It's pretty much a given that book two in a given series (especially YA....my own included) is going to try its best to break your heart. Stomp on your feelings a little. Take your favorite character and rough 'em up enough that you think they're down for the count..
Seriously. Think "Empire Strikes Back" or "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." You aren't left with the warm and squishies.
So keeping that in mind, I forged ahead.
Abedi (two sisters writing under one name) replaced a few minor cast members from the last book with more beautiful, more stake-worthy members of the light and dark fae courts. So where there was uber-gorgeous, cliche cheerleader Jordana in Fae, there's now super-sexy, ultra deadly Katya in The Dark King. Where Brian Baker kind of played the foil to Devilyn in the first episode, enter light fae Rowan to test Devilyn's intentions and patience in this one.
I liked it. I honestly think Katya was swept under the rug a little quickly, but that's neither here nor there.
WHAT I LOVED:
I loved Rowan. Boy, did I love Rowan. I loved Rowan so much, that I hope Rowan might get his own book some day. (Did I say Rowan enough in that sentence? Rowan. There. I'm done.)
I also loved Teddy more and more, though I'm not so sure of his role these days. I hope he's got a part to play in the third book.
Puck. He was an interesting addition to the cast to say the least.
The attraction/tension between Caroline and Devilyn. It amped waaaaaay up in this book and all I can say is that this book made me mildly interested in camping. If I was 17. And being pursued by two hottie mc-fairies. Seriously.
WHAT WAS DIFFICULT:
Holy cliffhangers, BatReader. I know it's bound to happen. I know that in the YA Trilogy Universe, cosmic law dictates that you must break my heart on the last page, but Abedi(s) literally yanked me out of a fantastic, teen-fantasy dream (a party! costumes!) into Caroline's nightmare and then...gasp!...ended the book.
There's no word yet when the third book will be released, but we'll be sure to keep you updated as soon as we hear something.
The saga continues...we just don't know when!
....happy reading!...
DETAILS
Title: The Dark King
Series: Fae Series
Author: CJ Abedi
Publisher: Diversion Books
Author Website: facebook.com/faetrilogy
Author Twitter: @cjabedi
Price: 4.99 (Ebook)
Book Source: Oyster.com
This book wasn't an off-the-blocks winner for me, if we're being totally honest. (And I'm tired and sort of sugar-deprived, so I'm honest right now).
I wasn't an instant fan of either leads, Caroline or Devilyn for no other reason than Devilyn was sort of a creep and Caroline's internal dialogue about him (constant! from the get-go!) drove me a teensy bit batty.
But then I gave the book a chance. And I absorbed the mythology that the authors wove--descendants of the original Lost Colony are really linked to light and dark fae. Caroline's everything that's Light. Devilyn's heir to the dark fae throne, though he's got a dash o' the light fae himself.
It's really a unique take on seelie/unseelie which I absolutely love--especially tying it to Roanoke and our own, uniquely American mythology of the pilgrims and early settlers.
In typical YA style, Book One's a whole lot of one lead trying everything they can to keep the other lead from liking them. Because they're doomed. Prophecy says one lead is going to die, yada yada yada...
That's what I love about teenagers, though...give them an inch, they take a mile. Tell them that if they become an "item," one will die an honorable (but still not-living) death saving the world, they're drawn to each other like a couple of hormonal magnets.
WHAT I LOVED: Good gosh, I loved Devilyn's ease and charm by the middle of the book. I imagined a young James Franco for some reason.
I also enjoyed the dual viewpoint, though I wasn't sure I would. Turns out, it's great and I got a lot out of knowing both of their thoughts.
WHAT WAS DIFFICULT: My biggest complaint was the off-scene prologue-y pages that started each new chapter. I didn't need it, necessarily, and more of the bad guy's shenanigans could have occurred with our main cast in real time, if we're being perfectly honest.
The saga continues with The Dark King. Read my review.
DETAILS
Title: Fae
Series: Fae Series
Author: CJ Abedi
Publisher: Diversion Books
Author Website: facebook.com/faetrilogy
Author Twitter: @cjabedi
Price: 2.99 (Ebook)
Book Source: Oyster.com
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