A review by iheartfictionalpeople
The Dark Awakening by D.L. Blade
5.0
Review originally posted on my blog: I Heart Fictional People
INITIAL THOUGHTS
I wasn’t drawn to the cover right away because I have a thing against covers with people on them. I know, I’m weird. BUT the synopsis drew me in right away. Witches, vampires, a stalker/ex-lover from another century?? Yes, please!
WHAT I LIKED
The unpredictable suspense. “OMG!” was my reaction throughout this whole book. My 8-year-old literally kept asking me, “What? What happened now?!” (She is now a fan and wants to read this book when she’s older by the way.) There were just so many twists and turns and surprises. And I LOVED it. Usually with this genre, I can pretty much predict what will happen. I really had no idea with this one, which was so refreshing! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
The characters. Mercy has been through a lot, but she is independent, strong, smart, and brave. She is thrown into this new world full of paranormal creatures, and she not only adapts quickly, but she becomes this force to be reckoned with. We also have Riley, who is her loyal best friend and will do anything to protect her. I just love this guy. Then we have arrogant and cocky Caleb who also has a sweet, caring side. He reminds me of Damon from The Vampire Diaries, and we all know how obsessed I was with him. Plus, we are introduced to some other characters I may or may not be falling in love with, but I won’t spoil anything.
The writing. I have never read anything by this author, but I was very impressed by it all. This story was just so original. Not only were the plot and different storylines original, but the way it was written took me by surprise as well. Many times throughout the book, I was so focused on one thing happening that I was shocked that I completely missed something else happening. The only word I can use to describe the writing is magic. D.L. Blade is this uniquely gifted magician author whose writing is so amazingly fresh and entertaining that you really never see what’s coming.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I don’t really have any complaints. I guess one minor thing is that I wanted to see more emotional connections between the characters. It was there! But it wasn’t as deep as I wanted it to be. However, I think it fits with the story. Mercy is still learning who she is, so I can’t expect too much in this department.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
If you are a fan of anything paranormal, trust me when I say this: drop everything you’re doing and get a copy of this amazing book! You won’t be disappointed. Plus, you will discover your new favorite author. I can’t get over how good this book was. Not only did this book have all the ingredients for an entertaining story–romance, suspense, mystery, action, unpredictability–but it was so original and unconventional that you won’t know how to go back to reading this genre the same again. This is the first book in a series, so be prepared to get addicted. I am! I can’t wait to read the next book!
*I received an eBook copy of this book from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review*
INITIAL THOUGHTS
I wasn’t drawn to the cover right away because I have a thing against covers with people on them. I know, I’m weird. BUT the synopsis drew me in right away. Witches, vampires, a stalker/ex-lover from another century?? Yes, please!
WHAT I LIKED
The unpredictable suspense. “OMG!” was my reaction throughout this whole book. My 8-year-old literally kept asking me, “What? What happened now?!” (She is now a fan and wants to read this book when she’s older by the way.) There were just so many twists and turns and surprises. And I LOVED it. Usually with this genre, I can pretty much predict what will happen. I really had no idea with this one, which was so refreshing! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
The characters. Mercy has been through a lot, but she is independent, strong, smart, and brave. She is thrown into this new world full of paranormal creatures, and she not only adapts quickly, but she becomes this force to be reckoned with. We also have Riley, who is her loyal best friend and will do anything to protect her. I just love this guy. Then we have arrogant and cocky Caleb who also has a sweet, caring side. He reminds me of Damon from The Vampire Diaries, and we all know how obsessed I was with him. Plus, we are introduced to some other characters I may or may not be falling in love with, but I won’t spoil anything.
The writing. I have never read anything by this author, but I was very impressed by it all. This story was just so original. Not only were the plot and different storylines original, but the way it was written took me by surprise as well. Many times throughout the book, I was so focused on one thing happening that I was shocked that I completely missed something else happening. The only word I can use to describe the writing is magic. D.L. Blade is this uniquely gifted magician author whose writing is so amazingly fresh and entertaining that you really never see what’s coming.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I don’t really have any complaints. I guess one minor thing is that I wanted to see more emotional connections between the characters. It was there! But it wasn’t as deep as I wanted it to be. However, I think it fits with the story. Mercy is still learning who she is, so I can’t expect too much in this department.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
If you are a fan of anything paranormal, trust me when I say this: drop everything you’re doing and get a copy of this amazing book! You won’t be disappointed. Plus, you will discover your new favorite author. I can’t get over how good this book was. Not only did this book have all the ingredients for an entertaining story–romance, suspense, mystery, action, unpredictability–but it was so original and unconventional that you won’t know how to go back to reading this genre the same again. This is the first book in a series, so be prepared to get addicted. I am! I can’t wait to read the next book!
*I received an eBook copy of this book from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review*