Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Series: Darkest Powers #1
Published: July 2008
Pages: 390
As a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong's writing & her Women of the Otherworld series it was fun to follow Armstrong on her foray into YA fiction.
This is the first novel in the new Darkest Powers trilogy. Ms Armstrong makes it clear this series is set in the same universe as the Otherworld series but states that this trilogy will not intersect with her adult novels.
Chloe Saunders sees dead people...now before you go *yawn* read on, you'll love it. Her 'crazed' behaviour at school after a run in with one long dead janitor gets Chloe an all expenses paid trip to Lyle House, a home for mentally ill & troubled teens. Chloe, 15, late bloomer & typical teenager apart from the whole 'dead people' thing, quickly finds herself diagnosed with Schizophrenia, medicated & in therapy.
Slowly crumbs of truth emerge about the nature of Lyle House and its residents. As the teens' paranormal, 'otherworldly' powers are revealed, we soon learn, like Chloe, mental illness may not be the reason for their confinement in the centre & Lyle House may not be what it seems!
Thanks to Armstrong's writing, I found the characters entirely believable & likeable - Chloe, Derek, Liz, Rae, Simon, & of course troubled Tori, resident 'bitch' of Lyle House. The fact that Chloe stuttered, & Derek had acne & Tori was obnoxious (as well as unhinged) made the characters real to me and I'm looking forward to learning more about them in future books.
Unlike Armstrong's adult series, this is a bit of a slow unfolder, suspenseful with a great plot but definitely a slower build-up.
Word of warning - the ending is an absolute cliffhanger, so be prepared (unlike me) and have the next installment at your fingertips!! "Evil author" I thought but "very, very smart" I was certainly quick to put my order in for The Awakening I can tell you!
Visit Chloe Saunders' blog for a free novella about Simon and Derek and events leading up to their arrival at Lyle House. It's been written in serial form & there's a new chapter posted on the 1st and 15th of every month. When it's complete it will be transferred to the locker section of Chloe’s website.
Awesome! I love those endings that leave you grasping for the next installment. :) Thanks for your review! I'll have to check this out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing these books. I'm excited to start reading!
ReplyDeleteThe ending was also unexpected for me when I read this last year. The sequels even better than this one! Hope you like it!
ReplyDeleteAll I am hearing are good things about this book. So have to get my hands on it.
ReplyDeleteThere is an award over at my blog here. COngrat
Evil indeed :) But I do love those that makes me wanna pick up the next book
ReplyDeleteI've bought both The Summoning & The Awakening from Amazon. I'm glad to see that you enjoyed this book! I have to read her adult novels as well!
ReplyDeleteI have something for you.
I really want to start this series!!
ReplyDeleteYou got something waiting on my blog :)
http://desertrosebooklogue.blogspot.com/2009/05/literary-blogger-award.html
I am waiting on this one from the library. I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteoff to the library's website to add another book to my reserve list.... if The Awakening is 2009, when is book 3 coming out?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your clever review and this book is currently upstairs in my book room just waiting for me to crack the spine!!
ReplyDeleteBook Dragon ~ The Awakening was released in May 2009 and the 3rd in the trilogy, The Reckoning is due out 2010 :-(
ReplyDeleteI might have to add this book to my Mountain! Also, there is an award over at my blog for you http://themaidenscourt.blogspot.com/.
ReplyDeleteThis series is delicious!
ReplyDeleteI really hope there is more than a trilogy w/ this. I'm chomping @ the bit, Sheree.
ReplyDelete