Torn

Trylle #2

by Amanda Hocking

Torn - the second book of the Trylle Trilogy...

Wendy thought she finally understood who she was and what she wanted, but everything changes when the rival Vittra come after her.

She's caught between two worlds, torn between love and duty, and she must decide what life she is meant to lead.

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

291 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2010

About the author

AMANDA HOCKING is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.

Several of her books have made the New York Times Bestsellers list. Her zombie series, The Hollows, has been adapted into a graphic novel by Dynamite. She has published over twenty novels, including The Kanin Chronicles, the Watersong quartet, My Blood Approves series, the Valkyrie duology, and Freeks .

Her newest book is gothic romance written for adults called BESTOW THE DARKNESS.

For more info about her and her books, here are some other places to check out and ways to contact her:

Website: www.hockingbooks.com

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/amandahocking

Instagram: instagram.com/amanda_hocking/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/aehocking


Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/aehocking/

Reviews

[Pearl Angeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when everything changes?

Switched may not be the great introduction to this series, but Torn made it all up. There were a lot of developments here in this book thanks to my new favorite character-- ladies and gentlemen, Loki Staad!

I have to make a special highlight to this awesome character because he deserves it. Loki is one spectacular character. I admired his realness and the way he treated Wendy in this book. He may be a Vittra but he wasn't considered a villain. To be honest, he was the one who totally saved this series. He was created in such a way that readers like me will totally swoon.



Handsome, confident, and one that exudes so many potentials. He should be the male lead. I ship him and Wendy so bad!

Anyway, this book offered revelations-- at long last! In the first book, almost everything was kept in secret to Wendy but this book is a breath of fresh air. Also, Queen Elora finally made a great character development and she no longer played an evil witch in the series.

The plot was good albeit some imperfections (there were still dull moments) but they weren't that bad compared to the first book. There was a twist! But I hate to say that I was spoiled and it's all because of my fault, however it was just mild and my feelings and opinion toward the book were not affected.

There were action scenes but nothing like the first book. Finn, on the other hand, made me feel disappointed. He was a jerk all the time! I hate the way he treated Wendy, the way he basically pushed her away just because he thought he was never enough. He spent so much time wallowing in self-pity and I just didn't like it.

Tove, however, became an addition to my new favorite characters. The guy is a real gentleman. I admired his devotion to Wendy. I also admired Duncan and Rhys. Matt was annoying but he was tolerable though.

Torn had a promising ending. I hope the next and final book will not disappoint because I already find this series captivating. :)

Rating: 4 Stars

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing.
My heart is still torn between Loki and Finn.
(Hehe get the pun?? Torn?? Like the title?)

*laughter slowly dies off..*

my sincere apologies for the intro


My praise for Amanda Hocking:
Thank you for making me die throughout the story.
Thank you for making me cry.
Thank you for granting me two deadly, hot, sexy guys.

I couldn’t have made it through the story without them. ;)

(Guys, I hope that part that you just read about two sexy guys will make you instantly pull out some money from our seemingly broke wallets and buy this book)

I’ll be waiting for you guys to fangirl with me.
Thank you.

[Ahmad Sharabiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torn (Trylle #2), Amanda Hocking
Torn is the second book of the young adult paranormal literature series the Trylle Trilogy. It picks up the story of Wendy Everly and the Trylle that began in Switched. The start of the book begins almost exactly where the end of Switched left off, with Wendy and Rhys running away from the palace in the Trylle's Förening. The two arrive at the home and Wendy attempts to explain to her "host brother" Matt that Rhys is his brother. He reacts with disbelief yet she tells him that she cannot tell him where she has been or Finn's part in it all.While in the midst of trying to understand what has happened, Matt finds a disliking towards Rhys.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: بیست و ششم ماه ژوئن سال 2015 میلادی
عنوان: سرگردان؛ نویسنده: آماندا هاوکینگ ؛ مترجم: میترا فخارها؛ تهران، افق دور، 1391؛ در 408 ص؛ شابک: 9786006003931؛ موضوع: داستانهای کودکان از نویسندگان انگلیسی قرن 21 م
کتاب اول سه گانه تریل (رانده شده) کتاب دوم سه گانه تریل (سرگردان) کتاب سوم سه گانه تریل (شکوفایی) ؛ ا. شربیانی

[Anniebananie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne

Für mich einen Hauch schwächer als der erste Band, da ich die ersten 100 Seiten hier doch eher langweilig und langatmig fand. Den Rest habe ich dann wieder an einem Stück weggelesen, da der einfache Schreibstil der Autorin einen geradezu dazu einlädt.
Alles was ich bereits an Band 1 mochte, mochte ich auch hier wieder. Gestört hat mich hier lediglich die Tatsache, dass scheinbar alle männlichen Wesen unserer Protagonistin verfallen egal wie gut oder wenig sie sich kennen...
Ansonsten wurden die Fantasyelemente wie erhofft weiter ausgebaut und erklärt. Dennoch wurde noch genug für den finalen Band offen gelassen, sodass ich wirklich gespannt bin wie die Autorin alles auflösen wird.
Wendy mochte ich nach wie vor ganz gerne, auch wenn sie mir manchmal etwas zu naiv gehandelt hat. Gut fand ich auch, dass wir mehr über Tove erfahren haben, genauso wie über die Geschichte von Vittra und Tryll.
Es wurden auch noch einige neue Charaktere zur Geschichte hinzugefügt, die das ganze nochmal spannend machen. Hier mochte ich vor allem Sara und Loki, aber auch Oren ist ein zumindest sehr interessanter Charakter.
Ich denke ich werde jetzt auch zeitnah den finalen Band lesen :)

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the hell IS this? Did Amanda Hocking miss out on the sixth grade English when they taught the basic outline of a story? There needs to be a beginning ... a middle ... a CLIMAX ... and an end. This wasn’t even a story, it was just a random bunch of non - events.

The most annoying part of this “book” was the complete lack of progress or pacing. The beginning actually wasn’t bad; Wendy was kidnapped by the Vittra and I actually thought the whole book was going to be like this, but no. Once Wendy gets back home, nothing happens at all. There are endless conversations in this book that lead nowhere, talking about what they could do, what they should do, what they want to do, what they plan to do but there is NO ACTION AT ALL. Every time the plot could have gone somewhere, it backed out – the Chancellor suggests an attack, but they say no, they research ways to loophole out of the Vitrra peace agreement, but they don’t find anything. If you aren’t planning on going anywhere with something, then don’t bring it up! Don’t just have pointless, repetitive conversations just to make it novel length!

Speaking of pointless, repetitive conversations, the info dumps annoyed the hell out of me. There would be whole chapters devoted to back story. And for some reason, after every conversation or event, Wendy would feel the need to repeat exactly what happened over again, once again, to what, add page length?

This is the first and last time I ever try an indie author. There’s a reason this “writer” isn’t published except apparently, because of her success, she IS getting published now. (Upon reflection, swearing off all indie authors because of one author is a ridiculous statement to make. Not being traditionally published doesn't really mean you can't write). I don’t know how she became so popular, as everything about her screams “amateur.” I read the epilogue of the final book (I couldn’t bear to read another book of this) just to see how it ends. And ...

(SPOILER OF FINAL BOOK)











... she doesn’t end up with Finn? Because he didn’t fight for her? Wha? I thought it was clear that Wendy understood what had to be done for the sake of the kingdom, and that she could NOT be with him. She explains all the reasons why they can’t be together over and over and over to the reader, yet she still gets pissed? At the beginning of the first book, I actually kind of like Wendy because she was so refreshing. She was very independent, snarky and she actually punched a girl in the face. Not what I’m used to in heroines. But, as usual, she turned out like all the rest being clingy, selfish, whiny and above all, STUPID.

[booknuts_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review found at: www.awesomebooknut.com

Wow…. so many thoughts and feelings. My biggest one, is WHY DIDN’T I READ THIS SOONER! sheesh! so good…

In this one we are introduced to new and exciting characters, things that were kept from Wendy are revealed, some awesome and major character developments happen in this one. It’s just great.

I enjoyed more of Matt, Wendy’s brother and his role in this, I so enjoyed the tension between Wendy and Finn…. *sigh*

But the biggest development that I really enjoyed was the new character Loki…. *sigh Loki* this new character add a whole set of drama and excitement. I totally fell in love with him at first meeting. seriously. As I was reading I kept finding myself ‘torn’ (pun intended) between him and Finn. This is where the romance part of this story gets…complicated. I love how the author made me want to switch sides. I love wanting more of Loki, I loved everything about him. He is kinds, good, honest, and everything that a swoon-worthy male hero should be. I wanted Finn but I kept silently rooting for Loki.

Overall I really enjoyed this middle book, I was a bit nervous thinking it might have “middle book syndrome” which it does NOT. It keeps you wanting more and I love that.

Sexual Content: moderate (things get a little steamy)
Language: moderate (I believe I remember an F word and others)
Violence: moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: mild

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second installment of the Trylle trilogy, we reunite with Wendy inside this strange new world she's still digesting. It's an honorable sequel with a lot of world building, plenty of characterization, and enough twists to keep you enchanted until the end.

Let's start with the world building. In Switched, we're introduced to this new race of Trylle. We meet the queen, we visit the kingdom and we learn where Wendy fits in all of this. Now, in Torn, we go deeper. We learn a lot more about the politics of the Trylle as well as of the Vittra. We get a bigger look at what the future will have in store, not only for Wendy, but for the whole Trylle race. It's clear that this world was made with great effort. Everything is very complex with careful forethought. The story itself, which starts off thick on the action, quickly dwindles down to a smoother course where we concentrate more on plot development. Even though it's not constantly intense or heart pounding, there is enough going on throughout the book to make it easy to fly through it.

We meet again with the wonderful characters from Switched, accompanied by some new faces who are equally endearing. We've had Finn, the sweet, selfless one. Now comes Loki, the willful, irresistible bad boy. He is a great addition to the cast who is quickly becoming my favorite of the male characters. As for our protagonist, Wendy, she has grown from the previous novel. She's more feisty, and has finally started putting her foot down - particularly when it comes to her mother. She also has her brother, Matt, by her side this time. He's a great cornerstone for Wendy and can always be counted on to stand by her. She definitely needs this rock in her life, especially now with Finn acting so cold and moody - which I was a bit disappointed by; I was hoping the passion from Switched would remain, but Torn doesn't hold an abundance of romance. However, there is a new "flirtation" developing that is quite intriguing! It has a forbidden fruit temptation that always gets me enamored.

A delightful sequel- Torn brings us deeper into this world full of trolls and battles; romance and controversies. I strongly suggest you get St. Martin's published copy of this, if not for the beautiful cover, then for the never before published short stories at the end. These takes us into the minds of three of the well loved male characters. And I can assure you, they are well worth it!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 beautiful stars!

You know you have an amazing sequel when you love it more than the first book — and that's exactly the case with Torn! I wasn't expecting to be as blown away as I was but I ended up loving it from the beautiful cover to the heartbreaking end.

From the very first page, I already knew I was going to lose sleep reading this book! It still gives enough information to remind you of what happened in Switched, but the recap isn't boring or overwhelming. We also get to learn more about the Trylle lore, with its beautiful and magical trolls that are separated into two quarreling kingdoms (both of which have automatically made it onto my list of Fictional Places I Want To Live In).

In the first book, Wendy was only discovering her Trylle heritage and she was admittedly a little childish with her actions. But in Torn, you watch her grow and develop and have to go through so many sacrifices to protect her kingdom that you can't help but love her! My heart was on an inconsistent rhythm, but it was always in sync with hers.

Wendy's birth mother, Elora, also surprised me with how much I grew to like her. And even though you watch Wendy's forbidden romance with Finn dwindle before your eyes, which is as painful and heartbreaking to us as it is to her, we get to meet Loki (who completely stole me heart)! How can you not fall for a guy who's fun and sardonic yet still adorably sweet??

Beautifully written and crafted, Torn is a book that I think everyone should have on their shelf! The lore is original and enchanting, the romance is sweet and heartbreaking, and Wendy's sacrifices will tear you apart. I can't wait to get my hands on the final installment! :)

BUY or BORROW?: Definitely a book worth buying! If not for the gorgeous cover, then buy it for the coolest trolls you will ever read about in your life! ;)

(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 2 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Not working for me anymore*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
This review is purely for me and might contain spoilers and facts from the book to keep myself in the known at all time. It's also very long and somewhat detailed.

Second re-read: 03.06.2018
We're back with Wendy Luella Everly (17) who, just weeks ago, found out she's a changeling switched at birth. The time schedule from first book to now is about a month; in book one, it was four months until Wendy turns 18, now it's three. The the timeline is quite short, which is bothering me. A lot. I need the timeline to be longer for it to be more realistic. Anyway, Wendy finds out who her father is, the reason why the Vittra is so desperate to have her. Now Wendy has to do her duty, what's best for her people, and her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. Overall, Wendy is a character I can barely stand. She's so weak, though she's better in this book than the first. Tove is actually the only interesting character in the whole series, though Loki does interest me a bit. I would rather read Tove's story though...

“A Queen is many things, but alone is never one of them.” She held the brush, poised right above the canvas as if she meant to paint, but she didn’t. “I don’t need love or a man to complete me, and someday you’ll find that’s true for yourself. Suitors will come and go, but you will remain.”

Other characters:
I've put these in a spoilers tag simply because it's a long list; contains spoilers.
↦ Finn Holmes (20), a Trylle and a tracker; it’s his job. He find the changelings and bring them back. He also acts as a guard. He and his father is apparently the best.
↦ Matthew ‘Matt’ Everly (24?), Wendy's ‘host’ brother. Maggie ‘Mags’, their aunt on the father side and Wendy's legal guardian. Kimberly ‘Kim’ Everly, their mom. Matt starts ‘dating’ Willa secretly.
↦ Elora Dahl (39, but looks in her fifties), Wendy's real mother. She the Queen, Wendy is the Princess. She are her only child, the last of her legacy. She will one day be Queen of Trylle. Elora has precognition: she can tell the future, but only by painting it. All she knows is what she paints, she doesn’t see anything. She picks up the brush, and it just. . . comes out. She has no control over what she sees
↦ Rhys Dahl, a mänsklig ‘mänks’. The literal translation for mänsklig is ‘human’. Rhys is human. He were switched at birth because of a changeling; Wendy. Meaning that when she took the place of another baby, that baby had to go somewhere else. Meaning Rhys is Michael, Matt's real brother..
↦ Willa Strom (21), a Trylle. Finn had been a tracker for Willa, so he knew her and her father, Garrett Stroms (in his mid-forties), quite well. Garrett’s wife - Willa’s mother - had died some years earlier. According to Finn, Garrett was easygoing, but Willa was a tad high-strung. Prior to living in Förening, she’d been privileged to the point of excess. The Stroms are very good friends of Elora. Willa can controlled the wind and her official title is Marksinna. Her dad is a Markis, which is just a male Marksinna.
↦ Rhiannon, a mänsklig ‘mänks’. Rhiannon is Willa’s mänsklig.
↦ Aurora Kroner, Trylle and a Marksinn, her husband, Noah Kroner and their son, Tove Kroner (19). The Kroners are very important people. They affect the future. Tove is a psychic. He can sense things. And he can move things with his mind. But he can’t read your thoughts. He can see auras, though. Colors. He is particularly sensitive to emotion. And when he move things, it helps focus him. He’s like the highest Markis in the world, which is weird. The Marksinna are usually the ones with all the abilities. Guys can do some things, but they pale in comparison to what women can do, yet Tove has more ability than anybody else. Aurora’s a healer. She can touch you and fix you. That’s her ability. There are maybe six or seven other families in Förening alone with the same title. The Kroners were next in line for the crown if Wendy didn’t come back. They’re real powerful. Tove is gay.
↦ Oren, the Vittra King. Sara Elsing, his queen and a healer. The Vittra palace in Ondarike: the Vittra capital. Oren ages, but at a much slower rate, and he heals very quickly. It’s hard for him to be hurt. He’s one of the last pure-blooded Vittra to be born. He is nearly a hundred years old. We find out that Oren is Wendy's father.
↦ Jen and Kyra, Vittra trackers. Jen is really in for hurting Wendy every time they meet.
↦ Duncan Janssen (27), a Trylle tracker. Wendy’s bodyguard/shadow and one of her closest friends. Though clumsy and small, he is smarter than most people give him credit for.
↦ Annali Holmes, lowly servant of the Queen and Finn’s mother; she hates the Queen and the Princess. Ember, Finn's sister. Thomas, his father.
↦ Markis Bain, was in charge of changeling placement. According to Tove, Bain had the most brilliant blue eyes he’d ever seen—an incredible rarity in the Trylle community. In fact, it was so rare, Tove only knew of one other Trylle in the entire kingdom who had blue eyes. It meant that somewhere, a few generations back, one of Bain’s ancestors had been from the Skojare—a smaller tribe of trolls known for their affinity for aquatics. Bain was only a few years older than Tove, and he was slender and almost delicate-looking, like a young Johnny Depp. That made his eyes stand out even more, and seem incredibly entrancing.
↦ Loki Staad (23), a Markis. He’s the highest Vittra royal after the King. His shaggy hair was surprisingly light for a Vittra, almost blond. Sara, the Queen, was once Loki's betrothed; an arranged marriage—until Oren decided he wanted her to be his bride. A Markis like Loki is awfully strong. Like Wendy, he is half Vittra and half Trylle.

“I’m not hung up on anybody.” I let out a deep breath. “That’s all behind me.”
I was surprised to find that that might be true. I wasn’t over Finn exactly, but I had begun to realize that we would never be together. And it wasn’t because of our social standings anymore. That I could fight with, argue against, try to legislate.
But Finn’s unwillingness to ever try or give me credit or make any effort at all to be with me had left me exhausted. I couldn’t be in love by myself.

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Young Adult) Paranormal/Fantasy Romance.
Series: - Series, Book Two.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - No.
Favorite character? - Tove Kroner.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Already have.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Probably not. But yes, if you like YA, I guess.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
New Rating - 2 stars.

Re-read: 29.03.15.
Loki!!! :D
New rate: 4.5 stars.

First read: 01.01.12.
This is so awesome!
First rate: 5 stars.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Torn picks up right where Switched left off. Wendy Everly has just found out that she is the heir to the throne of Förening, a Trylle (troll) enclave in Minnesota, hidden from human eyes unless those humans are taken there, or invited in.

Angry with her mother, cold Queen Elora, for imposing tough restrictions on her—including driving away Finn, her bodyguard/boyfriend of a few days—Wendy runs away, as seventeen-year-olds often do. She brings along Rhys, the human boy with whom she was switched at birth. She convinces herself that her main goal in this endeavor is to introduce her adopted brother, Matt, to Rhys, his long-lost biological sibling. But getting away from her mom and the stifling rules of the Trylle Court is definitely part of it.

The three kids have scarcely met up when they are kidnapped by the Vittra, a rival nation of trolls. Oren, king of the Vittra, cares nothing for the two human boys in his dungeon, but has a particular interest in Wendy. He is the ex-husband of Elora and Wendy’s father.

Much as Wendy dislikes her mom and Trylle society, she finds them marginally more palatable than her apparent father and his minions, and she has no intention of cooperating with him. She does, however, find a motherly/big sister figure in Sara, Oren’s much younger, kinder wife. And she feels a peculiar connection with Loki, an irrepressible Vittra tracker/guard who treats her well while Oren holds her and her adoptive brothers prisoner.

Soon Finn and his colleague Duncan arrive to rescue the three captives, and they successfully escape, helped by Loki for unclear reasons…

Back in Förening, Tove, the Trylle boy with the great psychokinetic powers, resumes training Wendy in her own power of Jedi mind tricks persuasion. She accidentally causes a lot of minor damage through sloppy use of persuasion and sees the necessity of fine-tuning her talent.

Meanwhile, Finn continues to be cold and distant, which frustrates Wendy to no end. Doesn’t he remember all their stolen kisses and fervent glances? He says he does, but Duty Comes First. He can’t risk messing up Elora’s plans for the future of the royal line. Thus, he refuses to be more than civil to Wendy, even though it tortures her.

Back in Vittra-land, Oren is pretty annoyed that his powerful daughter escaped, and Loki contrives to go after her alone. He claims that he’ll convince her to return to her father’s palace, but what is this rascal really after?

Content Advisory
Violence: A lot of punching and kicking and combatants flying through windows. Little blood shown. Pretty much the same as the last time around.

Sex: The raciest material in here is Wendy’s occasional recollection of her makeout session with Finn towards the end of the previous book. They start snogging again at the very end of this installment, but are interrupted by his father. Wendy and Rhys stumble on Matt and Willa canoodling on a bed; the two older kids are quite embarrassed to be caught in this situation.

Wendy also gets kissed by Loki, who feels that the two of them are bound by destiny. He wants her to run away with him, but she refuses, confused by all the sudden changes in her life.

The Chancellor continues to be an old perv who thinks creepy thoughts about Wendy and various other women young enough to be his granddaughter, much to the disgust of Tove, who can hear his thoughts.

Language: One or two uses of “sh**” and some minor cuss words. No F-bombs this time.

Substance Abuse: Everybody lightly imbibes champagne at Trylle festivities. Rhys and Wendy are too young to legally drink, but they are under adult supervision on these occasions, so I’m not sure if it’s all that problematic.

Nightmare Fuel: The hobgoblins are kind of gross and ugly, although nothing we haven’t already seen in Labyrinth or the Spiderwick Chronicles. What makes them nightmare fuel is the fact that two human-looking Vittra can conceive such a monstrosity.



Conclusions
The Trylle trilogy has a goofy-sounding title, and the books themselves have so far been, well, goofy. That said, this series is a lot more pleasant than other examples of paranormal YA from the same era.

Why is this so? Because the melodrama in this is a lot less intense than many of its contemporaries. It’s not constantly squawking about the end of the world (which never arrives, because sequels and money) like the Maximum Ride series. It’s not swollen and baroque and using every fantasy creature but the kitchen sink, like the Mortal Instruments.

And while there remains some definite overlap with Twilight, the “love triangle” here isn’t all that much of a love triangle.

Finn’s feelings for Wendy are really just hormones, and he can easily cut himself off from her without any visible pain. Loki, meanwhile, is earnest and full of hope. He likes her not just for her looks, but for some strange affinity he senses between the two of them. He’s a sap, but he’s sincere enough to sell it.

I actually like Loki. Unlike Finn, he has an actual personality—snarky, flirtatious, kind of stupid but surprisingly brave, in case you were wondering—and his chemistry with Wendy doesn’t feel nearly as forced. During book one, I found Finn tolerable but boring. When Loki showed up, I wondered if Finn was necessary for the story at all. He almost disappears about halfway through this book and only flares up again at the end.

Wendy's still an idiot. She hasn't listened to the Beatles in years and doesn't like chocolate, all of which makes me seriously question her sanity. But by the end of this book, she has decided to put her angst on hold and go through with something uncomfortable to help out her future queendom. Good job, Wendy.

The young supporting cast—Matt, Willa, Tove, Rhys, and even Duncan—are all actually rather likeable.

Queen Elora turned out to be a more complex, interesting, and empathetic character once her backstory is told.

Oren so far is a pretty one-dimensional villain, but I thought Elora was one-dimensional in Switched, so he too might improve upon closer acquaintance.

Some people have made fun of the world of this series, populated as it is with beautiful trolls. But there is actual precedent for that in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. Some of their trolls were monstrous and brutish, like the three who harass Thorin & Co. in The Hobbit , but others were humanoid and fair and crafty like the folk in these stories.

For a much better YA treatment of these creatures, see East by Edith Pattou.

So far, the Trylle series is definitely silly, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s fast-paced and enjoyable over all. I’m curious to see how it all ends.

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot of politics and romances, I mean big major POLITICS AND ROMANCES...and Tove.....I don't know what to say...thank God you're damn foxy!

[Mizuki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review for book 1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Torn, book 2 of Amanda Hocking's Trylle trilogy, is a very easy book to read and it wouldn't charge you too much time and effort, but the writing is so plain that it lacks tone, style, tension, foreshadowing and grace---Okay, just about everything which would make the book interesting.

Instead we are once again stuck with the uninteresting Wendy's first person POV throughout the entire book, and her narration is becoming counter-productive to the story. For most of the book Wendy is focused on three people: her mother, Finn and Loki, since we are seeing things through her eyes, so supporting characters like Matt, Tove and Willa etc become very flat and one dimensional, lacking in personality.

I also didn't expect to get so angry with a fictional character when I started reading Torn. But it turns out I found Wendy Everly, the 'heroine' of the story, is so weak, selfish, impulsive and immature a character that whatever good things the book could have offered are outweighed by her, no kidding.

Plus I can't think of anything else which may be as endangering to the Trylle community as putting Wendy on the throne. I mean, look at her! She acts and talks like any other immature, air-headed teenager, she demands things without any presentable reason to back her demand up, e.g. when she demands the Trylle nobles to spare Loki's life. She just yells "No you can't kill him!" and her friends must come to her aid before she disgraces herself with her childish outburst. She has the intelligence, common sense and self-control of a ten years old kid. She was being described as kind and caring by her friends but I never see her being kind enough to go around making friends with servants and commoners, not even bothers enough to have conversations with members of the lower ranks to know their situations! What kind of 'heroine' and future ruler is that?

It also bothers me that after Wendy learnt her mother, Queen Elora is fatally ill due to overusing her psychic power, Wendy, who possesses awesome power of her own, never once offers up her own power to help Elora so the older woman might get a break from overusing her power! Not once! If it's how Wendy would treat her own mother (I don't care how estranged they're supposed to be!), then I really can't see why Wendy counts as a 'caring' person.

Last but not least, I also dislike how Wendy always thinks of her 'host mother', Kim, as a horrible woman and nothing else. From book 1 Switched, we learnt that Kim knew Wendy isn't her real child and tried to kill her. Okay, I agree your mother trying to kill you is a terrible thing, but why can you still keep blaming her nonstop after Kim had already suffered losing her son(Rhys) and never got to see him again, had been locked up for years, everyone thinks she's insane and her older son(Matt) hates her to boots? Wouldn't you think this woman deserves a little bit of sympathy?

In the first 100 pages, Finn, Wendy's love interest, is largely out of the picture and for that I'M GLAD, I had had enough of Finn/Wendy melodrama in book 1 already, I don't need more. I'm totally fed up by their "I love him, I can't be with him. He's ignoring me, but I want to get his attention!" mumbo jumbo.

*plot spoiler warning*

Wendy's affection toward Loki is as badly written as hers with Finn. Being the opposite of the law-obeying Finn, Loki is being painted as the bad boy who doesn't play by rules and is daring to go against his powerful, fearsome King. All these are fine with me but I can't get why he's so keen to get Wendy at all. Why would a bad boy like him choose to be with a boring, needy, goody-two-shoes Princess while risking his neck for it!? I would rather have Loki approaching Wendy for his own hidden agenda at first and then grows to be fond of her (still, pity tells what's there to be fond of!) later, it would make so much more sense.

And Tove, although I'm glad he got a larger part to play in book 2, but it's pretty predicable that he eventually turns out gay. Plus he's the only major male character who isn't romantically involved with Wendy. Oh great, everyone wants Wendy, saves the gay one. How terribly typical.

*end of spoiler*

And there is the ending, in which NOTHING of importance had happened. No complex, no plot twist, nothing. No, don't tell me Wendy getting engaged counts as an important affair, I'm reading a novel about two powerful supernatural races being at war! Not The Princess Diaries, damn it!

Here is a few of my suggestion for how things should go for the story and the Trylle kingdom:

(1) Elora desperately needs to continue ruling as Queen for the sake of her people, putting Wendy to sit on the throne would be a disaster. Plus, I'm glad that we got to see more about Elora and how she is really like both as a person and a ruler.

(2) To make things better for the Trylle's society, Tove, Finn and even his father Thomas need to be promoted as Elora's advisers. Maybe by working together they can change the inequality within their society. These guys make a lot more sensible decision and choices than Wendy ever did in an entire book.

(3) Matt and the other supporting characters should have more screen time and development. Oh hell, these supporting characters have more potential than Wendy and her love interests put together.

(4) More narrations need to be added into the story. I want to see what's going on with Elora, Finn, Matt, Tove or even Rhys more than I want to read about Wendy's ranting. For example, If the author really wants to make Loki into a worthy love interest, she should have developed a Loki's POV alongside Wendy's.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Second read":
This definitely feels like a second novel in a trilogy.
While there is some movement in the plot, it’s more world building and important revelations that will impact the final book.

Something that became painfully apparent to me was how bratty Wendy is around Finn.

While she was like that around Elora in Switched, Wendy seemed to have gained a bit of maturity with all but the guy she was apparently in love with.

I can’t blame her entirely for that though. Finn almost always puts duty over his feelings and those brief moments he doesn’t, confuse and hurt Wendy.

Somehow I always forget my fav Loki is officially introduced here!

While there wasn’t talk of love and such, Wendy did state she felt a connection to the Vittra almost immediately after meeting him.
Though by the end, Loki kind of makes a big hint he definitely loves her.

Moving on from the love interests, we see Wendy actually trying to embrace her Trylle heritage and powers.
I love when the MC struggles and is not immediately great at something. Plus we see the side effects of those powers.

It’s a bit cliché to have a health scare break down some walls around a person but I felt it made sense within the story.
It always makes me a little sad that Wendy couldn’t see how Elora really felt towards her. But that’s getting ahead of myself…

Showing how mature Wendy’s become, the young Princess makes two difficult and unselfish choices.

Again, there was a short story included, with three different POVs.
I loved seeing both Finn’s and Tove’s thoughts. Again, just because they’re so different from the main story.


"First read":
The story keeps getting better and better!
This book delves into Elora's history and how Wendy came to be.

You also get a look at the other tribe, the Vittra, who are considered the 'bad guys'.
It's great that their pages have a completely different feel.

Politics becomes more important and it's kinda amazing how it brings a realness to this world, considering most of the characters are trolls.

The maturity Wendy gains throughout this novel is so good to see. She is becoming more confident and embracing her responsibilities.

I love how much the character's connects with one another. Their emotions feel real which elevates the story.
Speaking of connections, it is amazing how you feel an instant intimacy between Wendy and Loki (my fav!)

The added short is called "One Day: Three Ways".
It's a couple of chapters describing the same day in different POVs (none of which are Wendy). It's the first time you really see how Tove experiences the world, so different to Wendy.

I've read this so many times but knowing how it ends makes me enjoy the journey so much more.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 1 out of 5]

Torn started out pretty good and I thought now we have something here and as soon as I thought that things started to get nowhere. There was a whole lot of whining continuing from the first book and a whole lot of not much else. I think this trilogy could've been a duology, had the author not given us well whatever we were given in this book.

I continue to love Matt and Finn and didn't mind Duncan as a side character either. Even though Finn became moody and jealous but I think that Amanda Hocking wanted to create this love triangle and naturally Wendy had to get annoyed by Finn and start to get attracted by Loki. I think that's what happened. Yep we are at it I want to say that I didn't like Loki. He was very annoying. He's asking Wendy to take control by controlling her himself. What a hypocrite! Then there's Tove who's amazing and has become my favourite.

I'm Torn between reading the next or completely skipping it. Oh I'll read it even though I know who Wendy ends up with as I've already read Kanin Chronicles but I just want to know how and cross this series off my list.

1 star

[kaylaaaaaaaaaa kaylaaaaaaaaaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing sequel and LOKI my love!

[Ivana - Diary of Difference]

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#1 Switched - ★★★★★
#1 Torn - Not Read Yet

[Kaede · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, Torn is even worse than the first, lacking in many of the things Switched had to offer.

It's really hard to get into a book when the main character insists and refuses to do anything in any way but her own. And the similarities to Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series? Maybe Amanda Hocking didn't mean for that to happen, or for anyone to be aware of it, but I tend to pick up on the littlest of things.

We'll start off with the whole "I love my mentor but he won't love me back thing" we have going on here. Doesn't that remind you of a certain couple? A certain Rose and Dimitri, perhaps? And Loki reminds me of Adrian, despite how much I try to deny it. Then we have those jealousy moments. Such as when Finn saw Wendy with Loki. Which again brings me back to Dimitri, Rose, and Adrian.

For the sake of this series, I hope the last book can surprise me in some way, shape, or form. I'd hate to dislike something with such potential. If Wendy could only stop being that damsel in distress and start kicking some butt, I'd be more than happy to support Amanda's future works.

[Darren Hagan-Loveridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

**No spoilers**

What a difference a book makes!!

Torn is such a better book than Switched, holy guacamole?! The only things I didn't like we're Finn (his entire character - grr), and the ending was a bit anticlimactic in my opinion.

Wendy was so much more tolerable in this book. She was a lot more selfless and friendly, and she is actually shaping up to be a good queen. But I swear if she ends up with Finn.....sh*t will hit the fan!! Seriously, Loki is actual bae right now. He is AMAZING! I don't have a guy crush. Not at all. Honest......

Other than the little love triangle, I liked the character development for some of the side characters. We got to see a more compassionate side to Elora, it was nice to have Matt around and to see him changing things with the Trylle folk, and I just love Rhys in general (even though he wasn't as present this time). But I must say, Tove is adorable. Honestly I spent a lot of time being unsure if he was trustworthy, even though I still liked him the entire time. And then when we found out more about him at the end, I loved him even more. Then the little chapter from his POV in the bonus content - he is the CUTEST!

I've been really craving some fantasy and even though this isn't strictly a fantasy book since its set in a little troll community in the modern US, it reads a lot more like a fantasy than Switched with the monarchs and a bit of royal politics.

This series has surprised me because I didn't think I would feel this strongly about the characters given my initial opinion from the first book. My friend tells me the final book is her favourite so I'm actually really excited to start it!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Torn by Amanda Hocking
Book Two of the Trylle series
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Review copy sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story…

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.

What I Liked:

Ahhh, this book was good. I so enjoyed it. I liked the first book, Switched, but this book is exactly what a sequel should be like, exactly how the second of a three-book trilogy should function. So much more makes sense, and I feel like so much more has been solidified.

Wendy runs away from her mother's palace in Minnesota, and goes back home to Matt and Maggie... with Rhys. Only to be captured by the Vittra, putting herself, Rhys, and Matt in danger. She meets Loki, the Vittra prince, who isn't who she thought he would be. He lets them escape, then gets caught by Elora, but never tries to capture Wendy. The King of the Vittra needs Wendy, but so does the Queen of the Trylle... Torn really is the perfect title for this book, on so many levels.

I think I like Wendy a lot more in this book. Not that I didn't completely like her in book one, but I understand her more in this book, and really feel for her. A sense of duty rules her life, and takes away many choices. Wendy is kind and sometimes selfless, and she has a certain humanity to her that the Trylle and the Vittra don't have.

I said above that this book function perfectly as a sequel novel, book two of three. Book one was all about Wendy and who she is. This book introduced the big picture, the huge problem that the Vittra pose, and why the Vittra want her so badly. Wendy is taken to the Vittra stronghold, and I think this is perfect and totally necessary. It's great to see both sides of the troll feud. Now we know what is at stake for both the Trylle and the Vittra.

Honestly, I don't see one side or the other as the "good" side or the "bad" side. I think they are both equally not ideal, and I wouldn't want to be involved in either kingdom, but duty rules the life of a Princess, so I understand. Both sides of the feud are justified, and both have their pros and cons.

Okay, okay. The romance. I thought the romance was a little confusing, in book one. We have Finn, Wendy's tracker and bodyguard. Wendy is totally fixated on him, when everything starts to change in book one, and she learns what she - and he - is. Then there is Tove, the Trylle Markis who seems to be a nice match for a Princess, at least from a political perspective. Sometimes, I thought Rhys was a possibility too.

Well. Rhys is more like a brother to Wendy. Finn broke Wendy's heart - but the thing is, to me, Finn seemed like that infatuation that you have when you dive head-first into a new world. Tove... well, something huge is revealed about to Tove, so I'm not worried about that. So who does that leave? Why, Loki, of course! I'm a HUGE fan of Loki. I really hope the romance stays solid in his direction, because he and Wendy are really great for each other, at least in terms of political situation, personality, and values. Plus, they're totally attracted to one another. So.

That being said, I'm not entirely sure why everyone was so up in arms about Loki being introduced as a love interest. I mean, I was never feeling Finn to begin with - he's like that whirlwind love interest that doesn't quite stick. Tove always seemed like a friend, and Rhys, a brother. I think Loki and Wendy really connect. But that's just me.

I feel like there is going to be a massive mess of crazy battles in book three. The big showdown, in terms of Trylle versus Vittra, should be fun! I hope. I'm pretty excited about book three! Especially for the romance. Team Loki!

What I Did Not Like:

I think I wanted a little more depth from this story. YES, it does a great job of setting up the big picture. There are lots of crazy things going on, like curses and death and weird procreation problems and things. But it seemed a bit cliche? Maybe something even more mind-blowing and creative. On the surface, the conflicts are good though, they make a great story.

And I want more about TROLLS. I feel like the troll thing is glossed over a lot. I almost forget that Wendy and everyone are trolls - they might as well be human! The only thing that is constantly reminded is the aversion to most foods. But the Vittra/Trylle feud might as well be two different races of the same species... and that species could be homo sapiens. The troll thing could be a bit more prevalent, you know?

Would I Recommend It:

At this point, sure! I'm really enjoying the story, and the romance. It's more of a detached interest, since I'm binging the series, but I'm invested enough to keep going, you know? I'm rooting for Wendy! And Loki. Mostly Loki.

Rating:

4 stars. Be on the lookout for my review of Ascend, book three, to be posted on September 25th! At this point, I have three books to read before I get to that one... I can't wait!

[Kristin Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main issue with Amanda Hocking is that she has no sense of rise and fall. She doesn't know how to bring the story to a high point and then leave you heaving with suspense in the conclusion. She made an improvement from the first book by giving you reason to believe that the series will continue. She left Wendy's relationship with her father, the Vittra King, open for us to find out later. We still don't have much of a handle on who Wendy is and what she wants. We know she thinks that she's pretty, she is very powerful, and she wants to marry for love. We don't know who she loves because she adds male candidates up in her mind at random. She is constantly admiring the good looks of the men around her and then deciding that they aren't for her. She won't even settle on liking Loki for sure. And now she's noncommittal about her feelings for Finn. We know she doesn't love Tove and now she's doing everything for the kingdom's sake with no consideration to herself. She starts putting her own thoughts aside, which were few to begin with, to work hard on harnessing the power that we hear about over and over again. Wendy did develop as a strong female character who is kind and cares about people. But that's about it. She has no complexity. She is forgettable and not worthy of being the main character. Even supporting female, Willa, had a stronger personality. She is very clear about what she wants and when she wants it. You know what her definite interests are and you know how she thinks her life should be. That kind of characterization should be applied to our heroine. It would make her significantly more interesting.

I also don't like that Hocking followed along the love triangle route. I understand that it's really "in" right now, but that is exactly why she should have done something different. The idea that a lot of men would be attracted to royalty isn't a stretch, but Finn doesn't want her because she's royalty and Loki couldn't care less. Tove is forced to be with her because of their bloodline and he isn't interested in slightest. I like the way that Hocking makes it so you aren't sure what side Loki is on. She might have given away too much vulnerability in Loki, but you still have to wonder what his motivation is. It is hard to believe that he's fallen in love with her already (because let's face it, none of the readers are really in love with her and we know a lot more about her) but he seems to really hate the Vittra King. So I have high hopes for Loki. Finn is too honor-bound to love Wendy the way she loves him. Everytime he slips and reveals his feelings to her, he gets horribly angry and then makes her feel bad about herself. He has abusive relationship written all over him. His rounds of jealousy are kind of sweet but also very childish. So I'm team Loki on this one. He can go on my list with Jacob and Gale. I don't have good luck on picking the team that actually wins...so she'll probably end up with Finn. Sigh.

This novel had improvements from the first novel but also so glaring problems. She is very repetitive and makes most of her characters one-dimensional. Elora is the most complex character in the whole book and that isn't saying a whole lot. I've developed attachments to a lot of characters but unfortunately not the main ones. It is a sad day in literature when I'm continuing to read more to find out what happens to Tove and Loki. But that's good enough for me. I'll be looking for the third installment and hoping the Hocking continues to takes steps forward in her writing style. Great story teller, just needs polish.

[Katerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loki <3 Loki <3 Loki <3
The time for swooning has finally arrived!!I love him,I love him so much <3

We left Wendy returning to her old home and her brother Matt,with Rhys by her side after using persuasion on him.It was really obvious that this was a very,very bad choice,one she would regret.But!on the bright side,we came to know why the Vittra wanted her so badly (their king is such a huge as*hole and the queen merely a puppet) and yes,praise the Lord,Loki came into our lives.A sassy but surpsisingly helpful and ridiculously handsome Vittra,who doesn't seem to agree with the king (there is so much more I want to say but I will try to keep this review spoiler free.Mostly).Of course there is a love triangle in the making,but I believe in this point it was necessary."All I knew that I was sick of him breaking my heart." Wendy's love for Finn was poisoning her.He couldn't give her a closure,he just kept on tormenting her and making her feel miserable,because he couldn't decide what to do.He wanted her but he was bound by duty.He caused her only pain,and it really made my heart break.So Loki is the perfect solution,the one who is capable of mending her heart.He seems determined to fight for her while Finn is giving up on her.He does so from the start.

I like Wendy's development so far and the desicion to fight for her people,even by sacrificing her own happiness.Tove is so freaking adorable,he has a good heart and wants to change the status quo for the best!And Duncan is a sweetheart,so clumpsy but loyal and helpful!And Elora isn't that bad,not once you get to know her!Torn was a great second book in the Trylle trilogy,getting us ready for the ultimate desicions Wendy will have to make,one about her kingdom and one about her heart!

[Meital · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seriously, that was crap. Why the girl fell in love with Finn (He was all over the first book) and then she’s interested in another guy??? And on top of all married to the third guy?
Waste of time!!


[Reading Vacation · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW

I read these three books back-to-back-to-back on my Kindle. The story had me so engaged, that I could not put it down. I was reading in the car, at school, on my bed, at the dinner table, and in the media room. You could call it an obsession.

In this paranormal tale, Wendy learns at the age of seventeen that she is a troll. Oh, but she isn’t just ANY troll, her past is filled with mystery, deceit, and some unexpected ancestors. Amanda Hocking carefully twisted this plot with all sorts of surprises. I guarantee that you have not read a series quite like this before.

Plain and simple – Wendy rocks! She starts out unsure and confused. I mean, who wouldn’t be questioning things if they just found out they were a troll. The beauty lies in how Wendy grows and changes. As her confidence grows, she becomes the girl (err troll) she was always meant to be.

Let’s talk romance. Wendy has more boy trolls after her than she keep track of. They are all nice in their own way, but they each have their unique traits. Finn is protective. Loki is a flirt. Tove is like a brother. I loved them all.

If you are looking for a battle, you have come to the right place. Amanda Hocking has written some of the most epic battle scenes ever. Sure these scenes are filled with the physical battle, but they also contain the emotions behind the fight. They were so real that I could FEEL them.

This series about trolls surprised and entertained me. I will definitely be looking for more Amanda Hocking books to read.

RATING

5 Loved

COVER COMMENTS

I like how the covers are so similar and work together to tell the story. I also love the turquoise and black because it has a mysterious feel to it.

[MischaS_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So difficult to choose if I like Tove or Loki more. They both are so sweet and likeable. Anyway Finn was even worse then in the first book. Matt and Rhys were completly useless.

[Aiysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Torn’ starts from exactly where Switched is left off. Wendy after getting fed up with the life she has at the palace persuades Rys into taking her back to Matt, her host brother’s house.

‘Torn’ is more exciting as it introduces many more characters some more surprising than others but I would’nt want to give it away! More dangers are to come as the Vittra are aware where Wendy is and that she has reached the age and is capable of becoming queen. After complications, which consequence in Finn to leave, Wendy finds leaving as the only choice. However Wendy can’t hide anywhere, where she won’t be tracked by the Trylle – or the Vittra for that matter.

More action-packed and more lively than Switched as Wendy escapes without knowing the consequences she’ll face. A hidden secret , which could effect Wendy’s whole future, is also revealed in Torn. Also a mysterious, handsome Vittra, Loki is not what he appears to be and Wendy cannot come to terms with why she wants to protect him and what exactly she feels for him. Surely she’s in love with Finn isn’t she?

Wendy realizes that she can’t return to her original life and seeks out to change things around her to fit her taste – especially the unfairly old Monarchy that everyone must abide with.

Amanda Hocking has created new atmospheres which were non-existent and the World of Trolls unravels innovative mysteries keeping the reader intrigued into the story.

A lovely twist entwining secrets and upcoming events that untangle and reveal thrilling and captivating ideas that leave you imploring to read Ascend, the final chapter of the Trylle Trilogy.

Overall an enjoyable read however sometimes I feel at times that Wendy’s love is forced and her actions contradict her personality and what she is expected to do.

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

That was a hell of a lot more enjoyable than book one (Switched). I'm now solidly immersed within the world of the Trylle and eager to witness Wendy's humble rise to Queendom.

With the exception of my disdain for all the "adults" in this story, and my hair pulling frustration at the gutless wonder that is Finn (this guy...ARGGGHHH!!!), I truly grew to love most of the characters in this story. I loved that Matt (Wendy's brother from her human host family) returned to play a much more substantial and stabilising role in Wendy's recently upturned life. I also enjoyed getting to know Willa, Tove and Rhys a bit more, and I even liked Wendy's new Tracker (aka her bodyguard), Duncan.

Considering my negative reactions to Finn and his "duty comes above all else" bullshit, it is no wonder that the introduction of Loki, the cocky and dashing Vittra Markis (Prince of the Trylle enemy), stole my heart. I'm shipping him and Wendy and I'm shipping them HARD! Let's make this happen, people.

[Vicki Keire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been thinking about boundaries and edges a lot lately since picking up Amanda Hocking's newest release Torn, which she was kind enough to let me review early. The title alone suggests such things: Edges. Boundaries. Thresholds. Wendy Everly and nearly everyone she cares about stands at one of these in Hocking's second installment of her acclaimed Trylle trilogy. Friends, family, enemies, and Wendy herself remain caught in cross-currents of political and class struggles, navigating complex personal ties that alternately bind and strangle, all the while confronting the eternal question of self-definition. Who is Wendy Everly? Who does she want to be, and at what cost to herself, to Forening, to her family and friends?

These are not new dilemmas. Readers face them, or some variant of them, every single day. They are endemic to the human condition. And yet Amanda Hocking makes them not only new, but magical, distilling them into one not-quite human character who is wildness made flesh, a woman-girl who runs barefoot and wild-haired through woods and palaces alike, her sometimes angry, sometimes shy steps dogged by the sound of the baubles she loves and the scent of ancient magic in her blood. That, and the routine righteous rantings of an American teenager, for Wendy Everly is nothing if not doubly cursed. Or blessed. For therein lies one of Hocking's greatest gifts, and one she shares with her late great idol, filmmaker John Hughes: the ability to capture young adulthood as the threshold it is, that immortal breath between child and adult when all seems possible.

What is it about the age of seventeen that makes everything so raw, so intense, and so magical? Hocking knows, and in Torn, as in all her books, she manages to pin it for a moment, if not capture it outright.

Even mere mortals sense it. I know I do: At seventeen, I lay the wrong way on an old sofa in a darkened theatre inches away from a boy I loved so fiercely feelings pulsed between us like a living thing, an abyss so powerful we dared not move or speak its name. We lay pinned immobile instead, our backs where our butts should be, and looked up at the distant dull metal ceiling and invented constellations, awed by this new power between us. What was that thing, and why was it so powerful? What is the nature of the thing that makes usually obedient young people sneak out bedroom windows or refuse, out right, to stop seeing "that awful boy," even if it means losing the cell phone until social security kicks in? Hormones? First love? Lust? Rebellion? Need? Compelling explanations, and probably true, but I prefer Ms. Hocking's:

Magic. In the threshold between child and adult, we all have a breath of magic in us.

For Wendy Everly, the Trylle changeling heroine of Amanda Hocking's latest novel Torn, there is actual magic involved as she begins to master both her stubborn temper and her gifts of persuasion, telekenesis, and a few nifty new ones that make their presence known for the first time. But Wendy also must navigate the two most difficult experiences anyone, Trylle or not, ever has to face: love and family. As Wendy matures (delightfully so, in fact), love and family only become more and more complicated. Her own life choices are highly restricted by unfair rules and a racist class system she neither supports nor helped to create, and yet she finds herself expected to not only obey this system of laws, but to one day be its supreme enforcer. If she doesn't, her world will be engulfed in a brutal war, killing many of the people she loves.

And I thought picking a college was hard.

Within her limited range of choices, Wendy makes good ones. In this sequel to Switched, we watch as Wendy cobbles together some acceptance of her past and her dual heritage, both Trylle and human. Not ready to forgive and forget (nor should she be), Wendy nonetheless comes to understand Elora, if not love her, even as she remains unapologetically attached to her human family. She carves out pockets of peace for herself in Forening: a patch of garden, a view of the sky. She ventures beyond the palace to see how other Trylle live, where the societal cost of her people's parasitic existence becomes real for her in uncomfortably personal ways. She goes where she shouldn't and speaks (er...yells?) when she should be silent. We learn quite a lot more about Troll culture, including its history, the rival Vittras, and the ancient Tryllic language.

I've got to give Amanda Hocking props for her research here. In my research on her research for the Trylle trilogy (if that made any sense), she at one point wrote about how the genesis for the series came from a line in a book about Scandanavian mythology, and the idea kind of caught fire from there. I was intrigued; there is nothing new under the sun, after all, but never before have I encountered an engaging YA read about trolls. In fact, I don't think I've ever read about trolls as anything other than rock-eating monsters. I had to know more.

***Alert: Research blatherings ahead. Romance resumes exactly one paragraph below***So when a group of characters in Torn encounter an ancient tome written entirely in Tryllic, the ancient tongue of these elegant, enlightened beings, I was stunned to see that Hocking had phonetically written it in Cyrillic letters, a variant of Old Church Slavonic, which would have been what the region's oldest myths were first recorded in. Lose you? Bore you to death? Sorry. It's just that she's obviously done some serious research here, chosen authenticity over fluff, and my pulse raced more than a little when Wendy got her hands on that lovely Cyrillic Tryllic. The research that goes into crafting a well-written book so often slips under the radar, and I didn't want to let this one slide. Indie books are often criticized for basic grammatical/typographical errors, and yet here we have one that not only evades these most basic of indie writing pitfalls, but reaches beyond into the kind of deep world building that marks territory previously cordoned off only for "serious" writers. You don't get much more serious than Old Church Slavonic; the last book I read to tackle it was by Orson Scott Card, and even he didn't reproduce its actual alphabet. It's one of the reasons I love her writing: it maintains the fresh, experimental voice of the indie writer with occassional forays into the realms of "serious literature," and yet manages to be, above all, entertaining. Excellent, Ms. Hocking. We need more like you. So then. Where were we?

Romance? Let's talk Finn.

Yes, Finn. He's back, with his fierce black eyes and overwhelming protective instincts. He's still determined to protect Wendy's honor from the danger he poses to her as a lowly tracker. (She's really gotta do something about that caste system.) And although all the elements of a great romance with Finn are there, from sizzling jealousy to help-I-can't-breathe-'cause-you're-looking-at-me moments to daring Vittra rescues, Hocking introduces a maddening new element: competition. See, Wendy's grown up a bit. She's coming to terms with this Princess thing. She's more self-confident and her hair has better manners. She's making peace with her wardrobe. She's taking less crap, and when she gives an order, it's usually obeyed. And the boys are noticing. All of them. There are the ususal suspects, of course, from Switched, including Finn and, to an extent, Rhys, but we also meet a sexy new one. He's hot (very- think motorcycles and leather jackets), he's edgy, and if your mama didn't warn you about him, she just hasn't met him yet. He can offer Wendy the one thing no one else ever has, or maybe even can: complete and total freedom, from Forening, from the Vittra, from everything.

And then there's Tove.

Tove, you say? WTF? I know, I know. But don't count him out. Tove is instrumental in this second installment of the Trylle trilogy; because of his Trylle gifts, in many ways, he's the closest thing Wendy has to an equal. He makes an excellent teacher, pushing Wendy to the limits of her powers even as he reiterates, over and over, the need for change and his confidence in her abilty to bring it about. Hocking exercises a deft touch here. I mentally conflated "Tove" with "Toad" for a variety of reasons that should be obvious to Switched readers, but in Torn, suddenly I turned the page to find an altogether decent guy. It's like that moment when your best guy pal for like, forever, whips off his shirt one hot summer afternoon when you've been mowing lawns or something equally grimy and you just sit there, quietly stunned, wondering when the hell the fairies stole your dorky friend away and replaced him with someone you would actually date. Awkward, but also cool and sexy in a squirmy, embarrassing kind of way. And an incredible feat of character building for any writer. Bravo.

All in all, Torn offers up a thoroughly entertaining read with all the things we have come to expect from Amanda Hocking's writing: engaging characters with fresh voices; a well-crafted world; solid writing with professional editing and packaging; an energy and connection with her readers that is somewhat harder to define. She continues to be, in my opinion, one of the very best indie writers in the industry: edgy, hard working, whimsical. I'm very much looking forward to the third installment in her Trylle series, along with whatever other offerings she throws our way.

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the best book in the series even though Wendy does annoy me at times with how fast she switches between guys.

The series does keep getting better and better and you can tell how the author's writing is maturing in the fantasy genre.

[Lexy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was interesting the character was torn in between 1 kingdom and the other

[Arooj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot wise? A pretty good sequel.
Character wise? No. Especially how Wendy acted.

The Good
- There was a lot more plot development than the last book. The first book, Switched, consisted mainly of Wendy just learning to be a Princess, and it got a little boring. However, this wasn't entirely like that.

- I enjoyed learning more about the history between the Trylle and the Vittra. I now understand why they're enemies and how serious the situation is. I also see the Vittra in a new light now. They're still not the good guys, but I can see their reasons.

The Bad
- The ending felt a little abrupt. I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers, but I'd prefer that over a boring ending. It should make me want to read the next book in the series right away. I didn't even know it was the end until I flipped the page.

The In-Betweens
- From the synopsis, it's obvious that there will be a love triangle with a new character. I didn't mind this because the previous book had a little hint of a love triangle with Rhys, which would've been really awkward. But that ended. I was worried that the love triangle will ruin the romance by becoming one of those ones where the main girl instantly falls in love with another guy and keeps thinking which one to pick. Fortunately, that didn't happen here. Wendy and Loki do have an attraction towards each other, but it doesn't developed to much more until near the end, which made sense to me. The romance between Wendy and Finn on the other hand barely develops. They spend the whole book either ignoring the other person, or arguing when they do talk. Not exactly romantic. Honestly, I prefer Loki and Wendy over Finn and Wendy right now.

The Characters
- Wendy was a big part of why I didn't like this book that much. She was kind of selfish and her attitude towards her situation wasn't confident. Here are three reasons:

1. I was really annoyed at how she kept saying that she didn't want to be a troll Princess and rebelled against everything. Now, I'm glad that she was fighting for her happiness, I understand how she must have felt. But instead of complaining constantly about how unfair all of this was, she should've just accepted that fact that she's a damn Princess, and nothing will change that. Instead o fighting it, she should've found ways to cope with it. She kept disregarding the fact that their enemies were after her, and that she can totally take them in herself. Even though she was attacked by them two times, and both times she had needed help.

2. The second thing that annoyed me was how she kept using her persuasion on others. She said she doesn't like doing it and stopped later on, but the times she did use it seemed unnecessary. For example, at the end of the first book she used her persuasion on Rhys to get him to come with her, even though he was strongly against it. She could've respected his decision, but no. Her reasons might have been for good, but it wasn't her right to make that decision. I understand if she had to use her persuasion on someone for an emergency, but the times she used it on Rhys and Duncan were not emergencies.

3. For the majority of the book, Wendy was either sad, angry, or really, really tired. Seeing as how this book is written in first person, it was really depressing. Wendy didn't sound anything at all like a brave girl with powers like others claimed.

Wendy does get better in the second half of the book though. She makes smart decisions and tries her best to handle her situation. I hope she continues to get better like this in the third book.

- Finn barely develops in this book. I'm honestly not liking his character. I'm not really into the "brooding, serious, hot hunk" types of guys anymore. They're so...boring. Finn was all business, except for a couple times when his mask slips. But, as always, he covers it up and denies his true feelings. I have a feeling that in the last book he'll suddenly transform into someone who doesn't care about his place anymore and whisks the Princess away. I hope he's more realistic than that.

- Loki was really fun to read. I thought he'd be another mean, scary dude because he's a Vittra, but Loki was quite the opposite. He was all fun, flirty, and full of wit. Not to mention totally nice. I definitely prefer him to Finn.

- I still think that Elora is a bitch but after hearing her story, I feel sympathetic towards her. I now get why she's so strict. What she went through, wow, she was really brave.

Recommended?
In some ways, this book was better than the first, but in other ways, it wasn't. I was going to give a higher rating, but I couldn't bring myself to give it anything more than three stars. But it's worth continuing the series. I think it has some great build up for the third and last book.

Looking forward to reading Ascend soon!