Nádherná temnota

Caster Chronicles #2

by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Jana Jašová (Translator)

Ethan Wate si o jižanském městečku Gatlin, odkud pochází, vždycky myslel, že je to místo, kde se zastavil čas a kde se nikdy nic neděje. Pak se však objevila záhadná Lena Duchannesová a všechno bylo rázem jinak: domov se pro Ethana změnil v měsíční krajinu, kde na každém kroku klopýtá o krátery tajemství a kde se pod tvářemi starousedlíků skrývají podivné bytosti. Nejpodivnější z nich je právě Lena - dívka z jeho snů s vůní citronů a rozmarýnu, dívka z rodiny mocných Zaklínačů, obdařených nadpřirozenými silami, jež pohnou i mraky na obloze. Dynastii z čarovného plantážnického sídla Ravenwood však stíhá děsivá kletba...

V tomhle novém Gatlinu může jít snadno o život. Společně se Lena s Ethanem dokážou postavit čemukoli, co pro ně Gatlin nachystá, ale po tragické ztrátě se Lena začne stahovat do sebe a její chlad a tajnůstkaření znamenají pro jejich vztah náročnou zkoušku. A teď, když Ethan vidí i temnější stránku Gatlinu, už pro něj není návratu. Podivné vize ho vtahují hlouběji do spletité minulosti jeho rodného města a nakonec se dostane do nebezpečné sítě podzemních průchodů, které křižují celý Jih, do labyrintu, kde nic není takové, jaké se to zdá...

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Magic, Fiction, Supernatural

480 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 2010

About the author

Kami Garcia is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author. She is the coauthor of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, which has been published in 51 countries and 37 languages, with over 10 million copies in print. In 2013, Beautiful Creatures released as a feature film from Warner Brothers. Kami is a cofounder of the YALLFEST kid lit book festival and the author of five solo novels, including her Bram Stoker Award-nominated novels Unbreakable and Unmarked (THE LEGION series) and The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos. Kami’s first graphic novel Teen Titans: Raven, with artist Gabriel Picolo, is the first book in her TEEN TITANS series for DC Comics and the adult series JOKER/HARLEY: CRIMINAL SANITY, from DC Black Label.

Find Kami online at kamigarcia.com, on Facebook @KamiGarciaYA, and on Twitter and Instagram @KamiGarcia.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big Puddle of Meh

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed (parts) of this one. It was (mostly) a fun read but every time I started to get into this one, I'd run into one of my pettiest pet peeves .

This book was just chock-full of 1) coincidences, 2) because reasons and 3) all-encompassing true love (well, until hot-girl #2 showed up).

1) The Coincidences

The sheer amount of well-timed coincidences drove me mad. It just felt so convenient and lazy.

Case and point: Ancient magic designed to repel anyone attempting to break in? AHA! The ancient folks forgot to safeguard against the garden sheers. Suckas!

Case and point: Here's a clue no one in a million years could figure out? Would you look at that, your old senile aunt ISN'T actually senile - she's an expert in the obscure method needed to solve the clue. Wowee!

Case and point: Oh, a big final battle? Zero chance of survival? Here's your second cousin great aunt twice removed who just so happens to be uber-strong and can wipe the floor with the big bads. Sweeeeeeet!

2) Because Reasons

Oh Lena doesn't love you anymore and wants to bang a complete stranger... because reasons.

Castor magic always claims you on your sixteenth moon except for when it doesn't... because reasons.

Castors and humans can't have sex (thus fueling a whole subplot and racketing up unnecessary tension on the whole will-they-won't-they)... because reasons.

3) all-encompassing true love (well, until hot-girl #2 showed up).

So. Much. Over. The. Top Drama.

I loved her, atom by atom, one burning cell at a time.

Honestly, it really felt like they were just dragging the plot along with the mini-breakup scenes and the new hot-girl.

She was my destination. I was always on the way to Lena, even when I wasn't. Even when she wasn't on her way to me.

Their love story was so well-resolved in the first book that all the holes punched in it in this round felt so superficial. It was a boring to watch them go through the whole mistrust-to-trust thing a second time around.

So...is this book worth reading???

Ohmygoshyes. Because of my one, true love: Wesley Jefferson Lincoln. He carried this book on his scrawny shoulders.

A vegetarian? Are you insane? That's worse than bein' a quarter demon!

I was honestly only reading for the parts where he was in.

I will never forget when he had the biggest pig in the dissection lab and hauled out the garden sheers when the tiny scissors didn't cut it. Or when he summed up Ethan's powers so succinctly.

"So, he's like a human compass? ... You're like the Caster equivalent of Aquaman."

He is my spirit animal.

Audiobook Comments
I really enjoyed how the audio of these books actually sing the lyrics in the book - really well and with haunting accompanying music.

But, you have been warned, this book is read with a slow, southern drawl in most of it. I listened it on 2x speed and it felt like they were talking at a normal speed.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[mark monday · Rating 2 out of 5]

well, i am reading a paranormal romance written for teenage girls. so sue me!

i would love to give this book 1 star and just forget about it, for so many reasons:

- despite the potentially interesting role reversal happening (mysterious supernatural GIRL meets weepy, slack-jawed BOY), the dialogue between the two is just as mawkish and hand-wringy as bella & edward.
- my God, two authors and two pages of credits to supporters of this project, and they still don't know how to write? hello, there is no need to follow an entire paragraph of description or torrential emotion with a one-sentence paragraph summarizing the preceding paragraph. over and over and over again. c'mon folks, this is Writing 101 stuff. repeat after me: repetition is bad writing. repetition is bad writing.
- the last third of the book should be completely pumped-up narrative excitement, but for every page of actual action there are two pages of ridiculously obvious exposition and eye-rollingly banal dialogue.
- new kinds of supernatural beings shouldn't just pop up to cause trouble or save the day or be the mother of the best character, John Breed. they should not pop up repeatedly. and they shouldn't all have corny little nicknames either. "evo", a special kind of shape-shifty witch...really?

but i can't give it the lowest rating because the novel had many enjoyable moments, mainly in the first half before things got sloppy & ridiculous. there's some charm there, particularly in the supporting characters and their eating habits. even better, this is a novel that is fascinatingly chock-full of extremely emotional dreams, hallucinations, visions, etc - practically every other page. at times the characters' emotions were so intense it almost felt like reading the equivalent of someone hyperventilating, or having a panic attack. that's kinda fun for a while, until its not. also: a network of magical tunnels. i'm always a fan of that.

and then there's a nifty plot device that stays true to the protagonists' so-very-intense, can't-keep-their-hands-off-of-each-other, you-are-my-life kinda love, while also adhering to the strict no-sex dictates of YA fiction: whenever Whiny the Witch & The Drama King get too hot & bothered while grinding away, THEY LITERALLY START BURNING UP! no need to even worry about condoms - with that kind of innate barrier, sex ain't even happening. i guess they'll have to stick to magical phone sex - which, in Beautiful Darkness, actually has a name: "kelting". sorry kids, looks like you're looking at a lifetime of fully-clothed snuggling and lots of, er, hot kelting action.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books DO NOT disappoint. Every time I finish one I'm always a bit emotionally drained and the authors always dangle something in front of you, so you almost have to read the next one to keep your sanity intact.

Ethan and Lena just barely made it out alive from Lena's last Claiming, and things are not the same. Lena is grieving over the loss of Macon and Ethan can feel she is slipping away from him. She's starting to hang out with Ridley and this strange guy named John. Before Ethan can even take a real grasp of the situation Lena runs away and though things between them are strained Ethan will go and try to find her. With the help of the sarcastic, goofy but studly Link, the smart as a whip new character Liv, and the wise old cat Lucille, Ethan goes through a journey where his heart leads him to Lena and where he will try with all he has to bring her back to him.

Even though I did like reading this, I noticed the length of it a little too much. With the first one I was so enamored with the story I didn't notice it almost at all. I'm a little peeved that there are four books in the series because I believe everything could be solved in three, but I really enjoy Garcia's and Stohl's style and will read all of them. The southern setting always captures me, and doesn't let me out of its grasp. Unfortunately Lena was hard for me to swallow this time around. I literally wanted to take a frying pan and bang her head, but then I would be obliterated since she is oh so powerful. But then as the book progresses I did understand her better and where she was coming from. Only then I could mentally put away the cast iron skillet. I liked the change of Ethan being angry. We had to see that he had some gumption and a limit of what he could put up with. I also thought it was great that we got to see more interaction between Link and Ethan, and learn how their friendship worked. More secrets are brought to light in this one, and we are getting more pieces to see how the puzzle will be solved.

Pay attention to Ridley and Link because their character arcs are the most interesting. They will definitely bring lots to the table in the next book. You can tell things are escalating already and I'm hopping up and down with anticipation to see what the cast of characters will be up against in the upcoming sequel Beautiful Chaos.

[Ahmad Sharabiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, #2), Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Darkness is a young-adult fantasy novel written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The second novel in the Caster Chronicles, it was published by Little, Brown on October 12, 2010.

Beautiful Darkness is the sequel to the Caster Saga. The story begins with the tragic death of Macon Ravenwood, Lena's beloved uncle. Through telepathic communication, Lena tells Ethan she wants to skip the funeral.

Ethan is skeptical about Macon's choice for burial, the town cemetery of which he doesn't have any real love for the town, Gatlin. Macon was an incubus who chose to feed on dreams rather than human blood. Several incubuses attended his funeral most of which Ethan had never known or seen before the funeral. A caster boy gives Lena a silver sparrow before he himself had to depart. After the funeral, Lena falls into a deep depression and refused to leave the house, Ravenwood Manor.

Ethan has been hearing the song “Seventeen Moons” playing on the radio in his car and on his iPod and tries to tell Lena about it. Lena had used the Book of Moons to bring Ethan back to life in the previous book, Beautiful Creatures.

Lena shuts Ethan out and refuses to discuss things with him. Lena worries that even though she avoided having to choose what she will claim, light or dark on her sixteenth birthday, she thinks that someday soon she will whether she's ready for it or not.

Ethan attempts to cheer Lena up through their secret telepathic abilities, that is until Lena's grandmother Delphine insist that Lena returns to school. Initially, this seems to make Lena feel better, normal in a sense. ...

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز هجدهم ماه فوریه سال 2016میلادی

عنوان: تاریکی زیبا: کتاب دوم از سری تاریخ نگاری (حماسه) کستر؛ نویسندگان: کامی گارسیا؛ مارگارت استول؛

کتاب «تاریکی زیبا» دومین کتاب از سری «حماسه ی کستر» است؛ داستان «ایتان ویت»، پسر نوجوان ساکن شهری کوچک به نام «گتلین»، را دنبال میکند.؛ او شیفته ی «لنا دوکنز»، دختری با جادوی توانمند، است؛ «لنا» تاکنون توانسته است که از انتخاب بین روشنایی و تاریکی سر باز زند؛ با این وجود، این بدین معنا نیست که او میتواند تا ابد آزاد زندگی کند…؛ داستان با مرگ غم انگیز «ماکون راونوود»، دایی محبوب «لنا» آغاز میشود؛ «لنا» از راه ارتباط تله پاتیک، به «ایتان» میگوید، که میخواهد مراسم تشییع جنازه ای در کار نباشد.؛ و ...؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 24/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

[kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

For gosh sakes, there are still two more books in this series??? Why? To what end?
Here's the plot, let me know if you've heard this before, a few thousand times.
Mortal teenager meets supernatural being of the opposite sex, experiencing instantaneous connection while supernatural being acts oddly and tells mortal that they must stay apart, that it's too dangerous, etc. Yet against all odds the two become a couple and after much drama and a battle, they are happily together.
So, we get to book two, in which the supernatural being pulls away from the mortal teenager, again for the mortal's own good, because the supernatural being is too angst-ridden and just plain idiotic to actually discuss anything with the love of their life. Also, appearing in book two, is the required stand-in possible love interest that as a reader you can never quite believe in because if the mortal and the super-being are fated, star-crossed lovers, then adding in another one makes absolutely no sense and only diminishes the power of their love story. Are you following me?
So, I guess the third book will have more running around, trying to outwit the baddies while the supernatural continues to dither around about their exact nature, good or bad.
And the fourth book will create the way for them to be together, even though we’ve been told over and over and over that they cannot be together. There could be an impossible (per the autor's own canon) mutant child that will grow up overnight allowing the cast aside love interest to have a mini-version of their lost almost-love. Nah, that's too far out for anyone to believe. It will end with a major climactic battle in which all the baddies will be destroyed, the world made right, or else a small debate after which the baddies decide to walk away.
I AM BORED WITH THIS PLOT.
I enjoyed the first Caster series book, but this one is very flat and goes on far too long for no real reason. This whole five hundred pages could have been a few short chapters. Honestly, the first two hundred pages are Ethan moaning because Lena has pretty much dumped him. Yet he continues to follow after her and feel badly every time she treats him like dirt. After this, they spend the remainder of the book running about in the Caster tunnels and it seems as endless as the tunnels themselves. It goes on and on until the last fifty pages when things finally start to happen. This isn’t good.
I don’t know why we had to have Liv pushed into the story as someone Ethan constantly thinks ‘what if’ about. What if I met her first? What if I never met Lena? What if I just almost kiss her a time or two and we snuggle up and sleep together? Here’s my what if. What if Liv had been a guy named Leo and we were spared all of this nonsense? Liv’s being female didn’t add anything to the story and could have been left out. I’m sick of this triangle plot.
It. Is. Unnecessary.
The story in this installment didn’t draw me in and I couldn’t care about Lena. She became very unsympathetic and I don’t like her any more. And after all of this, this journey to save her, her involvement with someone else (which is overlooked), the pain she has caused Ethan, in the end, she chooses NOT to choose. She doesn’t claim herself, she claims nothing and does nothing. That’s it, for all of this waste of time, all the sacrifices everyone makes for her and they are monumental, she chooses not to be good or bad, to just be her. So we can expect that sometimes she’s going to do bad things and sometimes good? Not a character to whom I can feel any connection.
And what is with all the “L” names? Link. Lila. Lena. Liv. Leah. Lucille. Larkin.
This reason it gets a two instead of a one is because there were a few small things that I liked or that surprised me.
The Caster cat was a nice addition as was learning more about Amma and members of Ethan’s family. Finding out more about Ethan was interesting, but not enough to save the book. Macon. Ethan's voice and observations. The mystery of John Breed wasn’t really developed enough, but I guess that’s for one of the next books.
All in all, this book was very uneven and tough to get through.

AND oh my goodness, it just occured to me. Marian the Librarian! Not even original. Anyone seen the Music Man?

*edit* I hve learned my lesson, it was difficult and I had to suffer extreme eye rolling and boredom but I have seen the light. I'm done with this series and don't care how it ends. I'm giving up on series that have so little to them that they shouldn't be serialized and don't have any growth in the characters and waste my time.

[Joyzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY WTB NON-SPOILER REVIEW



Seriously? This Book, three words honey---What The Buck!!!---(Can't bucking believe I'm using this pseudo-curse BUCK YOU! YOUTUBE)



Well what can I say O_o???

*speechless for a moment*

This book is totally bad-ass, awesome, epic, pawned, heart-stopping, hair-raising, spine-tingling, thrilling, electrifying, breath taking, totally wicked yada yada. I can go on and on but I think my limited vocabulary won't do it justice.

Stars speak for yourself. Ah Hello! Hi there Blindy! Look 5 stars! 5 stars means awesome AMAZING, right? *retarded face*

This book is like a puzzle(can't believe I'm doing bucking similes), it started out without any sense and lots of mysteries and questions but once pieces and pieces adds up and then you get to see at the end the finish work and it all made sense now that you know how beautiful and complicated the story is.

And can I just add how creepy the book is and I was like, "Mom I swear I'm not hallucinating I can't sleep in my room and I think there's an Incubus in my closet!" And then Mom would replied, "Are you on drugs?" **Insert my WTB face here**



And It's like Romeo and Juliet people! Only creepier, awesomer, insanier, bad-asser eer eer eer eer eer eer eer eer eer eer eer...for buck's sake!

Okay I promise this review won't contain any spoilers so I'm using tuuuuuuut! (Yeah I know, genius right?)

I can't believe that Macon and tuuuuuuuut! were ex-lovers I was like Kami, Margaret BUCK YOU!!! And Ridley become tuuuuut and Link become tuuuuuuut and Ethan was the bucking tuuuuuuuut! Ethan falling in love with tuuuuuuut and Lena ditching Ethan for tuuuuuuuut(I know, Holy Buck right?). The villains are bucking tuuuuuuuuuuuut. The new villain is tuuuuuuuut! Liv sacrificing her tuuuuuuuuuuut in the end. And then the tuuuuuuuuuuuuuts showing up in the end. And then tuuuuuut and tuuuuuuut died in the end. And then Lena was bucking tuuuuuuuuuut in the end. And John was half tuuuut and half tuuuuuut. And the cat, yes the CAT! was tuuuuuuuuuut and I was like WHAT THE BUuuuuuuuuuUCK. And seriously 18 moons??? Where this would all stop! Now I'mma shut up. (Wow it rhymes, Bucking shit!)

Just read this Motherbuckers!

Say it again BUCK, BUCK, BUCK!!!
__________________________________
Thoughts Before I Read This
10.12.2010
OH MY GOD!

I went to National Bookstore today since I bought a rubik's cube for my brother and I was surprised that the book was released today. I was so happy a softbound was already available but it was still expensive (399php) and now I really need to make ipon (translation: to save money) T_T.

PS: The cover's gorgeous!

[Charlotte May · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

"There were too many things out there to be afraid of, too many to fight. It was a wonder anyone in Gatlin slept at all."

I enjoyed this return into the Caster world, with all the old characters as well as some new faces. After the drama caused at Lena's sixteenth birthday, everything in the Caster world has changed, and no one is prepared.
Evil forces are at work - Sarafine is up to her tricks, and Lena has still not chosen whether she will be a light or a dark caster.
Her relationship with Ethan becomes strained, particularly when a new girl arrives to work in the Gatlin library.
I liked the twists and turns the story took like when Ridley has her powers taken away from her, and when Macon returns from the dead
It was easy to get swept back up in this world, it has a bit of everything - humour, romance, fantasy and darkness. It is definitely my guilty pleasure and I am going to order book 3 from the library!

"I think you'll find the impossible is possible more often than we think, particularly in the Caster World."

[Krys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Darkness is a reread for me. I read it first in July of 2010, when I couldn't talk about the book because everything I might talk about could be construed as a spoiler. Sitting down to type this now, however, I realize that pretty much everything I can say about this book even now is an actual spoiler, and that makes it hard to write a review that will not offend someone.

But I'm going to try. Because I can. And because my previous boasty review of this needs to be stricken.

* Spoilers for those who have not read Beautiful Creatures *


Lena's sixteenth birthday has come and gone. The claiming failed and now Lena is stuck between two states, the dark and the light, with both sides warring for her powers. She is heartbroken over her Uncle Macon's death and this puts a lot of strain on her relationship with Ethan. Ethan is not the same either; he sees visions and longs for the relationship he once had with Lena. But as the months stretch onto her seventeenth birthday Lena begins to drift from him. She is spending more time with the Dark Casters in her family. Ethan finds comfort in the Librarian with Marian and, more importantly, Marian's British research assistant, Liv. Lena's birthday rocked the supernatural foundation of Gatlin to its core and, as the book goes on, Ethan vows to find a way to bring back the girl he loves.

There's a piece in the middle of these books where the pacing is incredibly slow. I didn't notice it on the first reads because I was impatient to know what the hell was going on. I'm noticing it more on the second read, a dull middle bit where the reader wades through the plot like quick sand. I know it's intentional, and therefore I can't fault it on the author's part. These books are always plot heavy in the end and world building/character heavy in the front. It's just the way that Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl structure their novels. However, it has been noted - the middle drags a little. Make a note as a reader and do not be surprised.

The characters are what really shine in these books though. Ethan has always been a favourite male narrator of mine. His resourcefulness and empathetic nature have always appealed to me. His love for Lena is both tragic and beautiful. These two are fundamentally different people - he's human and she is, well... not. It causes some ripples in their relationship throughout the entire series. That they keep trying to be together, despite the odds, is what makes these books work. The doomed nature of their relationship is gorgeous.

The side characters are also a fantastic addition - Link and Ridley, Amma and *sniff* Macon, the great Aunts, Lena's Caster family, even some of the cattier girls at Ethan and Lena's school figure in well to the story. Without some human element of drama it would fall flat, and the high school addition reminds us that Ethan, at least, is human.

The latter part of this book is where the action really sings. And I had forgotten the ending, particularly the bit about the older woman (I hope I am being nebulous enough). That was my favourite part of the book.

So, with Darkness done we march onto Beautiful Chaos, with a vengeance.

5 out of 5 stars. I still love it, even with the drag. We all need a little drag in our lives, sometimes.

- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I've missed you Gatlin. The one thing that really stands out to me about this series... isn't the incredible cast of characters or the engrossing story.... it's the setting. I LOVE GATLIN. I want to live there.... eat Amma's pies, ride in Link's Beater to the Dar-ee Keen, waft in the scent of lemon trees at Ravenwood. There is something truly addicting about Gatlin... and I often find it hard to withdrawal from the world within the pages.

Beautiful Darkness is one word is intense. So much more happens to our beloved, Ethan and Lena. Beautiful Creatures was just the tip of the iceberg.... All that Caster information is well below the surface and I have a suspicion that Beautiful Darkness didn't even reveal it all.

The plot was a little slow at times for me.... I knew we were getting to something huge, but it just felt like it took forever to get there! Although, it was totally worth all the suspense that had built up in those five hundred some pages. Loved the new characters in this novel! Liv and John.... and I loved how Link and Ridley took some of the focus too! I am very interested to see what these new characters have in store for us in the next two books!

These are beautifully written novels and I truly admire Kami and Margie's talent! You ladies rock my world. This novel was great on its own... but I think it sets up something epic for book three.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHAT ABOUT LIV???

Like Beautiful Creatures, this sequel drew me in with the lush, vivid descriptions and fascinating characters. However, Beautiful Darkness suffers from the same problems that plagued its predecessor: uneven pacing and a confusing ending that solves few of the problems that have been building up for 500 pages. And who am I kidding--I'm knocking off a star for my favorite character, Liv, who really gets shafted in this book.

The delightful supporting cast is my favorite part of this series. These two authors can be masters of characterization. From Amma, Marian, and Macon to Link, Ridley, and Liv, this series contains an impressive supporting cast of witty, brave, and loyal characters. These characters come alive for me, and I look forward to any scenes with them. Where the book struggles is with the leads. Ethan is a sweet voice for the story but perhaps not particularly realistic for a 16 year-old-boy. And I admit--I've never been crazy about Lena. The authors did such a good job having Lena push Ethan away that I didn't WANT Ethan to go back to Lena. I understood he needed to help her and would always be there for her, but I thought a teen paranormal novel would finally break from the predicable relationship pattern and provide a fresh twist...and that brings me to Liv.

I adore Liv. She's brilliant, loyal, and caring, and she could have been the sunshine Ethan needed after so much darkness. By half way through the book, I was completely cheering for Ethan and Liv. I thought, "Finally! We get a unique story where the guy and the girl (Ethan and Lena) DON'T end up together but everyone's still happy and the choices feel real." Nope. I thought for sure the book was establishing that you can find love again after loving someone you can't be with. Yeah, he'd always love Lena (like his Mom loved Macon) but he could find sunshine, warmth, love, and acceptance with someone else. I just loved how Ethan described Liv...how he said it felt like he'd known her forever, how easy and natural it was to be with her, how warm and caring she was. How could he throw that away to jump right back to Lena's cold, dark arms? I was beyond disappointed when in the wrap-up at the end, Liv was relegated to a few quick sentences after she sacrificed so much and had such a natural, healthy connection with Ethan.

Was it just me, or did this book feel like it could have been about 100 pages shorter? I remember feeling that way when I read Beautiful Creatures, too. The world created by Garcia and Stohl is rich, captivating, and original; however, the pacing is uneven with huge chunks of the book that slow to a crawl and delve into talking about the same problems again and again and again (you get the point). And after reading SO MUCH about the problems and conflicts, you expect a little resolution at the end. Nope. Just more confusing, vague endings that aren't really endings at all and more "choices" that aren't really choices. At the end, didn't you feel like you were back where you were at the end of Beautiful Creatures? After 1000+ pages, I really need a little resolution, here, instead of dragging out the same problem for two books.

Will I read the next installment? Yes, but I hope the authors provide a real ending at some point. There's a way to end a book (that's part of a series) where the reader feels satisfied and it feels like an ending, and yet the door is open for sequels. I hope at some point the books in this series can give readers this kind of a satisfying ending. (And here's to hoping Liv gets an ending she deserves.)

[Marnie (Enchanted Bibliophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still totally captivated by this series.
The dept and complexity of the plot just keeps getting better and better. There is so much more to this book and answers so many of the questions I had in the first book.

So why the four star rating? Well Lena.
I just couldn't like her in this book and I'm not sure I want to like her. And she influence everyone around her to be lesser of what I would like them to be. This is actually a excellent quality the writers have, to portray this influence so correctly. But that didn't make me want to stab Lena less.

The setting of this book and the new "world" - for lack of better word - was awesome. I love that we get go down into the Caster tunnels and get to know more Casters and the humans assisting them. I love how complex this "sixteenth moon" has become.

I can't wait to see where our journey takes us next.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 2 out of 5]

After loving the first book in the series, this disappointed me. It picks up after Lena's birthday where she still hasn't chosen a side and there is a love triangle thrown in there too for no absolute reason.

Both Ethan and Lena became different people. I liked both of them in the first book but in this they both became so annoying and made stupid decision after stupid decision. Link, Macon and Ridley were the only ones that I found interesting to read about. I would have liked it more if it didn't drag this much.

I tried but didn't like it as much as I had wanted to.

2 stars

[Caru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 Stars

My Opinion of this Book: WOW. This one definitely surprised me. A lot of improvement over the first book.
__________________________________________________

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this book. Yeah, the first book was good, but that's it, it was just good. I couldn't get into Beautiful Creatures until over the 250 page mark, it was so slowwwwww. The ending on that one is what saved the book for me. But damn was I shocked when I read Beautiful Darkness! Sure, it took me a long time to read, but that's because I didn't want this book to end. I was hooked from the start and incredibly amazed by everything about this book.

THE GOOD.
●The Plot/Storyline: In the small southern town where nothing ever happened, everthing was suddenly crazy ever since Ethan Wate met Lena Duchannes, who showed him a secret world that was hidden right there all along. Curses, ancient secrets.

After Lena suffers a tragic loss, she starts to pull away from Ethan, while he has strange visions that just bring him deeper into Gaitlin's scary history. Will their relationship go back to the normal?

This book was definitely more fast-paced than the first and filled with unexpected plot twists and a cliffhanger ending that will leave you dying for more!

●Ethan Wate: In the genre of YA, we don't see much of male POVs, and I am so glad that this one goes against the typical and has Ethan as our main character. I, personally, enjoy male POVs more than that of a females for some reason. And Ethan is no expectation! I absolutely adore him -his manners, his curiosity, his intelligence, etc. In my opinion, he's one of the best voices in YA. He's also definitely swoon-worthy.

●John Breed:

He's evil and everything bad, but how can you not like him? I mean, in the famous words of TayTay: "He's so bad but he does it so well." ~Wildest Dreams


●Link: Linkkkkkkk! This guy can lighten up the room and make people crack a smile even in the darkest times. Seriously, though, he's hilarious. Definitely a well crafted character!

●Riley: We're used to seeing this cold-hearted side of Riley, but in this one we see a whole different side of her. We see this broken, wanting, girl. She still has her sassy moments though. I actually really liked her.

●The Writing: The writing is just so -ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS. These authors can never do me wrong with their writing. It's just so good and fitting.

●The Ending: Such a surprise! Definitely a cliffhanger a.k.a. I need to get my hands on the next book!!

THE BAD.
●Lena: I'm sorry, but she was so whiny and annoying, like no, just stop. It's a good thing that she redeemed herself in the end though.

OVERALL.
I'd recommend this series, even though the first one may seem a bit dull, but you just have to continue with the series and it definitely gets better!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book from Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl! Yay!

I must admit, Beautiful Darkness took much longer for me to get into than Beautiful Creatures. Garcia and Stohl tend to throw plenty of description and information at the reader for the first three hundred pages, and makes you think, How is this all going to come together? However, they weave that into a heart-stopping climax that makes you regret ever doubting them in the first place. This novel is quite different that the last book. For the most part, the setting is very different, and the romance between Ethan and Lena is no longer at center stage. No complaints here, since I loved the development of the Caster world and look forward to seeing more of it in future installments.

My favorite thing about Beautiful Creatures was its cozy, Southern setting and characters. In Beautiful Darkness, like I said, the setting may be different some of the time, but the characters are still there. I loved the development of some of the supporting characters. Ridley was probably my favorite character from the last book, so seeing her become one of the main characters in this novel was refreshing. And, even though they only seemed to be used for the progression of the plot, the additions of Liv and John were nice, too. Oh, and Lucille the cat is very present in this book, too. What's not to love about that?

Lena was absent for long stretches of this book, and I must admit, I did miss her. Some loathe her character, but I find her to be a refreshing change of pace from all the other YA heroines out there (-cough- Bella, Ever, Luce, Zoey -cough-). Also, I know some do not like Ethan’s point of view because they feel he is not a realistic teenager, but I don’t think he is terribly unrealistic.

Overall, these two authors fascinated me again; there’s a reason why this is my favorite YA paranormal series. The cliffhanger ending left me staring at the page blankly (and angrily), and I cannot wait for the next installment.

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 2 out of 5]

If the whole book had been like the last 80 pages, it might have received a higher rating from me. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy the fact that the two main characters were pretty much separated for most of the story.

Having to accompany Ethan on his journey to "save" Lena was a long, drawn out process. The group was searching, then back home, searching, then back home. I started skimming after a while.

The highlight of Beautiful Darkness was the complicated relationship between Ridley and Link. I am interested to see what happens between these two, especially after the ending left me questioning Ridley's motives yet again.

[Rollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

New mysterious student.

Hot.

Pale.

Love story.

Crap. Aren’t we all tired of this formula at the beginning? Basically, from what I listed above, you could immediately think of twilight. Talking about it, it’s really sad that lots of writers do influenced by twilight that no matter how original the concept they have, you could still notice stain from twilight.

However, I’m guessing the authors’ references in making this book are the following:
Twilight. I mentioned it already.

Harry Potter. Remember the twist of Macon? It is the same twist applied into this book as what Rowling did to Severus Snape. Not to mention that Lila spelled like Lily.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Come on tunnels! Who’s your daddy now, Daedalus?

Mortal Instruments. Simon was bit by a vampire, yet able to jerk around under the sun. Please tell me that Link couldn’t do that too.

Other things that I noticed aside from being unoriginal:
The book has a rough transition that evokes every reader how it consists of two authors. Look at this, try to skip the first half of the book and you’ll still understand the story because aside from transition, the story is sometimes redundant.

The book has useless scenes and even chapters. As if they were inserted for the sake of making this book lengthy--unnoticing that it caused the book to become a package of boringness.

Despite of the negas I’d written, I liked this book. Why? The concept of this book is quite interesting. The classification of Supernaturals is unique, as well as their abilities. The chants were fascinating, too.

The attack of twists was sudden, even though the clues were given. This book will let you create theories but you’ll end up disappointed to yourself for finding out that you’re wrong. Otherwise, you’ll be surprised and amazed for you won’t notice the twists are coming.

Lastly, I liked this book because it somehow brag something despite of being judge of having unoriginal concepts—the CASTER word itself, much more the world behind it.

[Marija *I'm nothing but a slave of my misery* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. God. This was even better than the first one! I know that Lena was a major bitch and whiny like hell but it was so moving that I couldn't stop reading it. Even if I needed 5 days to finish it. Real world got in the way -.-

Guess what? We have a love triangle! Surprise, surprise. I don't count John Breed as a part of any love interest (he's mine!!!!) so let's say that triangle consist of Lena, Ethan and someone else. You'll have to read the book to find out. Yes, I'm that evil. Though, in the end, it didn't feel like there was some sort of a love triangle at all.

New characters, new characters! Dead ones coming to life again. Old ones losing their powers and gaining some new ones. Surprising secrets. Action waiting behind every corner. People, you gotta read this!!!

Like with every main female character in sequels, Lena was a whiny one. Seriously, all that whining about her being different and not accepted and undecided is so exhausting. Give me a break, would ya?! I have a feeling it's going to become even worse because "oh, god, I've changed everything! What am I supposed to do?!?!"....

Beside Lena, everything else was great. There were so many secrets discovered in this that I don't know how I was able to take it all in. That's what made this book so interesting. But I still think that authors saved a lot more for next books.

Can Ridley and Link get together already? Guess not.

Going to impatiently wait for my wallet to magically fill itself up so I can buy the next one in the series...

[Neil (or bleed) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Darkness is a very much appropriate title.

Beautiful Darkness started very dark. The darkness of melancholy, grief and sorrow. And I can't blame Lena for being so emotional with the loss. I knew the feeling, to be honest. Then the following chapters continued to go dark. Darkness as in real darkness.

There are interesting characters that has been summoned in this second book of the Beautiful Creatures series:

LIV: She is actually my favorite in here. Her wit and knowledge contributed a lot for the sake of Ethan. At first, I considered her as a normal girl but it turned out she's not.

JOHN BREED: I won't tell you what exactly he was but he's different. And my mind had this commotion right now thinking if he is in good side or not.

ABRAHAM RAVENWOOD: The pioneer. The starter. *insert swear words*

LEAH: A badass Succubus.

And other new interesting characters like Lucille that has a vital role in the story.

Okay, I almost forgot. There are lot of mysteries slash revelations slash twists slash turns slash revelations again that made me think my brain is a time bomb ticking ready to explode. What sorcery is this! I can't contain what I've found out at first but in the end I managed to enclosed it in my brain. Actually, a lot of times I witnessed myself swearing.

I really enjoyed the book and the feeling it Casted on me. :)

[Kt · Rating 5 out of 5]

After not being claimed for darkness like she feared, you would expect Lena to be happy to be able to stay with Ethan. However her guilt from her Uncle's death is threatening to consume her and causes Lena to pull further and further away from Ethan. When Ethan starts having mysterious visions again, this time without Lena, he knows she is in trouble, but he just isn't sure what the danger really is. When Lena really starts to take a turn for the worst, Ethan may just be the only person who can save her from herself, but what happens when she doesn't want to be saved?

The teen love angst was majorly stepped up in this book. It really surprises me to say this, but I actually think the angst added to the story. Usually this is something that will turn me off of a series, but it was handled perfectly in this book. Everything between Ethan and Lena is thoroughly strained, ripped, torn apart. It's almost as if all of their differences grew together and formed an impenetrable wall between the two of them. However, while the issues between them made for a terribly nail biting read, if they can overcome those obstacles, they will only come out the other side that much stronger. I really enjoy these two together and I hope their relationship will stand the test of time despite the road blocks along the way.

A lot of questions get answered in this book. Many of those answers are ones you will never see coming. Things are really starting to come all together and the events in the past have woven a very intricate web to lead into the present. It's amazing to see how everything has led up to the current events, and its hard to believe there is still plenty we do not know. This book really has just the right amount of revelations to really keep the pace going, but it leaves plenty of mystery as well. This is a really fine line to follow, and can be one of my biggest pet peeves in a book. Too little information and the book is very frustrating, but too many revelations can become boring as there is no mystery left. I am very impressed with the way this series is progressing and handling the "information and mystery" issues.

If you thought the stakes were high in the first book, this one steps it up that much further. Be prepared to sit on the edge of your seat the entire book. I couldn't read it any faster! This book will definitely grip you every bit as hard as the first one. After the revelations in this book, I cannot imagine the direction the next book will have to take. If you enjoyed the first book, this one surely will not disappoint. If you are anything like me, as soon as you finish this book, you will be counting down until the next one.

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't have high expectations for this book after how the first book was somewhat disappointing, but I surprisingly really enjoyed this one! It was a big improvement from Beautiful Creatures and thank goodness there was less mention of Confederates in this book. Still could've used a bit more representation though...

The plot of the book seems so simple and laid out based on the ending of the first book, but plot twists come out of no where that take the story in an interesting direction. I was pleasantly surprised by all the twists in the book. I thought it would be a repetition of the first book, but this one made the characters more complex and I loved getting to explore the Tunnels. The Tunnels are the kind of thing that I'd love to see a video game made about.

This book was a bit slow at first, but I'm not complaining too much. We got so many Ridley and Link moments that made my heart sore. Ridley and Link are such great characters and I'm dying to read the Dangerous Creatures series that seems to focus on those two characters.

One of the cool things about this book is that even though it's a fantasy/paranormal book, there was a great depiction of grief and guilt in this book. Grief is a topic that's often skimmed over in books, but the authors chose to dive deep into this topic and accurately portray how death effects the living. I really appreciate that.

Overall I highly enjoyed this one. If you can make it through the first book in this series, I really hope you enjoy Beautiful Darkness as much as I did.

[High Lady of The Night Court · Rating 4 out of 5]

I HAVE NOW OFFICIALLY FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THIS SERIES!!!
This book started of pretty slow but once the plot started I was hooked. The world of the Casters and their history and everything gets even more complicated and interesting and l loved it.
We are introduced to new characters who are very fascinating( some good, some BAD). And I just have say this, the poems just keep coming don't they(not that I mind them- i like them).
Ethan is, honestly, an amazing person. He doesn't give up, is brave, and i know he will do what it takes to protect those he cares about.
This book gets a 4 from me, and I look forward to the next one.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this much more than the first book.
The pacing and character development were a lot easier to keep track of here.
Also there was way more action and adventure type stuffs.
Plus Macon wasn't for reallly dead, so it's cool.

[Ceilidh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sorry to say it was a disappointment. The first book had moments of pacing difficulties but here they seemed to spiral out of control. There was no real beginning, middle or end to the story; it all just dragged out and felt like it was pushed together out of scraps of story and scenes. This book is over 500 pages long and you feel each of those 500+ pages, especially since the plot seems to have wandered off somewhere. Everything wandered from one scene to another with no real order or point. A strict editor could easily have taken a hundred or so pages from this story. It wouldn’t have been perfect but it would have flowed much easier.


I really liked ‘Beautiful Creatures’ for a number of reasons as I mentioned above, but none of these things were present in this sequel – the mythos remains interesting and well crafted but it’s so clumsily put into the story with giant chunks of show-don’t-tell that it adds yet more speed-bumps to a story that desperately needs an energy boost. Ethan’s narration remains likeable enough but there are more points in this story where he doesn’t feel authentically male than in the previous story. Love stories may not be my favourite element in paranormal YA these days but it’s still important to make me care about the romantic leads and I just didn’t care about Lena in this story. Forget the fact that she’s barely in half of it; when she is there her actions didn’t do much to make me sympathise with her. In the previous book I understood her emotions and while I empathise to an extent here, her moments of ignorance, cruelty and just plain old stupidity drove me nuts. Stupidity should not drive the plot. This also left me wondering why the hell Ethan was so obsessively in love with Lena, especially since there were so many more interesting things about Ethan I wanted to know about, such as the return of his dad into his life after the events of the previous story. There were some small moments between Ethan and his dad where I really wanted to read more instead of that dreaded yet inevitable trope of the YA genre – the love triangle. Or rather a love square if I must be precise.

With the added possible love interests in the story, I just didn’t care if Ethan or Lena ended up with someone different, although I admit to liking Ethan’s possible future English girlfriend Olivia more than I liked Lena. The moping and wondering just added more padding to a story that really doesn’t need it. But what disappointed me most about ‘Beautiful Darkness’ was something missing from the first book – the atmosphere. Garcia and Stohl did a great job in capturing the claustrophobic feeling of being stuck in a small town where everybody knew everything and gossip could ruin your life. It was like a lighter Southern Gothic but every bit just as effective and it was completely missing in this book. There was no tension, no atmosphere, no foreboding sense of something suspicious in the foreground and the book seriously suffers for it. That’s why this book was such a disappointment. I expected so much more and it just fell flat and didn’t deliver.

‘Beautiful Darkness’ was such a letdown and I’m so disappointed that it didn’t live up to its predecessor. While the prose is still serviceable, the majority of the characters likeable and the mythos unique and interesting, the lack of plot, terrible pacing and lack of anything actually happening vastly outweigh the positives. If I’m completely honest, a lot of the time it felt like Garcia and Stohl were making it up as they went along, and with news that the series will go onto book 4 with more possibly on the horizon, I can’t see that as a good thing. The novel ends on a sort of (lazy contrived) cliff-hanger for book 3 which feels like the story is being dragged out like it’s part of the Saw franchise, and beyond it being uninteresting and thrown together solely for sequel bait, the story can only suffer as a result. I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of the ‘Beautiful Creatures’ series, I just don’t care enough.

[AH · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a sombre, dreary beginning.

That was my first update on this book and unfortunately the first 200 pages are just that: Sombre, dreary, with lots of crying and sadness. I wanted to like this book. I really did. I liked its predecessor Beautiful Creatures. But this book just didn’t do it for me.

Why the 3 star rating? There were a lot of things that I did enjoy in the book:

I liked the Caster magic and lore. Every reference to Caster magic was interesting and well thought out. I liked that the Caster world existed in plain sight of our world. I liked how each member of Lena’s family had different abilities.

The cultural references were fun. There were references to the prime directive from Star Trek, Superman’s kryptonite, even Aquaman. Sadly, there were no references to Scooby Doo, the one cartoon show that seemed to fit in well especially when the gang was in the spooky Caster tunnels. (Thank you, Greta for that image!)

The secondary characters were amazing. I enjoyed Link’s happy-go-lucky go with the flow character. Link also had special skills in the lock picking field. While his language was not necessarily representative of an average 17 year old boy, Link provided some much needed comic relief.

Liv was an interesting character. Not one to follow the prime directive or Marian’s annoying non-interference policy, Liv was a great resource of information for Ethan. She also provided a sexy, British accented, secondary love interest for Ethan as well. Yes, the love triangle has made an appearance. The best surprise was Ridley. I’ll just leave it as that so as not to spoil the story. Special mention goes to Lucille Ball, the Caster cat.

There were a lot more things that I disliked about this book. First of all, it was way too long and could have been edited down. It was a slow read for me. Nothing really happens in the first 200 pages except that the main characters are mopey and sad. How many 17 year old boys cry as much as Ethan does? I hated Lena in this book. I felt absolutely no connection to her. I wanted Ethan to hook up with Liv. She would have made a better match for him. I really did not understand why Ethan’s father was returned to the story. Was it so that he could have the birds and the bees talk with Ethan? Right after that, he seems to disappear into his study yet again.

While I enjoyed the exciting conclusion to the book, I was disappointed with the last page. I kept turning the page and when it kept coming up blank, I was mad. When I saw a reference to 18 moons, all I could think about was another book was coming.

[~Tina~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

Beautiful Darkness is like drinking a cup of hot cocoa. It's rich, smooth and made to be drunk read slowly to savor ever delicious word.

Struggling with the loss of her Uncle's death, Lena is very different from the first book. In a nut shell? She's lost. Very.Very Lost.
I have to admit, I was pretty frustrated with her character through out most of this book, but her journey was necessary to find her true path.
Ethan totally owned this one. His love, his strength and his courage was something to be proud of. I loved the new twists concerning his role. Brilliant!

This series is one of my all time favorites. It's filled with wonderful Southern charm. Thick surrounding's. Magical and mysterious characters and a concept so rich you could taste it.
Lots of surprises happen. New characters and a bunch of new twists to get your mind spinning. I was completely intrigued and loved every second of this Amazing world.

More Please!

[Amber J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.

So right off the bat I wasn't really wanting to read this one. I choose to due to a challenge in my group. I had hoped that once I started I would lose myself in the world of the book. I did some what, but not like I was hoping. Through a combination of reading and listening I managed to get through it. For whatever reason though I just didn't like this one as much as the first.

I gotta say that in my opinion, Lena acted badly. She handled the whole thing badly and made a bad situation worse. I like Ethan as he is loyal to Lena, but overly loyal if you ask me and a part of me thinks that he would be better off moving on. Link is super loyal. Not only to his best friend but also to Ridley who has done nothing to earn his loyalty. Speaking of Ridley, I actually like her a lot. She a complex character and that catches my attention. It will be interesting to see how she turns out by the end of the book. And finally Liv. I honestly don't know how I feel about Liv other than pity. She got the crap end of the stick in more than one way.

There were a few things I saw coming, and one thing I was wrong about. Over the plot was ok. Its got everything I expect from a YA book. Which is probably why I feel there are a lot of similarities to other popular YA series. The romance in the series doesnt really hold me ones from similar series do. It just doesn't have that great chemistry that gets my heart pumping.

I love all the food mentions though. I love food, and I love cooking. Many of these dishes I never even heard of. Now I want to start looking them up and try out a few new dishes. I'm from up north so thats probably part of the reason I never heard of some of these dishes.

All in all I'll probably continue the series. I hope this was a case of 'second book slump' and not a beginning to the series decline, but I guess I'll find out.

How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. Had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't really like it. Didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other then for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread again ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this again, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this books content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!

[s-hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Definitaly worth the wait. There were parts where I laughed, parts where I cried, parts where I screamed. This book has it all!

[Lyndz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so bad. I quite enjoyed the first one, I thought Beautiful Creatures was a much needed break from the tedious plots in YA fantasy fiction. This one, well, not so much.

Let me get my gripes out of the way right off the bat.

What’s it called when in a plot the protagonist is faced with an insurmountable problem and then all the sudden the author creates a seemingly random solution without any prior mention of the solutions existence? I know there is a name for this but I can’t remember it. For example the protagonist is faced with a army of zombies intent upon his brains with his back to a cliff with no other option but to jump to his death or be eaten, and then all the sudden an eagle swoops down and saves him. Where this eagle came from or why he would want to save the protagonist has not been hinted to or mentioned prior to this point. Whatever this is called, this technique was way overused in Beautiful Darkness. It's called Deus ex machina. (thank you Chance)

One of my favorite things in Beautiful Creatures was Lena and her relationship/interactions with Ethan. In this installment in the Caster Chronicles Lena was a big bitch and her and Ethan were hardly around each other at all until the end, so 2 of the things that made this series great in my eyes were eliminated. And what was up with Liv, did anyone else really like her only to have Ethan break her heart and ruin her future? That part didn’t sit well with me at all.

On the positive side, There were some cool action scenes in this book, but not as many as I was hoping for.
Amma is still awesome, she is still one of my favorite characters. I want to try her pies! Of course there is Macon, who can say no to a book with a suave southern gentleman? And Link just simply cracks me up. I really do love the characters in these books. That, and because I liked the first one is why I am going to give it 3 stars instead of 2.

I don’t know if I will read the Beautiful Chaos. At least, I am not planning on rushing off to the book store or library to get it. I will wait and see if it is released in audiobook format at my library and then if I have nothing else to read, I will check it out.

[Krystle · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has taken me almost eight years to finish this book. I tried to read this three times, the last time on audiobook. I only persevered because I had won this as a giveaway on Goodreads and the book is signed by both authors. I liked the first one. In fact, I thought it was fun with a fresh perspective of reading a YA book from a male pov.

This one I absolutely deplored.

I hated how the only plot and conflict revolved around some overly dramatic love triangle for our leads and some very out of character moments. I thought their behaviors were ridiculous. I absolutely despised how Lena constantly gaslighted Ethan on his feelings and the state of their relationship. He expressed his concerns and worries multiple times and the only responses Lena would give him was that he didn't understand because he was a mortal and not magical like she was. Or whenever he would mention John and how she seemed to be very familiar with him and she would only say it's not what it looks like.

NO.

That's not how a healthy couple should communicate. All she's doing is undermining his concerns and that somehow he's the one at fault for feeling this way. You know, Lena could have just expressed that she was feeling scared, anxious, guilty, or even just confided a bit about what was going on with her - otherwise why do you call yourselves partners, friends, in the first place? You don't build connections with people if you keep them at a distance - it could have promoted an active conversation and alleviated some of his misgivings.

But no. The majority of these scenes mostly felt like filler and made the pacing far too slow for my liking.

I'm sorry but this was not a good book.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - I was so hesitant to pick this up after I really didn't enjoy the 1st one, but it proved me wrong. It still was a light read, not too much thinking needed, quite the simple story (i.e. many turns in the story happened because of random people showing up out of nowhere helping the main character). What I liked was how easy the story read. I caught myself reading, reading, reading until there were another 100 pages done. Another thing I enjoyed was that the annoying teenage relationship drama was kept to a minimum (because the female main character was absent for most of the book..). Ethan really was a great guy to read about, and very realistic in his actions and feelings. He was mad, angry, frustrated at just the right things and never came across whiny or irrationally forgiving. I liked the side characters like Link and Olivia. They added a nice extra element and some more interest to the story. I will be continuing with the series since this turned out to be such an easy and quick read. My inner nerd wants me to end the entire story haha