mageekm193's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kblincoln's review against another edition
4.0
I still like Aidan. The complicated world of ghosts, wraiths, demons, and various levels of angels is still interesting to explore (although the most interesting developments about Aidan, his sleeping sister Ava, her parentage, and the fate of the demon gate doesn't happen until the very end), but this book didn't hold my attention as well as the first.
The perennial problem of the second book in a story arc focused on discovering demons and angels and stopping them from taking over: you don't need two books to discover, and so sometimes the middle book gets a little soggy.
Aidan and his LA Paranormal friends spend a lot of time going hither and thither to and from the cave where his sister is bound in a coma like sleep trying to protect his sister from being discovered by demons. And Aidan's love, Kara, who was unapologetically brash in the first book, morphs into a bleeding damsel in distress.
Sid, who was cool, mostly disappears from this book, replaced by Eric-the-Angel who appears just in time to give Aidan tantalizing snippets of information before disappearing again.
So a tad frustrating. The actual ghost-busting scenes were fun, gross, and a cool way to show off Aidan's powers.....but slightly unbelievable in the context of Aidan frantically worried about his sister and Kara, etc. They were side bars that sometimes required too much suspension of disbelief on my part.
Then I got to the end, as I mentioned above, and the book too off running again. I love it when authors spend entire books making you worry about an event happening: and then that event happens anyway and its so much dire than you ever imagined. Alot of Aidan's worst fears materialize and he seems poised to lose his sister and probably a large portion of L.A. as well.
The perennial problem of the second book in a story arc focused on discovering demons and angels and stopping them from taking over: you don't need two books to discover, and so sometimes the middle book gets a little soggy.
Aidan and his LA Paranormal friends spend a lot of time going hither and thither to and from the cave where his sister is bound in a coma like sleep trying to protect his sister from being discovered by demons. And Aidan's love, Kara, who was unapologetically brash in the first book, morphs into a bleeding damsel in distress.
Sid, who was cool, mostly disappears from this book, replaced by Eric-the-Angel who appears just in time to give Aidan tantalizing snippets of information before disappearing again.
So a tad frustrating. The actual ghost-busting scenes were fun, gross, and a cool way to show off Aidan's powers.....but slightly unbelievable in the context of Aidan frantically worried about his sister and Kara, etc. They were side bars that sometimes required too much suspension of disbelief on my part.
Then I got to the end, as I mentioned above, and the book too off running again. I love it when authors spend entire books making you worry about an event happening: and then that event happens anyway and its so much dire than you ever imagined. Alot of Aidan's worst fears materialize and he seems poised to lose his sister and probably a large portion of L.A. as well.
crtsjffrsn's review against another edition
4.0
Aidan has come into his powers, though he's still learning more about what they mean and why. He's also struggling to find a way to help his sister, Ava, whose body is here while her spirit is somewhere he can't quite reach. Even though he's stopped the demon who was hunting for her, that hasn't stopped the demons from continuing to cross over. And he soon learns there may be others hunting for his sister's spirit. Further complicating thins is the fact that his connection to Kara, the young woman who helped awaken his powers, seems to be putting her in very real danger. And then there's Rebecca, to whom he feels an undeniably strong connection, who showed up once again on their doorstep. With Aidan's guardian angel vanished without a trace and his mentor seeming to be of poor health and degrading more and more every day, it looks like things are going to be more challenging than ever before.
The first book in this series ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I knew I couldn't wait to pick up the second installment. I was surprised by some of the twists that come right away in this one, and there are some unexpected revelations that crop up as the book rolls along. This isn't anything close to a typical "angels vs. demons" story, which is something really like about it. And reluctant heroes are sometimes the most interesting kind.
But this one ends with what be even more of a cliffhanger than the first book...meaning the third book can't come soon enough for me.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
The first book in this series ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I knew I couldn't wait to pick up the second installment. I was surprised by some of the twists that come right away in this one, and there are some unexpected revelations that crop up as the book rolls along. This isn't anything close to a typical "angels vs. demons" story, which is something really like about it. And reluctant heroes are sometimes the most interesting kind.
But this one ends with what be even more of a cliffhanger than the first book...meaning the third book can't come soon enough for me.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
merlin_reads's review against another edition
2.0
I'm just not a fan of these and that makes me really sad because I really liked the author when I met her.
Book 2 finds Aidan trying to save his sister from this mystical coma she's in. While her body is hidden in a remote cave, Aidan is running around looking for answers. While all of this is happening, he's also dealing with this ridiculous love triangle that's going on. Kara is the one he wants but his power makes her eyes and ears bleed because she's not his true soul mate. That's Rebecca - the girl who has no self respect and just shows up at the house expecting to be able to stay there for a few weeks while her dad is out of town. But wait, Rebecca may love Aidan but she also seems to have feelings for Connor as well! Kill me now.
This book was all over the place. Instead of focusing on the major plot points - saving Ava, dealing with this weird romance bond - the author kind of shoves those to the side and brings in more random demons for Aidan to fight. I don't really feel his urgency to save his sister even though that's all he talks about. And I just don't really like him. The only interesting part about this was the ending when (view spoiler). And still I don't know if that's enough to make me want to read the final book - and I own it!
It's just really hard to root for anyone in this series. I never liked Kara so I can't root for her relationship with Aidan. Also, I don't feel anything between them except the mystical stuff which we've been told isn't real feelings. So why are they together and why should I care? And then there's the way Aidan treats Rebecca. He knows he doesn't want to be with her, yet he strings her along because he knows she wants more. And he likes that. Major douche alert.
So currently I am unsure about finishing the series. It shouldn't take me over a week to finish each of these books but I just can't find motivation to read them.
Book 2 finds Aidan trying to save his sister from this mystical coma she's in. While her body is hidden in a remote cave, Aidan is running around looking for answers. While all of this is happening, he's also dealing with this ridiculous love triangle that's going on. Kara is the one he wants but his power makes her eyes and ears bleed because she's not his true soul mate. That's Rebecca - the girl who has no self respect and just shows up at the house expecting to be able to stay there for a few weeks while her dad is out of town. But wait, Rebecca may love Aidan but she also seems to have feelings for Connor as well! Kill me now.
This book was all over the place. Instead of focusing on the major plot points - saving Ava, dealing with this weird romance bond - the author kind of shoves those to the side and brings in more random demons for Aidan to fight. I don't really feel his urgency to save his sister even though that's all he talks about. And I just don't really like him. The only interesting part about this was the ending when (view spoiler). And still I don't know if that's enough to make me want to read the final book - and I own it!
It's just really hard to root for anyone in this series. I never liked Kara so I can't root for her relationship with Aidan. Also, I don't feel anything between them except the mystical stuff which we've been told isn't real feelings. So why are they together and why should I care? And then there's the way Aidan treats Rebecca. He knows he doesn't want to be with her, yet he strings her along because he knows she wants more. And he likes that. Major douche alert.
So currently I am unsure about finishing the series. It shouldn't take me over a week to finish each of these books but I just can't find motivation to read them.
katkeyes's review against another edition
2.0
Poorly written, but damn it - I want to know what happens!
hermes262's review against another edition
4.0
While I wasn't as invested in this as much as the first book (which was beyond amazing and had me holding frantically to the edge of my seat), it was still good, and the characters remain enjoyable! Marks writing style keeps me just as invested as JK Rowling's would. She has a penchant for creating very well-developed characters, even those who stick around for just a few pages. I would have preferred a more engaging plot, but give me a slew of amazing characters that I care about and I'll read them eating popcorn for two chapters (okay, maybe not, but still). I recommend at 3.5-4 stars.
Aidan, Kara, and the gang continue to crack me up. There was less bonding time with the game as a whole, but it was nice to focus more in depth on our main characters. The demons are getting scarier and more powerful, so it's interesting to see the mythology grow. Especially the angels coming into play now (can't believe I just typed that sentence). If you enjoyed the first one, you'll enjoy this one. And it seems to be leading into some pretty intense stuff for book 3!
Darkness Brutal was an amazing book, fast-paced with lots of mysteries. This book didn't have as many mysteries involved, and the Rebecca storyline was not my cup of tea. It was teenage pining angst which was written somewhat realistically, I thought, but again, not my thing. I didn't necessarily how Rebecca was important enough to get her own POV. She was separated to the point where it made sense. Kara's my favorite character, but she's too close to Aidan to warrant her own POV. Rebecca solves this dilemma, but her POV could have been wiped out and the story would've remained the same, more or less.
This was definitely a bridge to the third book, which I'm okay with. The demon scenes were great. The Ava twist was surprising. Should I have seen it coming, maybe? But I didn't. I would like to know why she's going batshit crazy. Something has to have caused this transformation. She was always a bit... off, but she was willing to do bad things to save her family. She wasn't psychotic to this level. But she's also been dead for a few weeks, so who knows? It does explain why the wraith was cooperative with Aidan in helping find her.
The twist where Ava's father wasn't actually a bad guy was good. Scary what Ava was able to do with him though. We'll see where this goes in book 3. Glad Kara's okay, and also content that they settled the whole teenage pining angst storyline because I could not do that in book 3. Especially because it doesn't look like Rebecca is going anywhere. I actually liked Rebecca a lot in the last book. But her POV is much different than the character she portrays. I did not imagine such a sarcastic teenage girl stereotype from how she was portrayed in book 1. Just threw me off. I don't know if her character was changed for plot purposes or if she's just so introverted you couldn't tell. I have a feeling it was both.
All in all, a good read. I liked the first book much better, but I'm rounding this one up because I expect very good things from book 3. And again, good characters = fun read. So, you know, good times. I recommend.
Aidan, Kara, and the gang continue to crack me up. There was less bonding time with the game as a whole, but it was nice to focus more in depth on our main characters. The demons are getting scarier and more powerful, so it's interesting to see the mythology grow. Especially the angels coming into play now (can't believe I just typed that sentence). If you enjoyed the first one, you'll enjoy this one. And it seems to be leading into some pretty intense stuff for book 3!
Spoiler
Darkness Brutal was an amazing book, fast-paced with lots of mysteries. This book didn't have as many mysteries involved, and the Rebecca storyline was not my cup of tea. It was teenage pining angst which was written somewhat realistically, I thought, but again, not my thing. I didn't necessarily how Rebecca was important enough to get her own POV. She was separated to the point where it made sense. Kara's my favorite character, but she's too close to Aidan to warrant her own POV. Rebecca solves this dilemma, but her POV could have been wiped out and the story would've remained the same, more or less.
This was definitely a bridge to the third book, which I'm okay with. The demon scenes were great. The Ava twist was surprising. Should I have seen it coming, maybe? But I didn't. I would like to know why she's going batshit crazy. Something has to have caused this transformation. She was always a bit... off, but she was willing to do bad things to save her family. She wasn't psychotic to this level. But she's also been dead for a few weeks, so who knows? It does explain why the wraith was cooperative with Aidan in helping find her.
The twist where Ava's father wasn't actually a bad guy was good. Scary what Ava was able to do with him though. We'll see where this goes in book 3. Glad Kara's okay, and also content that they settled the whole teenage pining angst storyline because I could not do that in book 3. Especially because it doesn't look like Rebecca is going anywhere. I actually liked Rebecca a lot in the last book. But her POV is much different than the character she portrays. I did not imagine such a sarcastic teenage girl stereotype from how she was portrayed in book 1. Just threw me off. I don't know if her character was changed for plot purposes or if she's just so introverted you couldn't tell. I have a feeling it was both.
All in all, a good read. I liked the first book much better, but I'm rounding this one up because I expect very good things from book 3. And again, good characters = fun read. So, you know, good times. I recommend.
illyria18's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
Book two, regardless if it's in a trilogy or long series, always faces the hardest part it seems. It normally just isn't as good as the first book, and depending on what it does this could be a not great but okay thing or something that just ruins the magic of the first book.
For myself when it comes to Darkness Brutal, I landed in the camp of "This is an okay book", which really works to the advantage of a sequel. Your expectations aren't overly high, but at the same time you're interested to see where things go with the story. I've seen some mixed reviews going on and most seem to prefer the first book. For me personally though....
I must say I'm impressed. I really didn't know what to expect going in but I found myself pleasantly surprised by the end of it. There were of course still some flaws but I was glad to see the path the author took with certain things. Mainly the love triangle that happened in the first book. It felt like she really stepped up her game and proved there was a reason for it and made it work really well within her story. In the first book it felt tacked on but in the sequel it flows really well within the story and makes things even more interesting. The side characters are continuing to grow and get interesting and the story itself is getting more intense and enjoyable to read.
My gripes can be easily simplified. Our lead couple.
I care nothing for them. Aidan is still making poor and just downright horrible choices for the most part. I want to side with him but it's just hard to when you see so many people try to talk sense into him and then he goes and does the stupid thing anyway.
Then there's Kara. While having a interesting backstory she still seems pretty bland for some reason. Maybe it's because she didn't have much to do this time around but I didn't find myself liking her any better than I did the first time around.
My opinion they're perfect for each other! But sadly it's not in a good way. At this point I can't really picture myself ever really caring about their romance. I can still hope though that they grow into more likable characters.
The best parts of the book. Hands down, Rebecca and Connor. A close second goes to Hanna and Eric. Seriously love those two. Watching Rebecca grow in Darkness Fair was the real payoff in this book. Going from completely unneeded to the star of the show was a real joy to see. Then the budding relationship of her and Connor just added to the fun of it. Characters that I actually like getting together? More please.
Overall, even with my few gripes, this was a worthy sequel. It stands well on its own and in my opinion even manages to surpass the first. Making me eager for the next book.
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
Book two, regardless if it's in a trilogy or long series, always faces the hardest part it seems. It normally just isn't as good as the first book, and depending on what it does this could be a not great but okay thing or something that just ruins the magic of the first book.
For myself when it comes to Darkness Brutal, I landed in the camp of "This is an okay book", which really works to the advantage of a sequel. Your expectations aren't overly high, but at the same time you're interested to see where things go with the story. I've seen some mixed reviews going on and most seem to prefer the first book. For me personally though....
I must say I'm impressed. I really didn't know what to expect going in but I found myself pleasantly surprised by the end of it. There were of course still some flaws but I was glad to see the path the author took with certain things. Mainly the love triangle that happened in the first book. It felt like she really stepped up her game and proved there was a reason for it and made it work really well within her story. In the first book it felt tacked on but in the sequel it flows really well within the story and makes things even more interesting. The side characters are continuing to grow and get interesting and the story itself is getting more intense and enjoyable to read.
My gripes can be easily simplified. Our lead couple.
I care nothing for them. Aidan is still making poor and just downright horrible choices for the most part. I want to side with him but it's just hard to when you see so many people try to talk sense into him and then he goes and does the stupid thing anyway.
Then there's Kara. While having a interesting backstory she still seems pretty bland for some reason. Maybe it's because she didn't have much to do this time around but I didn't find myself liking her any better than I did the first time around.
My opinion they're perfect for each other! But sadly it's not in a good way. At this point I can't really picture myself ever really caring about their romance. I can still hope though that they grow into more likable characters.
The best parts of the book. Hands down, Rebecca and Connor. A close second goes to Hanna and Eric. Seriously love those two. Watching Rebecca grow in Darkness Fair was the real payoff in this book. Going from completely unneeded to the star of the show was a real joy to see. Then the budding relationship of her and Connor just added to the fun of it. Characters that I actually like getting together? More please.
Overall, even with my few gripes, this was a worthy sequel. It stands well on its own and in my opinion even manages to surpass the first. Making me eager for the next book.
emeraldawn's review against another edition
4.0
So good! Need a seatbelt with how fast this book is. I was never disappointed in how this story is unfolding. Only problem is I have to wait for the next one. I hate waiting.
marie_thereadingotter's review
2.0
I received this book form NetGalley for review.
Hmm... I am not a fan of this sequel. There is just something that's left to be desired.
Things were became just a touch too cliche for my taste.
Hmm... I am not a fan of this sequel. There is just something that's left to be desired.
Things were became just a touch too cliche for my taste.
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