something relatively easily which none of the other Auras can do, and I just wish it had been a bit more dangerous for her…

Christian, on the other hand, was awesome. Oh, that ending. Kudos to McClellan for having the ovaries to do what so many other writers do not. Yes, I hated Christian in Fractured Light because he was a sexist misogynist dick head who pushed Llona around and refused to teach her how to fight. But that was because he was indoctrinated in this misogynistic society which declares that Auras, as females, are too weak to fight and handle the responsibility of killing someone, even if it is in their own defence. I never felt that McClellan was preaching this to me, because of course Llona wholeheartedly rejects this and demonstrates again and again just what an Aura is capable of, which I loved. And in this book Christian was a sweet, mature, supportive boyfriend who was always there for Llona even when she was pushing him away. Not my kind of swoon, but appreciated all the same.

While the book suffered from a few clichés (bitchy queen bee who hated Llona for no reason, Llona being a bit too special even in a school of special girls) and the bad guys really had quite poor motivation and only appeared as needed, there are good things about this book!

~NO LOVE TRIANGLE. (I shipped one, but it totally wasn’t real).
~Strong female friendship! Llona actually has friends outside of her boyfriend. And those friends are three-dimensional.
~AND ALSO. OH MY GOD THAT ENDING. I can’t spoil it for you but THANK YOU, RACHEL.

OK, so I don’t LOVE these books, and sometimes it’s so bad I just have to laugh, but I am entertained nonetheless. This book series is one of my guilty pleasures, and I for one am totally looking forward to yet another beautiful cover on Fractured Truth, which once again should be an awesome book because from the sneak peek at the back of this book it looks like Llona’s graduated from school and is going into some kind of espionage*…?

*May not be actual plot of Fractured Truth.

An advance reader copy was kindly provided by the publisher.(less)

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Feb 06, 2013 Devon Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wowzers, completed-arcs, reviewed-on-blog

Picking up where Fractured Light left off, Llona finds herself pushed into attending Lucent Academy at her aunt's request. Her fellow auras are about as exciting as ketchup on toast, brought up to believe that their power of light can only be used for good (never to defend oneself) and that competition is a bad thing (everyone must be equal, even taking turns to be the leader when running). Blah. No wonder Llona can't help but screw with the system a bit, not only trying to encourage competition...more Picking up where Fractured Light left off, Llona finds herself pushed into attending Lucent Academy at her aunt's request. Her fellow auras are about as exciting as ketchup on toast, brought up to believe that their power of light can only be used for good (never to defend oneself) and that competition is a bad thing (everyone must be equal, even taking turns to be the leader when running). Blah. No wonder Llona can't help but screw with the system a bit, not only trying to encourage competition, but constantly sneaking outside the school to run free. Unfortunately, every time she seems to leave, she runs into trouble, and once again finds herself having to use light to defend her life. But it's different this time. Llona actually wants to go looking for the Vykens that threaten her existence; she wants to use her power in the way her heritage forbids...because she doesn't wanna be weak anymore, waiting to just be picked off. But not only is the danger intensifying on the outskirts of the school, but inside as well, and convincing her Aunt Sophie that the Aura organization has been infiltrated all the way to the top, proves to be deadly impossible.

Ahh...I love this series. Besties Llona and May are back, and trying to figure out life with a bunch of girls that have been trained and isolated their whole life. May seems to slip in easily enough with the other Furies, but Llona finds it more difficult with the Auras. She feels trapped, and feels the need to escape most nights by jumping the walls of the school to go running. But she wasn't expecting to run into a Vyken that first night, and needing to fight for her life. But it was exhilarating! And something she almost began to crave, so she repeatedly disobeys the rules and warnings of the guardians protecting the school, and begins seeking out the Vykens that have been growing in numbers around her.

Fractured Soul brings new friends and new species, and a wicked reason for Llona's new urge to hunt. Christian's back too! Ahh, yummy, yummy, Christian. He manages to get assigned at the school to keep an eye on his favorite charge, and continues to pursue a forbidden relationship with Llona. She fights hard in the beginning, trying to obey some of the rules given to her upon entering the academy, but if someone like Christian was trying to break down your defensives, do you seriously think you'd say no forev.er? Not likely! And that ending... I almost died. Seriously Rachel, what the heck are you doing to us?!!!! Gah!

Pick it up peeps! And if you haven't read the Fractured Light, you need to catch up fast.

ARC provided by author/publisher for honest review.(less)

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Feb 25, 2013 Jennifer K Jovus rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Thoughts:
In Fractured Soul Llona is at Lucent Academy, studying and learning about her Aura history. Because her Aura education is so behind she feels out of place and alone. She doesn’t like the way the other Aura’s behave and is having a hard time fitting in. I don’t want to say much more because I’m afraid I will spoil the book for you.

It had been 12 months since I read the first book, Fractured Light, and I had forgotten a lot of the story. After reading a few chapters all the details o...more

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May 06, 2013 Deborah Balzotti rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fractured Soul and Fractured Light - I love the Titles

Here’s a two-for-one review with no plot spoilers. These novels were quick reads and I had fun “buddy reading” with my niece Rachael Dredge. She is the target audience for these YA books since she is still an actual young adult and I’m more of a middle-aged young adult.
Rachael said, “The book ‘Fractured Light' is a clean, easy to read romantic novel with a twist. Fans of 'Twilight' and 'I am Number Four' will enjoy the book. Despite being pr...more Fractured Soul and Fractured Light - I love the Titles

Here’s a two-for-one review with no plot spoilers. These novels were quick reads and I had fun “buddy reading” with my niece Rachael Dredge. She is the target audience for these YA books since she is still an actual young adult and I’m more of a middle-aged young adult.
Rachael said, “The book ‘Fractured Light' is a clean, easy to read romantic novel with a twist. Fans of 'Twilight' and 'I am Number Four' will enjoy the book. Despite being predictable and hard to get into, it really picks up halfway in and gets you curious about where the series will head as a whole, introducing a mysterious magic system and a quest for self-knowledge. The main character herself, Llona, is nothing very eye-catching (another moody outcast), at least not until the end where she is put to the test.”
I responded with my view which was that the second book is better than the first book. You don’t need to read the first book to understand the second book, and McClellan doesn’t waste pages with too much back-story. There are fewer distracting descriptive phrases in ‘Fractured Light’ which lets the reader enjoy the story without halting the flow.
We get a little more information about Llona and the Auras. One of the questions we all want answered is revealed: “Why can’t I change my hair? It’s always the same. I can’t cut it or color it.” she asks the school nurse.
“It’s the Light in our DNA. It affects some of us physically, changing certain parts of our makeup.” She held up her left hand, revealing a sixth finger. I think Llona was happy to have beautiful white hair as her “Thing about us we would like to change” even before the lecture about having something we don’t like about our appearance.
As the exciting conclusion (I hoped) approached, I found myself willing to read longer in the final stretch. I also appreciated the G rating. Teenagers don’t always use offensive language or sleep with their very young boyfriend – and these characters don’t. It’s safe to give these books to a daughter, granddaughter or even a grandmother.
I will admit I had to find out how to pronounce Llona. It’s "eye-loh-nah" in the US and "ee-law-nuh” in Europe. After mispronouncing heroines named Hermoine and Esme, I wanted to be able to carry on a conversation with YA readers without completely embarrassing myself.

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May 02, 2013 Diayll rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-tour

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour
Reviewer: Heather

I was pretty excited to review Fractured Soul, book #2 in the Fractured Light Series by Rachael McClellan. I’m new to the series, and will suggest you pick up at the start, but was able to follow along just fine. However, some major stuff happens (no spoilers teehee) and I would have loved to be able to start with the first book. If you are reading this for the romance (swoon), start with the...more Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour
Reviewer: Heather

I was pretty excited to review Fractured Soul, book #2 in the Fractured Light Series by Rachael McClellan. I’m new to the series, and will suggest you pick up at the start, but was able to follow along just fine. However, some major stuff happens (no spoilers teehee) and I would have loved to be able to start with the first book. If you are reading this for the romance (swoon), start with the first book!

Llona finds herself at Lucent Academy, a school for auras and furies that her Aunt Sophie runs. She’s spent her whole life in the real world, went to a normal school, but the girls here are the complete opposite: spoiled and sheltered. It’s all done in the name of safety from the Valkan race, which feeds off of the Aura’s blood, ingesting the light, in order to remain strong.

When Llona first arrives, she feels off, as if something is terribly wrong at the academy. Naturally, she begins to snoop, with the help of her new friends and her Guardian love. Instantly, things just don’t add up and you find yourself sucked deep into the plot. Llona has already lost too much, so when the life of her guardian’s threatened, she begins to withdraw into her own foreboding thoughts, and pushes everyone away.

Then again, she has a secret. One that could destroy her, one that could consume her, and cause her to harm the very people she’s trying to save.

Overall, loved it. I can’t wait to read more and as soon as I have a free moment, I will read the first book. This is an enticing read that I didn’t want to put down. I laughed, I cried (seriously at the end), and I really fell in love with Llona, and I’m interested to learn more of Liam. Part of me wants to slap Sophie though, I mean she’s not horribad, but she’s not winning aunt of the year awards either. Regardless, every character’s well written with a distinct voice. I’d recommend this series for older YA readers, and of course those of us adults who like them too.(less)

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Apr 24, 2013 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magical, paranormal, romance, vamps, ya

GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Romance, Urban Fantasy
RECEIVED: Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:

As much as I loved the first book Fractured Light, I feel I was able to connect more to Llona in Fractured Soul. There was so much more happening with the plot that was wonderfully crafted by McClellan.

Fractured Soul once again follows Llona, a girl who is half guardian and half aura like her parents, who were tragically taken from her. She is now trying to adjust to a semi normal life at t...more GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Romance, Urban Fantasy
RECEIVED: Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:

As much as I loved the first book Fractured Light, I feel I was able to connect more to Llona in Fractured Soul. There was so much more happening with the plot that was wonderfully crafted by McClellan.

Fractured Soul once again follows Llona, a girl who is half guardian and half aura like her parents, who were tragically taken from her. She is now trying to adjust to a semi normal life at the Lucent Academy, but darkness is not far from her as the Vykens (vampire like) are growing and Llona will stop at nothing to protect her friends and school.

Llona is still strong as ever; she of course is nothing like the rest of the Aura’s at the academy. The Aura’s have been trained to never fight and live a peaceful life. But with the dangers of the Vyken’s, she tries so hard to convince her aunt Sophie about her concerns. But in the end her aunt only wants her to be like the rest of the girls, Llona will never be like them, as she seeks out the Vykens and wants to fight. After she killed the Vyken in the first book you can see a difference in her as she is seeking for a battle, you may question why she seems to have this hunger to fight.

This time the mystery is intensified as to why the numbers are growing among the Vykens and what is really happening at the Aura’s blood bank. I always love a little mystery and I felt it added a lot of suspense around all the battle scenes. In the end Llona always has help with her old friends May and love interest Christian, along with two new friends Liam and Tessa. Christian and Llona relationship may be forbidden especially in the eyes of her aunt, but they know that they mean too much to each other to deny it.

In the end I really enjoyed the action packed aspect, it was filled with romance and tension that will keep the readers wanting more and always questioning will good be able to stop evil. There is so much growth for Llona, I feel her character will always be the rebel to everyone who doesn’t understand what she has gone through. This was definitely a major step up from the first book with new creatures introduced, challenges for Llona besides the Vykens, and more protectors that I can’t wait to read more about. After the ending, which was a bit of a sucker punch but really made me wish the next book were out!

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult book that you’ll never want to put down. Fans of Jennifer Esteps Mythos Academy series and Jennifer Armentrouts Covenant series will want to get their hands on Rachel McClellans Fractured Light.
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Mar 26, 2013 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guilty-teen-favs

This is the second book in a series (first one Fractured Light). I got a hold of Fractured Light as an ARC from Cedar Fort Publishing and really liked the story. Went on Amazon and bought the sequelfor my kindle. It captured my attention and kept me up to the wee hours of the morning. That's something I haven't done in almost a year.

Brief background: Llona, the main character is an Aura (light wielder). She can use light to calm and help people in various ways. She has also learned how to use it...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, blog-tours

Fractured Soul picks up where Fractured Light leaves off. Llona and May have arrived at Lucent Academy, the school for Auras and Furies, where they will begin their training. The recent battle with the Vyken who killed Llona's mother is still fresh in her mind, and the bite she received when she fought him still seems fresh on her neck, though she still hasn't told anyone about it. Upon arrival at the academy, they are shown to their rooms. Llona says her room smells like blood, but no one else...more Fractured Soul picks up where Fractured Light leaves off. Llona and May have arrived at Lucent Academy, the school for Auras and Furies, where they will begin their training. The recent battle with the Vyken who killed Llona's mother is still fresh in her mind, and the bite she received when she fought him still seems fresh on her neck, though she still hasn't told anyone about it. Upon arrival at the academy, they are shown to their rooms. Llona says her room smells like blood, but no one else can smell it, which is very strange. That night, as Llona looks out her window, she finds herself drawn to the darkness, and she doesn't understand why. She sneaks outside of the wall surrounding the academy into the forest, where she runs into Jackson, one of the Guardians. They also run into a Vyken, which she ends up killing, and much to her surprise, Christian, her guardian and boyfriend, shows up, who was supposed to have been assigned elsewhere.

Llona gradually finds the darkness, the anger, and the desire to kill growing stronger within her, and she doesn't understand it, that is until she meets Liam, who has also been bitten by a Vyken. Liam helps her understand what she must do to overcome the darkness. She subsequently finds the diary of the girl who occupied the room she is staying in at the Academy, which provides answers, and even more questions to regarding what is going on. Meanwhile, she is trying to keep her relationship with Christian on the down low, which is hard. She is also fearful for his life, and what he will think of her if he finds out what she really is. As the story progresses, the conspiracy grows, and they soon discover that what is going on is so much bigger than just the school. As the mystery unravels further, Llona and her friends are shocked to discover the key players that are involved in the conspiracy. The story culminates in an epic battle between good and evil, and Llona must learn to fight with her light for good, or risk losing herself to the darkness forever.

This was an action-packed second installment in the Fractured Light Series, and kept my attention from beginning to end. I really came to love Llona in book one, and even more so in book two. She is quite the heroine. She fights many tough battles both within herself and with the Vyken, the greatest battle of all being with the grief and darkness that threatens to overwhelm her after the loss of a loved one. Llona learns more about the truth surrounding her mother, her family, and her past, and also must find the strength to face an uncertain future. I loved Christian also and was so glad to see him back in this installment. The romance between Christian and Llona was sweet and romantic. We also get to see May again, who is growing and learning more about her Fury powers, and we are introduced to some new characters as well. Tessa is a Lizen, who becomes a good friend to Llona and May, as does Kiera. Then there is Jackson, a Guardian, who is not what he seems, and Cyrus, who is supposed to be over all the Lucent Academies, but is he on the up and up?

Fractured Soul is filled with mystery, intrigue, conspiracy, romance, some epic battles, and then there is the paranormal element that Rachel McClellan has created, which is both fresh and creative. I found the story both entertaining and thrilling, experiencing both joy and sorrow with Llona. This is a great paranormal series that I have thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend. I am really looking forward to reading Fractured Truth, the third book in the series. (less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Nova Lee Zaiden (Musings of a Blogder) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy, monster, realism, arc-review, reviewed

I HAVE NOT READ FRACTURED LIGHT!! (So excuse for any misinformation on that)

When I started reading, I was actually a bit scared that I wouldn't understand and would have to withdraw, but thankfully, this book made a lot of sense, even without my prior knowledge. The feeling was kind of like reading Dare You To (review here) because the author explained again in the second book, keeping in mind that some people (like me) enjoy to read out of order.

Miss [Mrs.] McClellan has a good grip on English...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Erika rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013, 2013-releases

Title: Fractured Soul (Fractured Light #2)
Author: Rachel McClellan
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Date of Release: February 12, 2013
Number of Pages: 336
Source: ATOMR Tours and Author for honest review!

Review: Okay so book one completely blew my mind away. I was a bit leery to read book two, but I wanted to so badly. I was just scared it would disappoint me. In all reality it totally blew my mind and lived up to all my expectations. Fractured Soul is the perfect sequel to a thrilling series.

It was foresha...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-must-read, 2013-new-book-release, atomr-book-tours, february-2013

Rachel McClellan has done it again and she has written an EPIC follow up to Fractured Light. Fractured Soul picks up right where Fractured Light left off. Man LLona learned so much about herself and others and she and her best friend May share so much and May has even started feeling more at home around the Furries.

LLona will do anything to protect her family and friends. She will not lie down and let the Vyken get her or anyone she loves. She really is not happy about being at the academy but s...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, clean-read, paranormal, received-to-review, young-adult

Llona's life doesn't get easier than it was in Fractured Light. She has entered an all girls school for Aura's. She is older than the typical new student, and still doesn't fit in. Fortunately, her friend May, was able to join her.

There is something wrong happening. The girls are complacent. The school seems to be teaching them not to use their powers to help make change. There is no competition. The girls are not encouraged to think for themselves. Their history only spans back to the 1930's. T...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Meagan Myhren-bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama, family, fiction, friendship, kidnapping, murder, mystery, orphan, romance, school, war

Fractured Soul
by Rachel McClellan

Llona must learn to control the darkness before it consumes her...

Llona and May have arrived at Lucent Academy where they have been promised safety from the Vyken who have been hunting Llona.

But something is wrong...

Llona's room smells of blood, but no one else can smell it. The other Auras won't accept her and her outside ways. There are Vyken roaming the woods outside Lucent. And the darkness that Mr Steele infected Llona with is growing. How could things ge...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Sally-Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss, read-paranormal

This and my other reviews can be found at http://sally-annereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Cedar Fort Inc. for giving me this book to review.

Llona is an Aura, a being of light, and after her friend is killed, and she is bitten by a Vyken, she is sent to Lucent Academy, a school for Aura’s and other magical races. The only other magical race that Llona knows of at Lucent Academy is Fury’s, like her friend May, who comes with her. There is also a training facility near Lucent’s for...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Aimee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-for-review

Ooh, I was so happy to be able to sign on for this blog tour. I read Fractured Light and I was anxious to read this second book in the Fractured Light series. Thanks to Rachel for including me in your her new book tour. :)

So, Fractured Soul? Awesome. I loved it. The book has excellent pacing that just keeps pushing you forward, anxious and invested the whole way. In my opinion, Fractured Soul was better than Fractured Light which is sometimes hard to accomplish in a series.

I loved the whole dark...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Tahlia Newland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, paranormal

In this, the second in a series about Auras and their nemesis Vykens (basically vampires who need the blood of Auras to keep themselves looking human), the main character Llona has moved to a school for Auras (a dying race who have the power to wield Light). Her parents are dead and her aunt is one of the heads of the school. She is told that she must stay away from the boy she loves because he is a Guardian, (one who protects an Aura) and if their relationship continues, he will most probably d...more In this, the second in a series about Auras and their nemesis Vykens (basically vampires who need the blood of Auras to keep themselves looking human), the main character Llona has moved to a school for Auras (a dying race who have the power to wield Light). Her parents are dead and her aunt is one of the heads of the school. She is told that she must stay away from the boy she loves because he is a Guardian, (one who protects an Aura) and if their relationship continues, he will most probably die. (I wasn't sure exactly why.)

The school teaches that the Auras are not capable of fighting to protect themselves, but Llona, who grew up outside the school (her mother was a rebel) knows this is untrue. She killed a Vyken at the end of the first book, Fractured Light. Now, going against the rules, she seeks them out in order to kill them and finds herself lusting after a fight in a way she never did before. Could it have something to do with the fact that the Vyken she killed managed to bite her first and his poison is spreading inside her, turning her into one of them? The Vyken's poison is like evil inside her and she must battle against it by using her light for good or she will become a Vyken herself. Hence the title fractured soul.

It doesn't take her long to discover that something is not right at the school. Why are there so many Vykens just outside the walls? And why is the Aura's blood bank being replaced with Vyken blood. The main thrust of the story is uncovering this mystery, and it's a good mystery. The stakes get higher as the story progresses and it builds to an exciting and unexpected conclusion. The plot is well structured and well paced and increases in complexity as the book draws to its conclusion. We are left well set up for the next in the series, one I look forward to reading.

I love the way the Auras use Light to calm others and, in Llona's case, to protect oneself. The descriptions of the use of the light are highly evocative and the fight sequences exciting. However, I didn't find this book as powerful as the first. I have a sense that the depth I felt in the first book is missing somehow, perhaps because the good and evil is so black and white. Such over simplification can give a story a slightly two dimensional character. This is a purely personal perspective, of course, and not a reflection on the actual writing which is well crafted, and we must remember that the book is written for a young adult audience.

Fractured Soul has all the elements we have come to expect in a YA paranormal fantasy - romance, battles to the death, strange creatures and people with amazing powers. The world is further developed here with the addition of new characters with different powers who are the last in their races, as well as another group of protectors with a wider responsibility than just protecting the Auras. I expect that these elements will come further into play in the next book.

All up, it's a good book for teen readers and the series is well worth following.
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Feb 07, 2013 Rhonda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

5 STARS

Fractured Soul is the second book of the series. Fractured Lite was the first book and I have not read it. I felt I missed out on some stuff but I loved this book. People warned me that you would not want to put it down, they were right. No one told me that I would need tissue before it was done though.

Fractured Soul was a good fit for this book. This was a clean read. I cared about the characters and wanted everything to workout for the best. I like that Llona and May cared about others....more

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Feb 04, 2013 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, science-fiction, fantasy

FRACTURED SOUL by Rachel McClellan is an interesting young adult science fiction/fantasy. It is the sequel to "Fractured Light". It can be read as a stand alone with reappearing characters. Although, I do feel you need to read "Fractured Light" first to get a feel for the characters and such. Follow Llona,who is determined to protect her new friends,home and her treasured school, Lucent Academy,but dark forces are at work and may destroy them all. Filled with drama,romance,silly young girls,lead...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Sana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

Fractures Soul begins with Llona's first day at Lucent Academy and even though there's only a slight chance of things getting back to normal, Llona knows her life wouldn't ever be the same. Her plan is simple: to learn more about the nature and history of Aura, hone her abilities and get out of world the Auras has chosen to live in. However, she is yet unknown to the danger that threatens to wipe out Auras and it seems that trouble has followed Llona inside the protected walls of The Lucent Acad...more Fractures Soul begins with Llona's first day at Lucent Academy and even though there's only a slight chance of things getting back to normal, Llona knows her life wouldn't ever be the same. Her plan is simple: to learn more about the nature and history of Aura, hone her abilities and get out of world the Auras has chosen to live in. However, she is yet unknown to the danger that threatens to wipe out Auras and it seems that trouble has followed Llona inside the protected walls of The Lucent Academy.

The stakes are higher especially when the ones responsible for the safety of Auras are willing to sacrifice it for personal gains. Llona has her own demons to deal with as darkness calls to her, a hunger lodged deep inside her and the smell of blood everywhere. It is no surprise when Llona plans to sneak out at night unable to get rid of her nightmares.

Llona craves destruction and her need to get rid of the energy buzzing inside of her leads her to Vykens present close to Lucent. Llona fights the blood battles despite warnings from Jackson, a Guardian. Christian also arrives but Sophia is against their relationship and makes it clear so. Despite the dangerous ground she is treading upon with him, Llona knows he means too much to her to lose him. Thus, she eventually takes Liam's offer to help the light within her come to life again.

Rebellious as ever, Llona has to overcome the difficulties she is faced with. Fractured Soul fits perfectly to Llona's state in this book as she tethers on the edge of darkness. Threats are given, secrets revealed and hearts are broken as it becomes clear that something big is going on. With the help of Christian, Liam, Tessa and May, Llona sets out to fight the danger, loving the thrill it offers to a showdown and another life-changing moment in Llona's life.

Will she ever find salvation and come to peace with herself? Fractured Soul shows a new side of Llona, but she is consistent with her rebellious streak which is what I love about her. This is one tough nut to break. Fractured Soul is a very satisfying continuation of the series and I'm more than looking forward to how it will end. Three cheers to Rachel McClellan for crafting a yet another brilliant story.(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Sabrina rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
Fractured Soul is the sequel to Fractured Light, and finds our resident Aura Llona Reese at Lucent Academy to learn more about being an Aura and how to use her skills. Unfortunately, not everything is above the board at the school of light, and darkness and corruption lurk around every corner putting not only Llona and her guardian boyfriend Christian in danger, but the entire school as well.
Llona is determined to protect her ne...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Dianne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-and-adventure, arc-read, dark-fantasy, futuristic-ya-fantasy, netgalley, new-adult, paranormal, strong-female-characters

Llona has the ability to manipulate light and harness its energy, calming those around her. She is an Aura. It is a power sought after by the evil Vykens who wish to destroy any with these powers. Having been on the run since the murder of her parents, she is now settling into life at Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, as well as those with other abilities. Llona is finally finding friends and needs to protect them, no matter what. Is she strong enough? Why do...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Georgina Martin (Bookz and Bitz) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pdf-ebook-non-kindle, egally, reviewed

***Spoiler Alert - this is book 2 in the Fractured Light series, there may be spoilers for book one***

Fractured Soul is the second book in the fractured light series, and finds Ilona and May joining the Lucent Academy. Ilona is apprehensive about the school, and is worried about losing contact with Christian (her Guardian), but she's keen to meet the other aura's and excited for May to finally meet another fury. Things of course don't go well for Ilona, the aura's are meek and mild and have none...more

***Spoiler Alert - this is book 2 in the Fractured Light series, there may be spoilers for book one***

Fractured Soul is the second book in the fractured light series, and finds Ilona and May joining the Lucent Academy. Ilona is apprehensive about the school, and is worried about losing contact with Christian (her Guardian), but she's keen to meet the other aura's and excited for May to finally meet another fury. Things of course don't go well for Ilona, the aura's are meek and mild and have none of her vyken sensing abilities, they are a bit wet to be honest. Ilona starts to separate herself from the group, and they start to notice changes in her moods, she become bad tempered and mean, but she needs to sort it out because there is a threat to the school which none of them saw coming, and of course, Ilona is the only one who can fight it.

Fractured Light was met with a fair bit of criticism, and I was not expecting much from Fractured Soul, however it is definitely the better of the two books (lets hope book 3 gets even better). That is not to say it was great, it wasn't, but it was an improvement on book 1.

What was wrong with it? Lots. Firstly the you can't kill a vyken because your an Aura (read: girl) and too weak willed to cope with killing, you need to let the guardians (read: big strong men) kill for you. WTF?! SERIOUSLY, have I just walked into the 17th century? Has McCellan not heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?! This sexism is a running them, now I know that it has deeper roots (which I can't go into with out spoiling the book for you) but essentially, its sexism, pure and simple.

Then there's the whole Lizen (sp?) thing, a race of lizard people who are slaves for the Aura's and NO ONE seems to think this is wrong, except for the perfect, annoying, brattish Ilona of course. Ilona then takes it upon herself to 'free' the slaves, not once did she ask if they wanted to be free, nor did she consider any consequences to her actions. I'm not saying that the slaves were a good thing, but I cannot see how some one that is 'free' can act on their behalf without consulting them, surely that's as bad as those that presume they are happy to serve, ask the damn lizens what they want, then help THEM get it.

Then there is Ilona, one of the mist obnoxious, unlikable, brats in Ya fiction today, I cannot think of a nice thing to say about her, most of what happens in the book is her fault, and when its not her fault its made considerably worse by her. She has boys falling all over her and all she can do is witter about her blonde hair. GRRRRRRR.

There were some redeeming qualities, not may though, the last few chapters were good, fast paced and more interesting than the rest of the book, the final twist was totally unexpected, and a bit of a shock, I applaud McCellan for taking that route. May's character development was nice to see, she's becoming a strong person, and would be a better lead for the series than Ilona.

2.5 stars out of 5 (thank May and the last few chapters for those 2.5!)(less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, 5-stars, favorites, favourite-series, fascinating, fantasy, loved, all-time-favourites, awesome, paranormal-fantasy-challenge, powers

This series is so good it has become one of my all time favourites. So different and so damn brilliant.
I knew before I started this book I was not going to be able to look away let alone put it down.

This series just gets better and better. I had some reservations obviously, after fractured light I just kept wondering how the author could possibly follow up to such an amazing first book, however there was no need to worry as this was just as good- you simply cannot compare the two. They are bot...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, 5-stars, all-time-favourites, favorites, favourite-series, fascinating, fantasy, loved, awesome, best-series-ever

Absolutely loved this... Just as good as the first!
McCellan continues on with the story from the last book exceptionally well. I was very eager to read this and dove straight in and I was not disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised actually, I didn't think this would be delivered as well as the first. I'm always skeptical when it comes to sequels. Expectations are raised after reading a good first instalment however all my doubts disappeared. This was amazing!

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Oct 16, 2012 Julie-anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Following the events of Fractured Light, Llona and May are at Lucent Academy. Llona doesn't feel like she fits in with the other auras and is keeping a big secret from everyone, but on one of her nightly dangerous jaunts she finds out some stuff that leads her to uncover a huge undergound Vyken plot at the academy. Determined to help the school whilst also keeping her dark side at bay, she ends up enlisting the help of May and her new friends as well as Christian to fight the ultimate battle on...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Georgina Merry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review was originally posted on http://theferrymanswife.blogspot.co.uk/

I must start by saying that I haven’t read the first in this series. Does it matter in this instance? I don’t suppose it does, for I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

It’s been a while since I’ve encountered a main character as individual as Llona. Even though the main story is about the darkness that’s threatening to take over, her true personality remains prominent. I couldn’t help but like her. When a protagonist rolls up...more This review was originally posted on http://theferrymanswife.blogspot.co.uk/

I must start by saying that I haven’t read the first in this series. Does it matter in this instance? I don’t suppose it does, for I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

It’s been a while since I’ve encountered a main character as individual as Llona. Even though the main story is about the darkness that’s threatening to take over, her true personality remains prominent. I couldn’t help but like her. When a protagonist rolls up their sleeves, gets their hands dirty, and puts up a fight; that dear reader, is what it’s all about! It didn’t play a big part in the story, but I also appreciated the romance. It was believable, loving, and it made me want to read the first book, mainly to find out more about Christian. Their trust and understanding of commitment to one another rang true, even in times when Llona doesn’t consciously know it.

On occasion the narrative fell a little flat, but these moments were fleeting. The tension is intended to be high, but I wasn’t always convinced of it. In fact, I found it a tad predictable at times. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether that’s because I read a lot of YA books or not. A few times I had to remind myself that it was a fantasy book, and not get irritated by completely unbelievable aspects (like running about with a broken leg etc.). The fight scenes are gritty, bloody, satisfying to read, and I looked forward to reading more of them as the story progressed.

On a superficial note, in the kindle*version a lovely visual happens each time you finish a chapter and click to start the next. Each new chapter has a faint swirling pattern at the top that turns bold as you click. It’s pretty, and I appreciate the little things.

Fractured Soul is most defiantly a Young Adult book, catering to a younger audience and doing so well. If you can read quickly, then you’ll tear through it in no time. There’s a great mix of action, romance and characters to get you hooked on the series, with plenty of promise of more to come. (less)

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Feb 25, 2013 Lelia Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: full-reviews

Sometimes readers, including me, approach a book that’s self-published or published by a small press with a certain amount of skepticism or even trepidation. That’s because there is so much dreck out there these days and finding the gems is not easy. Allow me to set your mind at rest—this is no schlock put out by a writer wannabe toiling away in her parent’s basement. Well, Rachel McClellan could be toiling away in a basement for all I know but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t belong to her parents ;)...more Sometimes readers, including me, approach a book that’s self-published or published by a small press with a certain amount of skepticism or even trepidation. That’s because there is so much dreck out there these days and finding the gems is not easy. Allow me to set your mind at rest—this is no schlock put out by a writer wannabe toiling away in her parent’s basement. Well, Rachel McClellan could be toiling away in a basement for all I know but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t belong to her parents ;) Anyway, there is much to love in this book and very little to be snooty about.

First, the construction. The author can write and she also has a very good editor. Grammar is good, typos are minimal, the language flows as it should and the ebook conversion (I read an e-ARC) is close to flawless, including some handwritten passages. The only hiccup is that, on occasion, two voices speak in the same paragraph. This occurs infrequently enough that I feel safe in saying it’s one of those ebook glitches that happen sometimes, not because the author and/or her editor don’t know better.

Then there’s the story. I have not read the first book and, most of the time, it doesn’t matter. That’s the case here; while I obviously don’t have the details of what went on in that book, the author offers just enough information that I felt up to speed very quickly. You should be aware, though, that spoilers of the first book are inevitable so don’t go getting a mad on with Ms. McClellan if you choose to start with this second book.

I really like this storyline, one of the most creative I’ve seen. A school for Auras and Furies with a side of Lizens? Very, very cool. I also like that this is not a school with a bunch of evil adults all bent on misusing the powers these girls possess. The author’s character development is strong and I really felt a connection with the main players, especially the four girls, Christian and Liam. Even Jake, whom we never actually see, is fleshed out enough to truly understand the bond between him and Llona. Oh, and thank you, Ms. McClellan, for painting the Vykens as the nasty, bloodthirsty, powerhungry creatures they are, not a sparkle in sight.

A note here—Fractured Soul is billed as a young adult paranormal romance but it also falls solidly into the mystery/suspense genre with the questions of who is behind the dark activities, what is the intent, will the good guys figure things out in time? Llona also shows herself to be a pretty decent lead detective (not to mention being kickbutt in general).

Are some things predictable? Yes. It was not hard to figure out who the ultimate bad guy was as soon as I met him and there were a few other events that were no surprise. There were also some “oh, cool!” moments (Arik and Aaron? Love ‘em!) and the motivations of some of the characters were in doubt until at least 4/5 of the way through. On the other hand, the ending is truly heartbreaking and, yet, still left me with a desire to know what comes next. I’ll be looking forward to Fractured Truth coming out a year from now and, in the meantime, I’ll get my fix by reading the first book, Fractured Light.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, February 2013.(less)

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Jan 12, 2013 Bailee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, young-adult, favorites

Here I am, going to fangirl for a little bit before I get into anything else. This book is amazing and so utterly heartbreaking that I am currently debating on ranting at the same time as fangirling. All I can really say is that the plot thickens a lot by the end of the book and I am craving the next book more than you can imagine.

Fractured Soul is the perfect title for this story. A lot of books you wonder why authors select that title above a different one and you can't seem to grasp what made...more Here I am, going to fangirl for a little bit before I get into anything else. This book is amazing and so utterly heartbreaking that I am currently debating on ranting at the same time as fangirling. All I can really say is that the plot thickens a lot by the end of the book and I am craving the next book more than you can imagine.

Fractured Soul is the perfect title for this story. A lot of books you wonder why authors select that title above a different one and you can't seem to grasp what made this title better than another. Well, that isn't true for this novel. Throughout the story, you grapple with just how real that title comes into play. To have a fractured soul -- to be fractured at all -- would destroy a person and Llona battles with allowing herself to break in every way possible. I know that if I were her, I wouldn't have made it to the last chapter.

There is so much development for Llona and she is so strong that I long to be like her. Just like the first novel, she isn't hard to connect with and there is something very human in her weaknesses even if the typical person doesn't experience what she does. If I wasn't certain that she could handle everything thrown at her, I would definitely be tempted to pull her from the story and keep her safe. Is that possible? I don't care because I would find a way. Llona faces a lot of struggle, heartbreak, and happiness which puts you on an emotional roller coaster that you never want to get off. Her strength, which I going to continually praise, is awe-inspiring and her abilities as well as selflessness is something that I don't know if I could have. She is an amazing leader and friend, yet she battles with something darker, something more sinister.

Can I marry Christian? Despite my earlier questions about him as a love interest, he became one of my favorites by far. He has so much depth, so much loyalty, and so much love to him that makes me just want to hug him. Well that and keep him forever. Why can't there be a Christian in my life? Anyways, I love him. There is no doubt in my mind that he is a strong character and yet has a softer side that most men either shy away from showing or maintain instead of being strong.

All of the new characters introduced throughout the story were either someone who I want to be my best friend or someone I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. There were a few that fit into both. May, oh May, I think we should be best friends. She is probably the greatest person ever, except for Llona who has skyrocketed a lot for me. I also fell in love with Tessa who is a brand new character to the story and the story definitely wouldn't have been the same without her.

If I wasn't so chicken, I would adamantly say that I want to be Llona and have her friends (and let's not forget Christian) but I honestly couldn't handle everything she goes through.

I am going to now sing praises for the epic bad guy(s). I can't even begin to tell you how much I love a well written bad guy, the type that sends chills down my spine and makes me think twice about going out at night. You, Rachel McClellan, will never be questioned about writing bad guys again. You blew my mind and showed me just how much darkness can hide even in the brightest of places. I think you even inadvertently created some less bad guys -- but still not good guys -- throughout the story and whether that was on purpose or not, I loved it. You made me question everything and everyone which is hard to do once I've formed an opinion.

I love this story. There is a lot of beauty to it's darkness and it was awesome in its heartbreaking way. Very few stories have made me so frustrated and I think Fractured Soul is definitely one of them.

The plot...
The characters...
The romance...
The world...
Why can't it be real?

I can without a doubt say that if you read the Fractured Light series, you will not be disappointed. It has everything you could possibly want in a story and leaves you craving more. If you haven't read Fractured Light, go read it because the world isn't complete without reading this series.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Emma Mills rated it 5 of 5 stars

Llona is a teenage girl who with both parents dead (possibly murdered, but I'm not sure as I didn't read the first book) is coerced into attending a boarding school for Auras and Furys along with her best friend who happens to be a rare Fury. Even though I hadn't read the first I think you could easily jump straight to this book as it's easy to pick up the necessary facts and background info. Auras are filled with (& able to wield light) and Furys are able to create fire.

There are some regu...more

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Fractured Soul (Fractured Light #2)

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