To view all of the blogs participating in this tour, click HERE. Note: I received complimentary copies of these books in return for my honest reviews.
I have to admit that I didn’t choose to read these books; they sort of just fell into my lap after another reviewer was unable to read them for the blog tour. I was a little worried because a.) I had never read a book about angels and I wasn’t sure if the material was something I would enjoy and b.) I was on somewhat of a tight schedule and if it turned out I didn’t enjoy the books I probably wouldn’t be able to finish them on time. It turned out that my worries were for nothing. I’m happy to report that I absolutely loved both books and practically devoured them in no time at all.
Ember by Carol Oates introduces readers to Candra Ember. She seems like an average eighteen-year-old; she certainly thinks of herself that way as the novel opens. After an encounter with a mysterious red-head and a fall that should have killed her, she awakes in a hospital without a scratch on her. How did she survive? And who was the strange boy she remembered staring at her while she was loaded into the ambulance after her fall? …And why did he have wings? That’s were the mysteries begin and this list continues to grow throughout the book. There are so many twists and turns and questions that I just couldn’t stop reading. I HAD to find out what was going on and what was going to happen next. There was no question about that.
Carol Oates writes beautifully. She paints each scene skillfully enough to make the reader feel as though they are a part of the story instead of just a bystander. When writing about angels it would be easy to fall into a corny plotline and even cornier dialogue, but Ms. Oates doesn’t fall victim to this. She keeps the genre fresh by making her angels surprisingly relatable and keeping the story moving forward without it dragging relentlessly.
I’m not easily surprised by the course that most plots take but I found myself continually surprised by this one. Just remember that things aren’t always as they seem!
Jessa’s Rating for Ember: 4 out of 5 stars
Iridescent by Carol Oates is the continuation of the story that began in Ember. The gang is faced with a new foe: the soul stealing Lilith, who possess a powerful weapon and is bent on taking over the earth as her own.
After finishing the first book in the series, I couldn’t wait to jump right into this one. There was no lull in the action – it began as soon as the story opened. I felt a little more trusting this time around, like I knew the characters better and could easily predict which direction the plot would move in. Boy, was I wrong! This book had just as many twists and turns as the first. If anything, it was even more intense, more taut, than the first book was. I found myself on a neverending emotional roller coaster during the book’s final chapters.
The ending was satisfying in a way, but I also felt it was more than a little rushed. I actually thought I had inadvertently skipped a chapter, even going so far as to go back a few pages to make sure I hadn’t. With the author’s gift of detailing scenes, I was disappointed by this sudden lack of information, but it didn’t really hurt my opinion of the book. In the end, I still found it to be highly enjoyable and was sad to see it come to a close. Without a doubt, another winner for Carol Oates.
Jessa’s Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Buy your copy of Ember HERE or buy a copy of Iridescent HERE.
I’m reading Ember right now and loving it. Awesome reviews!