TEST
I love dragon novels. There is something about dragons that epitomizes the fantasy genre, a style of book I love. In romance we have been fortunate to have an excellent dragon series in Shana Abe’s Drakons. Alas, it looks like I am still searching for a truly terrific YA dragon series – because this one sure didn’t hit the spot.
In Firelight, the first novel in this series, we meet Jacinda and Tamra, twin sisters who are members of the Draki, the last descendants of dragon kind. Jacinda is a firebreather, the first born to her people in hundreds of years and highly prized by her pride. But Jacinda is also a teenage girl – selfish, careless of the rules, and quite frankly, a princess to the nth degree. When her mom absconds with her into the night, her sister Jacinda is at first horrified. In real life, she is just an ordinary girl. Then she learns that life away from the pride can have its rewards – like love. Can Will, a hunter of her kind and completely forbidden to her, actually be the love of her life?
This novel begins where Firelight left off and is more a continuation of that story than a sequel to it. Since that is the case, everything from here on out is probably a spoiler for that novel.
When we last saw Jacinda she was rocketing down the highway in the company of Tamra, her mother, and Cassian. Everyone is deeply upset, primarily because Jacinda’s latest rule breach has exposed her kind to humans and forced her family, tasting their first freedoms from the pride, right back into the hands of that restrictive body. The book opens as they continue to race into the night. But before they get very far something terrifying happens – Will’s cousins, hunters in their own right, stop their vehicle with every intention of capturing all its occupants and placing them into a long and terrible captivity. And then the miracle occurs – Tamra, who has never transformed into a full blown Draki, displays the greatest power of all: She becomes a shader, releasing a thick mist that swallows the hunters, knocking them out and enabling their small band to flee.
At this point in the tale I was pretty excited. I was a bit tired of Princess Jacinda and interested to see things from Tamra’s side. She had displayed some equally selfish tendencies in the last novel, but I was anxious to see what she would be like now that her powers had manifested. Alas, that was not to happen.
We stay with Jacinda as she returns to the pride. It is immediately clear that everyone is very unhappy with their little family but delighted to have Tamra. The current shader for the pride, who keeps the human world at bay and hides all their secrets, is over three hundred years old. Tamra’s transformation came just in time. Additionally, Jacinda may be a problem child, but even if they can’t use her ability they can at least breed it. And yes, they are just that creepy . The family’s welcome home is more a welcome to jail than anyone likes to admit.
Things contiue to deteriorate for Jacinda. Her plum job at the library has gone to someone else and she is now on the gutting crew. The people who used to worship her now feel free to snicker and taunt. She fears the mist Tamra released to enable their escape was strong enough to make Will forget all about her. Her mother turns to drink rather than to her daughters for solace. Tamra is constantly in training, available only for the occassional hostile visit (she rightly blames Jacinda for their problems). And Corbin, Cassain’s truly creepy cousin, has made it clear the twins’ homecoming is a tremendous boon to him. As second of the junior members of the pride, he will be receiving one or the other of them as mate. And Jacinda has a bad feeling it is going to be her.
I’ve read a lot of book with teens who break the rules and normally have no problem with them, but Jacinda definitely rubbed me the wrong way. I think it was that until the very end of this novel; she just never had a thought for anyone around her. Her rule breaking was all about doing what was best for her, and forget the rest of the world. Further, she wasn’t just indulging in normal teen rebellion – sneaking out to party with friends or indulging in harmless pranks – but doing things that truly put her people in danger. They are being hunted and she repeatedly does things to reveal their deepest secrets and bring their enemy to the gates. But hey, that’s okay, so long as she gets something out of it.
The romance between Jacinda and Will left me cold. And a bit creeped out. In the last book we learned that Will’s life was saved by the killing of draki and then giving him infusions of their blood. Will was a tracker for his people, often leading them to other draki. Since the whole relationship between the two is described more as hunter and prey than warring enemies, I really struggled with this. That fact was a shadow for me over their every encounter. I’m sure it was meant to feel very Romeo and Juliet, but the Bard had a rare talent that can not always be easily replicated. The star crossed lover tale didn’t work so well for me here.
Jacinda’s princess behavior aside, this novel had the feel of a story previously told. It combines many elements anyone familiar with the paranormal teen market will recognize without bringing any freshness to the tale. Hours after I read it I had to recheck details because they had blurred in my mind. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the plotting – it just didn’t have anything that stood out about it.
In the end I found this book the unenjoyable side of average. Nothing really wrong with its elements of fiction except that it failed to connect me to them at all. I would recommend giving it a miss.
Grade: C-
Book Type: Young Adult
Sensuality: Kisses
Review Date: 07/11/11
Publication Date: 2011/09
I've been an avid reader since 2nd grade and discovered romance when my cousin lent me Lord of La Pampa by Kay Thorpe in 7th grade. I currently read approximately 150 books a year, comprised of a mix of Young Adult, romance, mystery, women's fiction, and science fiction/fantasy.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.