Summary via Goodreads: “Book #2 of the Svatura Series
Selene sacrificed everything when she took her brother’s place as ruler of the Vyusher, including her secret love for her one-time adversary Griffin Aubrey. When nightmares that are just a little too real start, Selene fears she’s turned into a cold-blooded killer…the monster that Griffin thinks she is.
Griffin and Ellie Aubrey are finally safe for the first time in over a hundred years. But when an unknown menace drives Selene to leave her family and ask for help, Griffin must decide. Can he move past his hatred of everything she is? Or will the bond that could bring them both the greatest joy now be the source of their deepest despair?
The threat of the danger stalking Selene in her dreams might be too much even for this powerful group. And Griffin doesn’t want to easily forgive the woman he blames for killing his family…”
My Review: This got a 4 out of 5 stars from me
So I would like to mention this was the first time i was gifted a book for an honest review, and I would like to Thank the author! But I will be honest so don’t go running off to another review just because i was given it for free. If you want the facts from this kid, thats what you are going to get!
And I HONESTLY give this a solid 4 stars. I want to say i liked this one more than the first, which is sort of true but not really, there were aspects of the first book i liked more and aspects of this books i loved more and i will get to those in a minute but i got to find a song to “assign” this book, or at least what i think might give you a better understanding of the book.
Song: “Ain’t No Reason” by Brett Dennen, or if that doesn’t meet your fancy then, “I Gave You All” by Mumford and Sons (who happen to be one of my favorite bands!!!)
So first thoughts – wait have you read the first one? No go read it because this is will contain spoilers for those who have not read the first one so too bad i warned you. But no i will not give spoilers from this one, and if i would i would hide them. So moving on. Like i mentioned before i liked this one somewhat more on certain aspects than the first one. What i loved? I don’t know i think just connected better with Selene, or maybe its because i am sick, sick person that loves broken characters. But I loved Selene and she right there is a reason to read this book, what i liked about the first book that i felt this one was lacking in was the relationship development between Selene and Griffin. And if you read the first one you know that these two obviously have a little bit of bad blood between them, yeah a little that’s funny. Anyways I understand that there needs to be distance between them at times but it felt like there was too much distance. I was hoping for a little more romance between them but i also understand there is a third one coming out so maybe we will see hints of their love blossoming some more. This is a horrible job at first thoughts okay so to sum it up. If you have read the first one, read this one. If you haven’t read the first one but somehow got here to the second one and still reading this review, stop and go read the first one then read this one.
My thoughts on plot: Okay so if you recall from the first book there was a lot of learning going on, we were learning a lot about the Svatura, and Vyusher. And if you looked at my review for the first book i said how i didn’t really understand the differences between the races but i got a better understanding now and i really like that we are more submerged into the Vyusher race, what i like even more though is the enemy from last book suddenly becomes more than that. I think that this has been one of the first times that we get a look on the “bad guys” from last book who really weren’t bad. Its an interesting concept that i think worked really well for this series. The pacing was i think a bit better in this book than the last, there was a lot going on there was one part that bothered me but i will put that later in the review. It wasn’t really that big of a deal…anyways I liked that this was a “greater scheme” than just finding out who the murdering wolf was, because there was a more to this story than that and the action will keep you going but its more than that its the story of a very broken girl, being repaired. So plot? I loved it, i thought again really well paced, nice amount of action and suspense to keep the reader going. Also i forgot to mention this, again the book had the omniscient voice going on but this book it stuck more closely to Selene i think that i would have preferred a little more Griffin because he could have gave the reader that full rounded experience, because we as readers find out more good things about Selene and Griffin kinda turns into an ass in my eyes because i know all the good she did, but i wasn’t getting much of his side of this, i understand his past i do but i don’t know his feelings now.
Characters!
Selene: As i mentioned before i loved her! I REALLY did she became one of my favorite characters in this series pretty much as soon as they first chapter ended. When we first meet her in the first book she seems as cold as ice, and in this book referenced many times as the “ice princess” well for good reason does she hide who she truly is, how she truly feels. We learn about her past, and there were moments when Abigail Owen went for it, and again this the point i had wished for more development between Selene and Griffin, she could have shared more of her with him and i know he was being difficult but i think it would have brought them closer, and made him understand better. i also understand that Selene didn’t want to be pitied but i still was waiting for that scene between them, they had one, but i wanted more, because like i said i am sick, seriously i have problems. Anyways back to Selene, she is more than her icy exterior, she has a heart of gold (maybe i should have said Neil Young for the song…*snickers* if you don’t get that then damn i am old). Anyways she really is a great character and i loved her!!! Though she maybe broken on the inside she remains strong on the outside, and i love her just as she is but i love even more that she grows!
Griffin: Like i mentioned up in the plot that he came off a little bit like an ass to be me because we weren’t getting much of how he was feeling. And i wanted more of his thoughts, again to give me that whole rounded feeling that we got from the first book. He was absent a lot and when he was around he was distant, that is why i think more of following him would have given the reader a better chance to connect to him because i loved Selene cause i connected to her character but Griffin i wanted so badly to connect to him and there were moments that i did, that i wanted to just jump in the book and kiss him myself because damn! DAMN that boy is coy, and sexy as hell. Oh and there was a scene in the book had to be my favorite scene, the dancing scene, OH jeez….talk about hot…um…okay this just got a little awkward didn’t it? Well moving on…so last thoughts on Grif? more please!
Lila: She came out a little more in this book than the first book and i have the understanding of where this book left us off at she will be the third book’s focus which let me tell you i am excited for and Abigail HURRY PLEASE!! But i liked Lila and i liked that she got more time in this book but i keep remembering what we learned about her in the first book, i thought she was suppose to be a little more closed off? In this i felt a mix about her character, a little more compassionate than what i was expecting – that isn’t a bad thing – also she eavesdropped so i was also expecting her to be a bit more playful? no um prank-ister-y? yeah like that…
Ramsey: i thought he might have a little crushy-crush on Selene but the book doesn’t throw him into the love interest light, thank goodness. But i will admit i have loved him since we met him in the first book and again he comes out a little more in this book as well.
So Ellie is still there and she is still bubbly. Alex is there still all manly. Other family members are also present. And we meet some other new peoples as well. No real reason to go in depth about them though.
So on Goodreads i had another section of last thoughts but that had a spoiler and since i suck at computers i don’t know how to do a spoiler on here but if you really want to read the spoiler you can find it on goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/554314825
You can also see my progression through the book if you are really that interested…
So so for real last thoughts now: There were a lot of new mysteries set up at the ending of this book that will getting you itching for the next one, but honestly i think that this series is worth it. I like the idea of the new paranormal races that we were introduced to before that are now expanding into so much more. The first book we get a lot about one race, and this book we get the other so i am eagerly going to wait for the next one to see what it holds in store for us. My parting advice go pick this up and read it kids.
The Violet Hour Book Reviews 