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Power Unbound (Dream of Asarlai #2)

by Nicole Murphy (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 8 ratings · 4 reviews

For centuries, the gadda have worked to keep their identity secret from the rapidly expanding human race. All this is now at risk - the most terrible of gadda teachings, the Forbidden Texts, have been stolen and the race is on to find them.

Ione Gorton may have got her best friend back from Australia, but Maggie′s elevation to the ranks of the guardians means that she′s not...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published January 1st 2011 by HarperVoyager (first published December 13th 2010)

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Apr 08, 2012 Tsana Dolichva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted here: http://tsanasreads.tumblr.com/post/19...

Power Unbound, by Nicole Murphy, is the second book in the Dream of Asarlai trilogy.

Where Secret Ones followed Maggie and Lucas, Power Unbound shifts to following Ione, Maggie’s best friend, and Stephen, a gadda who is about to sit for the highest test of power. Although there are a few scenes in Austin, Texas, most of this novel is set in Ireland. Despite the shift in character focus, the overarching plot continues on from the firs...more Originally posted here: http://tsanasreads.tumblr.com/post/19...

Power Unbound, by Nicole Murphy, is the second book in the Dream of Asarlai trilogy.

Where Secret Ones followed Maggie and Lucas, Power Unbound shifts to following Ione, Maggie’s best friend, and Stephen, a gadda who is about to sit for the highest test of power. Although there are a few scenes in Austin, Texas, most of this novel is set in Ireland. Despite the shift in character focus, the overarching plot continues on from the first book, featuring more prominently, and all the characters we like from the first book pop up again.

Ione is unique among gadda for having particularly weak power, despite coming from an old and powerful family. She came to terms with it long before the story started and spends her time working as a computer programmer. She’s also a widow and has a young (10 or 11 year old) son to look after. It would be easy to say that Ione offers more depth of character than Maggie did, but I think what really makes this story better is Murphy’s development as a writer. (And the fact that Lucas’s past in the first book wasn’t exactly straight forward.)

The whole novel hangs together better and I found it more enjoyable. The romantic plot line is less linear and, while we know that the two characters will end up together (it is paranormal romance, after all), the obstacles in their way felt less artificial. It was more about them being silly than external circumstances, which I liked.

The fantasy plot line was more action-packed than in Secret Ones. The danger was greater and the stakes were higher. Also, more progress was made working out who’s been behind all the evil shenanigans. Unlike the first book, it felt less like the relevant characters were flailing around not getting anywhere. (To be fair, in the first book the trouble was quite different in nature and didn’t initially seem to be connected to the overarching plot.)

The end of Power Unbound set up the final book in the trilogy quite well. Unfortunately, I have to wait a few months before I can read it (I want a matching paper set, not the ebook), but I definitely want to know what happens next and how everything is resolved. Oh, I should also mention that while the overarching plot follows on from Secret Ones, I think it’s possible to read Power Unbound by itself. It contains some spoilers for the first book, but doesn’t actually rehash all the details, so you could still read the first book afterwards. Of course, it’s better to read them in order but if, for example, you’re particularly interested in the Ditmar eligible works which include Power Unbound and the third book, Rogue Gadda, you could probably get away with skipping Secret Ones.

Overall, Power Unbound was an enjoyable read. I definitely recommend it to fans of paranormal romance.

4 / 5 stars(less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Lauren Murphy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-author, scifi, romance

This review was first posted @ The Australian Bookshelf

This is the second book in the Dream of Asarlai series by Nicole Murphy following the first book, Secret Ones (see my review). Secret Ones introduces us to the Gadda, a secret human race who have access extraordinary power and magic. The love story between Maggie and Lucas was the focus of the first book alongside the investigation of trying to find who stole The Forbidden Texts which contain pertinent ancient Gadda information.

I was actuall...more This review was first posted @ The Australian Bookshelf

This is the second book in the Dream of Asarlai series by Nicole Murphy following the first book, Secret Ones (see my review). Secret Ones introduces us to the Gadda, a secret human race who have access extraordinary power and magic. The love story between Maggie and Lucas was the focus of the first book alongside the investigation of trying to find who stole The Forbidden Texts which contain pertinent ancient Gadda information.

I was actually expecting Power Unbound to continue with the story of Maggie and Lucas. Rather, it is from the point of view from two new characters, Ione a mother of young Jack and also Maggie’s closest friend along with Stephen O’Malley a determined American who is studying to be a sixth order gadda- the highest ranking and level of training in the gadda community. The Forbidden Texts are still missing and Asarlai continues to cause destruction and endangering the lives of gadda to ensure the texts remain with her.

I really enjoy learning about the gadda, their hierachy and the powers that they have. It is interesting that some of the gadda are considered ‘humanists’ which mean they try to use their powers to help the good of humankind while the ‘purists’ are those who think the gadda should not have anything to do with them. This is an interesting undertone throughout the book.

Although I was disappointed not to continue on with the journey of Maggie and Lucas, Ione was a quirky character who I liked instantly. She has a knack for computers and as a widowed mother she does her best to provide for her son Jack. However, Ione does not have access to her gadda powers because she flunked out of her studies and didn’t even pass the first order gadda- which apparently teenagers undertake. So, when she meets determined and strong-willed Stephen who is a bit of a high achiever their differences are a nice compliment of each other.

As in the first novel, there were a few things that stopped me from rating this 4/5. Firstly, I would have liked the gadda to have been more focussed in Australia, especially since it is an Aussie author. However, the gadda clan reside in Sclossin, Ireland and there were no trips Down Under in Power Unbound. Secondly, there were some plot details that didn’t really convince me. Stephen wants to become a sixth order gadda to avenge for his teenage bullies and to make a name for his family. Stephen and his father had a falling out several years prior due to him taking the side of the bully over Stephen. It just seemed a bit far-fetched that that incident would be Stephen’s motive for trying to excel and the conflict with his father just seemed silly. I am not saying that bullying doesn’t leave a lasting mark on someone, but it just didn’t seem to fit right with this character.

Anyway, Power Unbound does have a nice romantic element as did Secret Ones, this time we see Ione and Stephen develop a friendship and then more. Maggie and Lucas also pop in at times. Overall, the Dream of Asarlai series provides much enjoyment with a combination of paranormal and scifi elements with plenty of romance. I will be posting my review for Rogue Gadda (Dream of Asarlai #3) on Thursday and an interview with Nicole Murphy on Friday.
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Jul 26, 2011 Buffy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2011, fantasy, mystery, romance, witches-magical-races, favorites

Nicole Murphy did it again.

Amazing, simply incredible. I couldn't put it down. Tried to read it in one sitting but pesky customers kept bothering me at work, couldn't they see I was busy?

All of the characters are so well developed that I feel like I know them and the things that happen to them happen to me, heartstrings are pulled and smiles erupt every few pages. LOVE. I can't begin to tell you how magical this book is.

If you live in America, like I do, and can't afford it, I understand but...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australasian, fantasy, paranormal, romance

Review is here: http://ticon4.com/2011/05/review-powe...

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May 04, 2013 Lily Mulholland marked it as to-read

Shelves: australia, sf

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Shelves: own

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Nov 07, 2012 Siewbee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oct 17, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out marked it as to-read

Shelves: aussie-author

Sep 29, 2012 Marj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, australian-author, m, paranormal

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About Nicole Murphy

Nicole has been telling stories for as long as she can remember and been writing them down since primary school.

Her two main occupations thus far in her life – teaching and journalism – have taught her a great deal about writing. As a teacher, having to explain the nuances of story to young children helped to hone the information in her mind. As a journalist, Nicole has won awards for her writing...more

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Quotes from Power Unbound

“I'm afraid the time has come to officially give up on me."
"What kind of teacher would I be if I did that?"
"A sane one.” — 1 person liked it

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Power Unbound (Dream of Asarlai #2)

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