Mini Reviews: Mist + Awaken

MIST
Mist #1
Susan Krinard
Adult Urban Fantasy
384 pages
Tor Books
Available now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Centuries ago, all was lost in the Last Battle when the Norse gods and goddesses went to war. The elves, the giants, and the gods and goddesses themselves were all destroyed, leaving the Valkyrie Mist one of the only survivors.

Or so she thought.

When a snowy winter descends upon modern-day San Francisco in June, Mist’s quiet existence starts to feel all too familiar. In quick succession, Mist is attacked by a frost giant in a public park and runs into an elf disguised as a homeless person on the streets…and then the man Mist believed was her mortal boyfriend reveals himself to be the trickster god, Loki, alive and well after all these years.

Loki has big plans for the modern world, and he’s been hanging around Mist for access to a staff that once belonged to the great god Odin. Mist is certain of one thing: Loki must be stopped if there is to be any hope for Earth. But the fight is even bigger than she knows….

Because Loki wasn’t the only god to survive.

MY THOUGHTS 
Mist thrusts us into a modern-day world just starting to feel the influence of figures of Norse mythology, fascinating us from the beginning with gods and goddesses perhaps lesser known than those of their Greek or Roman counterparts, and all the more intriguing for it. As is often the case with first installments of urban fantasy series, this book focuses primarily on world-building and setting up the epic war that hovers ominously on the horizon, leaving us faltering just a touch with some of the Nordic names and terminology which are both hard to pronounce and remember. Additionally, given infamous trickster god Loki is the primary villain, we know from the onset that Mist’s battle with him is not one that will be resolved in this first book, and without a smaller villain or story arc to provide a concrete conclusion, there’s definitely a feeling of unfinished business when we reach the last page.

Despite those drawbacks, Mist proves to be a heroine with infinite potential, the prologue showing us in brutal detail just how vulnerable she can be physically even with the advantages granted to her as a valkyrie, while the rest of the story gives us a glimpse at her strength and her fighter’s spirit. There’s the barest hint of a romance between her and an elf with more secrets and lies in his life than we can almost keep track of, their initial antagonism and slow emotional thaw toward one another piquing our curiosity as we can’t help but wonder how things will continue to develop once a light is shone into the elf’s dark and shadowy corners.

Rating: 3.5/5

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AWAKEN

Abandon #3

Meg Cabot

Paranormal Young Adult

343 pages

Scholastic Point

Available now 

Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)

Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.

But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.

If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die.

MY THOUGHTS

Awaken starts out strong, returning us to the Underworld and giving us a glimpse of John and Pierce finally working together at the job they both initially fought but now embrace, delighting the part of us that loves mythology and has been dying (no pun intended) all along to see it play a bigger role in this series. Unfortunately though, we’re all too quickly returned the surface and Pierce is once again separated from John, our hope of watching their romance develop in a way it hasn’t the past two books crushed like so much dust. Their seemingly dark bond and the inherent danger that stems from John being lord of the Underworld has been one of the key components drawing our interest, but the connection between them has never quite sparked an emotional reaction, and while this final installment is no doubt an enjoyable read, it doesn’t lock the much-desired connection we’ve been waiting for in place.

Pierce has made progress from the young woman she was in book one, finally content in her relationship with John and no longer so keen to run from him or do things he specifically asks her not to, while at the same time proving she can be every bit as intimidating as he is when those she loves are threatened. Like the romance though, the plot of Awaken leaves a bit to be desired, some problems for both Pierce and John working out quickly and easily, never really testing us heart and soul to see how much we can withstand before we carry the marks of our time with these characters with us forever. The potential for an emotional read is undeniably present, but this series seems more content to stay a touch more superficial, and while it doesn’t fail to entertain in its superficiality, those of us who crave the battle scars caused by a book that challenges us every step of the way can’t help but want more.

Rating: 3.5/5
 

Find Meg:

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These books were sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.