Fangirl Moments And My Two Cents @fgmamtc: Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast Review

Monday, June 8, 2015

Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast Review

Title: Amber Smoke (The Escaped #1)

Author: Kristin Cast

Publisher: Diversion Books

ISBN: 9781626815520

Publishing Date: June 9, 2015

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy

There is a world that runs parallel to our own, a world in which the souls of the damned are caged, where they are looked over by the Furies, and where they spend eternity in torment, mirroring the devastation and mayhem they created when alive.

Someone has opened the cage.

The worst of terrors has crossed the barrier that separates our world from theirs, and the Furies send a great, albeit untested warrior—their only son, Alek—to try to bring those souls back. He is young and handsome, headstrong and impulsive, and he won’t be able to do it alone.

Eva has grown up, beautiful and beloved, but surrounded by secrets. First, she will be hunted in an ancient feud that will threaten her life. Then, she will become the hunter.

With the police closing in and two worlds on the verge of crumbling around them, Alek and Eva must find each other, discover the limits of their powers, and work together to save everything they hold dear, including one another. Blending elements of mythology with the dazzling storytelling that her fans have devoured through the House of Nightseries, Kristin Cast weaves a spellbinding and passionate tale that starts a thrilling new series with an explosive charge.

Kristin Cast is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author who teamed with her mother to write the wildly successful House of Night series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal. When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves relaxing with her significant other and their dogs, and discovering new hobbies. This year she'll work on swimming, yoga, and adding to her Doctor Who collection.

Unfortunately, because of her writing schedule, Kristin is unable to respond individually to emails, but she will post FAQs to her blog and social media pages. She does read all of her messages, and loves to hear from readers!

Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amber Smoke is my first time reading this author; thus, I went in with no preconceived notions on what was to come. The blurb seemed interesting so I wanted to give it a try. This novel is a mix of suspense, murder mystery, action, mild humor, detective, Greek mythology, heroic fantasy and NA romance told in third person omniscient point of view.

It begins in Tartarus with the Furies. An authentic tale similar to the classic ones told of gods and heroes is given to set the reason behind everything in the series. Although, I believe it to be as good as any of the myths through history, this starting bit is my least favorite part.

Most of the storyline takes place in the real world. Many characters and sequences come together in this first installment of The Escaped series. Eva is a college student who lives with her single mother. They are very close. She and her best friend are spoiled, but they aren't bad girls. Alek is on a quest to find Eva. Not being from this realm, he has no understanding of many things which provides some light comedy. Murders have been happening. Detectives are trying to solve these cases. During some of the scenes, I was so nervous I was leaning on the edge of my seat inhaling the words. At one point, I was reading late at night in the dark and got the creeps so badly that I had to get up and turn on the light.

The writing is fantastic. The plot sucked me and left me yearning for the next installment. I recommend this story for readers who like YA fantasy but want something more mature. I really want the next book. Now.