Review: Shattered Reaction by Madisyn Carlin
Shattered Reaction by Madisyn Carlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another stunning epic from Madisyn Carlin! As with all of her books, you will be swept away into another world of intrigue, sacrifice, and action.
Characters: Let’s start off with Arioch, since he is the beginning of the book, anyway. But wow, this man … short-tempered and so full of the need to see justice done to villains, he was a well-developed character. I knew he was going to have to have a pretty dramatic character arc, and that he did as he realized the truth of revenge belonging to God alone. And then there’s Anthi, one of my favorite characters from the last book. I loved this girl! She had such a rough and tough exterior, but it was really all just a shield for her to deal with the difficulties of life. (And she was just hilarious, too – her commentary about various villains, etc. are priceless. I loved her!) Let’s move to Barrett, my poor boy. He definitely had a rough time for about half of the book, but thankfully things starting looking up for him. Because he wasn’t really very conscious for a good part of the opening of the book, I didn’t feel as if I knew him as well as the others … but I definitely want more of him. He was such a sweetheart. Maybe there’s a novella in the works for him? And then there was finally Zinnia, such a gentle soul and the opposite of Anthi. She was just perfect for who she got together with – I won’t say who – and I loved her courage in the face of so much fear. She did what had to be done, even if she weren’t as brazen as others as she went about it. Definitely such a wonderful person to read out. And then there were plenty of wonderful side characters. Novellas need to be had on some of those!
Setting/Plot: Excellent world building – it wasn’t overdone or overcomplicated, but you will be swept away to another world! I really oved that there was no magic throughout any of the plot. Speaking of the plot, wow … I see more books being set up in the near future. The epic struggle against good and evil is just so powerful and a driving force through the books. But I love the complexities the author addresses – just fighting for the right side and avenging wrongs doesn’t make every action right.
Themes: So much truth in here! I loved Anthi and Zinnia’s discovering the importance of acting as the person you were made to be, not who you think is “better”. Such a sweet moment and important truth. And there was more – the importance of knowing that God is with us as Christians throughout all the ups and downs of life, fighting for the right thing, and the danger of revenge. So much goodness in this lovely book!
Overall, an amazing addition to the series. I need the next novel now!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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