Lainie Gracewood has turned her back on the world she used to call home. But who can blame her? After all, the sweet bliss of paradise is hard to resist.
But there’s a restlessness inside her that yearns to be set free. When a native Edenite discovers the boundary between Earth and Eden, Lainie promises herself a return will be short and sweet.
As always, Earth is more complicated than that. When a Guardian is abducted, the urge to protect the sacred knowledge will see her faced with the ultimate choice: life, death or paradise?
Carolyn lives on a farm on the outskirts of Melbourne with her husband, daughters, her parents and a very needy naked cat called Sly. She has written short stories for 'Aurealis' and 'Andromeda Spaceways' magazines and is currently working on an AI romance series. After that she may just retire to Eden. Apparently they have great music there.
Lainie Gracewood was happy with her life in Eden. The peace and tranquility; the lack of conflict – and with Annie by her side – made her memories of Bane bittersweet. Their parting hadn’t been good, and she knew she was best to stay in Eden. But when Dallmin, one of the longest dwelling Edenites, decided he wanted to move through the boundary to Earth, Lainie knew she had to go as well; she had to keep him safe.
The small town of Nalong, near Bendigo in Victoria, was where Lainie’s family lived. Their farm was all she’d known when she was growing up. But returning from Eden would bring all sorts of problems to Lainie and those she loved. Would she be able to protect the knowledge she now had? Or was the evil too strong for her powers?
Sanguine is the 2nd in the Sentinels of Eden series by Aussie author Carolyn Denman, and I loved it! I thoroughly enjoyed Songlines, the first in the series, and Sanguine doesn’t disappoint. It’s an electric mix of paranormal, mystery and Indigenous heritage which is written for a YA audience, and highly palatable for those of us who haven’t been YA for some time! I’m looking forward to #3 now, and highly recommend the series.
With thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.
Oh my word! The tension in this novel was THERE and I could not put the book down.
Now, I must read book three of this series BECAUSE IT LEFT OFF ON A CLIFFHANGER!!!
If you can't tell, I really enjoyed this book despite chapter 16. (tmi, just skip it)
The characters became even more lifelike and it was hard to put the story down. I loved the parts with Bane and I loved the parts with Lainie and I could keep going. . . All the feels were in this story and a ton happened. It was a bit slow the first few chapters, but Lainie had just come home so it was to be expected. It quickly picked up pace and numerous events started happening.
Ohh, I almost forgot to mention the bad guy. I was not expecting him (not telling you) to be the bad guy, so have fun guessing while I am over here laughing!! He was the definition of bad and I know that we will be seeing him again.
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who have read book one. It will not disappoint.
Personal Rating: 4 Stars
Content Rating: 1 Star (language and some awkward conversations. . .nothing super inappropriate)
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
SonglinesPrivileged to be one of the first to preview the next instalment in the Sentinels of Eden series. Book two offers as much if not more page turning suspense than the first. Lainie's hope and heartache takes me on journey to a place where part of me wants to remain and part of me aches to return. I Find myself looking into the surrounding bushland with new eyes and ears, listening for the music.
In the second Sentinels of Eden book, Sanguine, I loved reading more about Eden, and the innocence of life there. Lainie's experiences in Eden, watching and interacting with the people, are a refreshing picture of what life might have been like without evil. But the shadow of her life and past are always on her mind.
I like the strong characters in this book, the tension between them as they wrestle with what it means to be Guardians of Eden. And how they cope with the tradegy of an innocent life corrupted.
A very enjoyable read that leaves you wondering "What next?"
Could not put this second book down! Great storyline, with a twist at the end that makes your soul cry. Itching for the next one to see where Denman takes us next.
Way more action-packed than the first book, and with higher stakes at the cost of failure, Sanguine is a thrilling read. However I did have some trouble with the first few chapters of the story, because everything's suddenly so different from the previous book it can throw you off a little. But the feeling passed very quickly and soon I was familiarized with everyone and everthing. At times Lainie's demeanor did bother me a bit, and although I understand the reason for her change of character I couldn't help but miss her old personality... (Which we do get to see again in a very satisfying chapter in the end of the book) I was also sometimes bothered by the staggering amount of convenience driven plot, in which super unrealistic decisions are taken for the sake of building up the danger the characters would soon be in... It did take me out of the story from time to time, I'm not gonna lie, but it was easy to overlook and the results always payed off in some really tense scenes.
Overall a great book, and just like the first time, I can't wait to read the next one!
(Disclaimer: Arc provided by Booksirens in exchange for an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily)
This story builds on the spirituality, mystery and wonder of the first book in the series as Lainie explores everything Eden has to offer. With no memory of the traumatic events that prompted her arrival in the Garden, she is happy and carefree, though a deep pull inside stops her from forgetting life outside Eden’s innocent beauty and those she left behind. When she is forced to go after a member of Eden who has crossed the boundary, she struggles to fit back in when she returns to a world filled with hidden dangers, deceit and social rules that bind and taint the inhabitants. Desperate to find the missing Edenite before he is tainted beyond repair, Lainie begins to lose the innocence that protected her from her memories. While I started this book knowing Lainie would have to return to the life she had left behind, I did not expect what would come next, a threat that has been years in the making. As the danger no one could have predicted threatens both Lainie’s life and the safety of Eden, the tension mounts and the full cost of failure is realised. Overwhelming joy is contrasted with devastating loss after Lainie is reunited with those she loves. The young couples who were put through so much in the first book, must come together, with new friends, to stop the unthinkable from happening when a precious life hangs in the balance. It was interesting to watch how the people they encountered interpreted the innocent and playful behaviours of the missing Edenite and Lainie, and sad how they slowly lost that innocence when faced with the reality of everyday life. This was once again a story of choices, and of determining exactly what Lainie was willing and able to do to protect Eden. Pushed to the edge, when faced with a supernatural threat, she is once again forced to choose between a life of innocence and beauty or the world she left behind. Once thing is for sure, the fight is not over for Lainie and her friends, as Eden faces its greatest threat yet. With an ending that is both heartbreaking and uplifting, I am looking forward to discovering what happens next.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a page turner! I could not put this book down. It was such a great mix of action, romance, and suspense. And it is beautifully written. From book 1, I have gotten very attached to all the characters. Their relationships, hopes, and dreams really transpire within the story. The main character Lainie has so much spunk and such a quirky friendship with Noah. I love it! I need to read the next book ASAP.
Sanguine is the second book in the Eden series by Carolyn Denman. We continue to follow Lainie and Noah. However Laine has left Earth for Eden and has no plans to return. Until a friend from Eden goes to Earth because he had seen Lainie and Noah flying and wanted to fly himself. Will Lainie go rescue him? Will Noah and the others forgive her for abandoning them? The story keeps going at an amazing pace, and leaves you another cliff hanger. I can't wait to read the next one!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed the first book and the last 3/4 of this book but I couldn't stand the first part of this. Lainie's spaciness was awful and was driving me crazy with repetitive boredom. Enough already. But finally the story moved on and was good so I'll try the next book
Having read an advanced copy I can definitely recommend Carolyn's second installment. The story feels a bit different to Songlines, with more of a suspense/ thriller feel that keeps you flipping the pages.
Sanguine (The Sentinels of Eden Book 2) by Carolyn Denman is an awesome story to read. This is book number two in this awesome series. I highly recommend this story to all.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksirens and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved book one and this one did not disappoint. Wonderful characters. Beautifully written. Sucks you in right away. What a wonderful world we are sucked into. There is a massive cliffhanger. Be aware. Need book three.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but sadly this one just didn't match up.
It still has some of the elements of the first one: characters, setting, writing style. But the plot wasn't quite there. The first book was more about the world, and the second was more focused on the individuals. It felt kind of narrow and less impactful. When in the end the plot did expand and become more relevant to the whole world, it was really just to set the scene for future books.
I found the "innocence" pretty irritating, frankly, and then there was the fertility thing that just seemed completely pointless and unnecessary. And will Lainie and Bane ever figure themselves out? Whenever they seem to be on the same page something happens and whoops! They're gone again.
I'll read on (though looks like we have a couple of books about Annie and I really have no interest in her), and hope the latter books feel more like the first in the series.