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

Find Susan:

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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:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon 

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.

Review: Underworld

UNDERWORLD
(Abandon Trilogy #2)

Meg Cabot
Paranormal Young Adult
336 pages
Scholastic Point
Available May 8th
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)

Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.

MY THOUGHTS

Where Abandon introduced us to Pierce and catapulted us back and forth in time to help us piece together her relationship with a dark young man we really never got to know, Underworld grants us the extra time with John Hayden we were denied previously, allowing us to see glimpses of the man behind the Death Deity. Those who were slightly put off by the jumps in time in the first book will be pleased by the linear nature of this second installment, our time with John and Pierce spent entirely in the present as they attempt to sort through their feelings for one another as well as their roles in the Underworld. The focus of Underworld feels a bit more internal, the connection between John and Pierce moving to the forefront while the external threat of the Furies remains more static in nature, and as a result we’re given the opportunity to better know each of our protagonists as individuals.

Though it’s easy to like Pierce overall, her ability to take the fairly monumental changes in her life in stride something we can’t help but admire, our relationship with her can be rocky at times. She’s quick to speak her mind before fully thinking things through, often voicing a thought that hurts John by calling into question his life in the Underworld and the choices he’s forced to make as a result of his work, and she therefore spends a great deal of time apologizing to him for saying things she didn’t entirely mean. While anyone in her position would certainly have questions about John, his past, and his role in the Underworld, her continued inadvertent verbal cuts make the romance between the two of them feel extraordinarily one-sided on John's part, planting seeds of doubt in our minds as to whether or not they truly belong together. She says she loves him, but we don’t necessarily feel the intensity of those feelings the way we do with John, and we spend our time reading wishing she would provide proof of that love through gesture instead of word.

John shows a great deal of growth in this tale, finally allowing some personality to show through the brooding façade he’s so beautifully perfected as he charms Pierce and us with sweet teases and a rather dry sense of humor. He of course is still prone to rather volatile displays of temper when Pierce is threatened, but it’s obvious he’s making a concentrated effort to keep it in check as he fights every instinct he has and sends Pierce back to the surface despite the danger that awaits her there. He so badly wants Pierce to be happy with him, and while we can find fault with some of the methods he utilizes to protect her as well as his refusal to share too much about himself, we can understand his action-first talk-later approach given Pierce’s predilection for voicing her doubts about the two of them.
 
Overall, the plotline surrounding Pierce’s life in the Underworld and the battle with the Furies is secondary in this story to John’s history and his love for Pierce, giving us the feeling we’re not simply in the calm before the storm literally as a hurricane continues to make its way to Isla Huelos, but figuratively as well now that we know a little more about John himself.

Rating: 3.5-4/5

(I suffered from a bit of indecision when it came time to assigning a rating to this one. Some days certain things bothered me more than they did on others, so I'm giving a range:)

Review + Giveaway: Abandon

ABANDON (Abandon #1)
Meg Cabot
Paranormal Young Adult
307 pages
Scholastic
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY
Two years ago Pierce drowned in her family's backyard pool. Luckily for her, the frigid water gave doctors a chance to revive her, but she's different now. She didn't see a light that day, she saw John. John, who took her to his home in the Underworld. John, who told her she had to stay with him forever. John, who is surely angry with her for running from him and returning to the world of the living.

After a series of unfortunate events lead to her dismissal from her old school, and consequently her old life, Pierce and her mother move to an island off the Florida coast where her mom grew up. There's only one problem with the move: the island is where she first met John, and she has no doubt he will be able to find his way back into her life with her there.

Due to her status as "crazy" for what she revealed to her doctors and family about the Underworld, Pierce now has to attend school as a member of New Pathways, a special program for troubled teenagers. If only they understood what she saw. What she still sees. Because John isn't quite ready to let her go, and as she learns more about him and his world, she realizes that maybe what scares her most is not John himself, but her reaction to him.

MY THOUGHTS
Abandon is an engrossing and highly entertaining first installment of a three part series, the reading of it a bit like attending a theater production wherein the curtain doesn't fully rise to reveal the action, but rather is merely raised a foot at a time, making us squirm in our seats in anticipation of what those next few inches, or in this case pages, will reveal. Pierce's experience with death and the Underworld is presented to us in pieces–mentioned briefly in passing and drawing our unwavering attention as curiosity takes hold, but yet we must wait until the more detailed explanation is granted to us several chapters later. Our desire to know what has happened in the past as well as our need to know what will happen in the future combines delectably to leave us riveted to the pages, eyes scanning the sentences so quickly our very sockets feel sore the next day. As soon as our appetite for one piece of the puzzle is whetted, the next piece is held tantalizingly before us, luring, tempting, and enticing us to thoroughly explore Ms. Cabot's mythological interpretation.

Pierce is a complex heroine, inspiring often conflicting emotions in us as we delve deeper into the unusualness of her life after death. She at times is very relatable, her feelings of uncertainty with regard to not only starting a new school, but starting a new school already labeled as a problematic student, endearing her to us fairly quickly as we wish for her to find some normalcy in this new situation. Her interactions with John, however, are both frustrating and intriguing due to the fact that at the time of their current brief interlude, we have yet to be enlightened as to their complete history together. We then become defensive of John when Pierce pushes him away, only to recognize her need to do so some some pages later when more information is provided. This constant emotional flux keeps us on the edge of our seats, just wondering what feeling, positive or negative, will be elicited from us during their next interaction, and we find ourselves somewhat helpless to resist the allure of their undoubtedly unique connection.

John is a character we can't help but want to know more about, musings about his past and his present swirling in our minds as we hope that Pierce might somehow hear our silent plea and give voice to the questions that have taken up permanent residence in our heads. He, like Pierce, is difficult to label, our reactions to him changing and altering with each revelation, and the depth of his character seems almost too immense to translate into simple terms. He's both attractive and unnerving, hero and antihero, and reality and myth–his relationship with Pierce one that holds us captivated as we we wonder what facet of his complicated personality we'll be exposed to next. He seems so subdued one minute only to erupt in a temper the next, always reminding us of who he is lest it slip our minds in those quiet times, and we are forced to continually question whether we want him to win Pierce's affections or not.

Abandon is a highly recommended read, one full of mythology and romance where it's made clear to us we have but scratched the surface of Pierce's story and taken only that first step when miles and miles still await us. While events are certainly left unresolved, Ms. Cabot still gives her first installment a nice conclusion, leaving us satisfied but yet still aching with want as we attempt to resign ourselves to the long wait for Underworld.

Rating: 4/5

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the fabulous people at Big Honcho Media and Scholastic, I have one copy of Abandon to give away along with a bracelet that features a quote from the book. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only, and to enter please just leave a comment with a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. Contest will run through midnight EST Sunday, May 8th after which time a winner will be chosen from Random.org and announced on the blog. Good luck everyone!

UPDATE: I received an extra copy of ABANDON in the mail today, so there will now be 2 winners. Big Honcho Media will be sending one winner a copy of the book and the bracelet and I will be sending the second winner just the book.

For those of you who are interested in learning more about Abandon and Scholastic's other young adult titles, be sure and check out their new online community This Is Teen - an initiative meant to connect readers to their favorite young adult authors! Please click on the below links for more information.

This Is Teen on Facebook
Abandon on Facebook
Meg Cabot's Website
Meg Cabot on Twitter
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Waiting on Wednesday: Abandon

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!



ABANDON
Meg Cabot
Paranormal Young Adult
April 26th, 2011

From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die.

That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life—or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident—next to impossible.

Though she thought she escaped him—starting a new school in a whole new place—it turns out she was wrong. He finds her.

What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly Heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most.

Um, yes please! I'm really looking forward to this one and the cover I think is just beautiful. Come on April!