Thursday, January 29, 2015

Revealed, plus Kalona's Fall by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (reviews)

These books are from a very entertaining young adult vampire series, that started with the novel, Marked   I have included the covers of the first two below, but there are lots more for your reading pleasure if you are new to the series.  The second title reviewed below probably would be best appreciated once you have gotten into the series a bit, that way you can get a feel for the characters.






Revealed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast is part of the ‘House of Night’ series that centers around a group of young vampyres who have dealt with a considerable amount of upheaval that results in some startling revelations. Just as they are trying to recover, evil regroups and strikes a serious blow which not only results in two unexpected deaths, but prompts humans to try to interfere with the vampyres’ autonomy. Zoey is learning to wield her powers as High Priestess and her friends Aphrodite and Stevie Rae are also settling into their roles but emotions and past ties threaten to upset the fragile equilibrium that has been established and the House of Night may be unable to recover from the attacks which are escalating against them.


This new adult paranormal series is written by a wonderfully talented mother-daughter team who have created a fascinatingly textured universe with humans and vampyres coexisting. The youngsters in this particular corner of the world have experienced extreme highs and lows that mirror the history of their Goddess, and death and betrayal has sabotaged their path but has not prevented them from gradually beginning to mature into their roles. This was a great blend of a recap of Neferet’s journey and the metamorphosis of the Tulsa House of Night, even as major forces start shifting the balance of power. Familiarity with the series is important, as each story builds on the one before, and it was especially intriguing to learn about Neferet’s history after reading about the history of Kalona, Erebus and Nyx in “Kalona’s Fall”. An exciting addition to a series that blends age-old issues such as greed, jealousy and envy, with traditional elements of mythology in a modern twist that intrigues and entertains, with a startling cliffhanger that makes one anxious to read more in the series.




Kalona's Fall, written by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast and illustrated by Aura Dalian, depicts the history behind the formation of the Gods, Goddesses, and Fey, and the evolution of events which resulted in the formation of humans and eventually, the Nightkind. The tale of Nyx and her complicated relationship with Erebus and Kalona is described as patterns of mistrust and betrayal set the stage for the eons of conflict to follow.

This intriguing introduction to the mythology that underlies the vampyre society that is part of the ‘House of Night’ series provides a fascinating perspective of some of the key characters. The twist on certain aspects of traditional mythology and the events that gradually unfold holds one spellbound as events build to the inevitable conclusion that one knows is coming yet can do nothing to prevent. It was amazing to get a sympathetic view of a tortured individual and enlightening to see what transpired to cause this. A great and informative addition to the series.


© Night Owl Reviews 

I received a copy of these titles in return for an honest review.



    

 

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