Sunday, March 27, 2011

Review: Beautiful Darkness

Review: Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2)

Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 503

Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

I read the first book in this series, Beautiful Creatures, a while ago and fell in love with it! For some reason, I never got the chance to pick up the second one until now. I enjoyed it, but I liked the first one better.

The beginning and middle of the book were a little slow. The majority was about Lena being depressed and Ethan trying to figure out why. Fortunately, the last 3rd of the book was great and I couldn't put it down! Ethan and his mortal friends ventured into underground passageways to look for Lena who finally has to choose whether to turn Light or Dark. Another character named Liv was added to the story and she and Ethan might just be a little more than friends...

I like Ethan as a main character. It is always fun to read a book in a male's point of view because it doesn't happen too often. Lena, on the other hand, bothered me throughout the book. She isn't emotionally strong and is sort of whiny. It is frustrating when girls spend most of the book complaining about how her and her love can't be together when really, there is no reason they can't. My favorite characters were Link, Ridley, and Anna. They are all so different and fun to read about.

One of my favorite elements about this book is the way Kami and Margaret incorporated so much southern history into the book. They even wrote the book so readers can't help but to read in a southern accent! When the characters talked, there were never any G's at the end of a word and instead of the word "of" the letter "a" was in it's place. They really are brilliant authors.

The ending of the book is mostly a happy one. Most questions were answered but it certainly left room for another book. Overall, Beautiful Darkness was a good read and I can't wait to read the 3rd in the series, Beautiful Chaos. If you want to see the cover and release date, click here.

What did you guys think of this book?

6 comments:

  1. Glad to hear the book picks up. I've been in middle of it for a while, since Lena's been bothering me and other things.
    Link is eternal awesome :)

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  2. Nice review, I admire you for getting through another 500 pages from this series. I swore to myself that I will not touch the second book and I consider this a good decision, it is the only book in the world I have a strong dislike to. Ugh, I hate whiny characters and fake dramas.
    Nevertheless I really enjoyed your honest review! Looking forward to more of them :)

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  3. Really nice and honest review :D I enjoyed this book and the sequel, but Lena isn't my favorite character. Love Ethan! He's just so sweet. haha and I also agree with Riv Re, Link = Awesome.

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  4. oops I meant the first book and this sequel haha and I'm a new follower as well :D

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  5. I got stuck in the middle of Beautiful Creatures and haven't picked it up since. I know I have to finish it. I even HAVE Beautiful Darkness. The cover is so GORGEOUS. I know it's a series I will get around to soon!

    Tara @ Taming the Bookshelf

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  6. Beautiful Darkness is astonishing. The story draws you in from the first paragraph and doesn't let go. Lena and Ethan's friendship is tested by the strain of Marco's passing and Lena's impending life- (and death-) altering 17th birthday. Add a British Keeper, a mutant Incubus and the unexpected discovery of a Wayward and a complicated situation becomes dangerous fast. I found myself on the edge of my seat hoping for Lena and Ethan to find their way back - or forward - to each other again. Even after I finished the last page, the story and the characters continue to haunt me. This book has me hooked.

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