Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles Book 3)

Synopsis

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What — or who — will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself — forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending

Review

When we return to Gaitlin in book 3, all is not well in both the caster and mortal worlds, the events which culminated at Lenas 17^th moon claiming caused huge ramifications. There is a split in the mortal world which is spreading and causing far reaching devastation. We find Gaitlin plagued with grasshoppers and scorching heat and worse of all Mrs Link proclaiming the end of the world. Fate is expecting payment for Lena claiming herself and it could be a very steep price to pay.

The characters continue to develop throughout the book and I particularly love Link evolving into the Linkubus he provides the comic element and excels at his ‘super hero’ role, but I did find his constant love sick mooning after Ridley a tad irritating at times. Ethan is also changing as he tries to find a way to strike a deal with fate to avoid the apocalyptic end. This book is less about Ethan and Lena’s relationship as it focuses more on the wider characters and their fight to survive and save their community. I believe the characters in this instalment have matured and changed for the better, especially Lena as she becomes a very determined young lady

There are many subplots which entwine to form a complicated story line, yet the authors manage to do this in such a way that the reader doesn’t become lost or confused; rather they pull the reader along with them desperate to know what is going to happen. I found myself engrossed with the story both when reading the book and when I wasn’t reading. The climax of the book had me in tears as I read the unbelievable ending that I so didn’t want to happen. I was so glad that I didn’t have to wait for book 4 to be published, so I could continue the story to its end.

Book 3 didn’t disappoint the twists, turns and plot development held me to the end. I can’t wait to read book 4 and the epic finale to the caster chronicles, I hope the author doesn’t disappoint on the final instalment like other series I’ve read. I would recommend this book to older readers as well as its target audience in the young adult genre. If you enjoy it as much as I did, make sure you have enough time put aside to read it as you won’t want to put it down. 

I rate this book

Beautiful Darkness (Castor Chronicles Book 2)

Synopsis

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 harboured ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernatural’s 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.

Review

Once again this book is told from Ethan’s point of view, which is a refreshing change, he is such a likeable character, that I couldn’t help liking.  The book starts with Ethan attempting to hold Lena together after the devastation on her birthday; Lena is inconsolable and doesn’t want anyone’s help. She isn’t the same character that you read about in book 1 and I found myself getting a little annoyed with her, wanting Lena to pull herself together. Yet as the story progresses with its may twists and turns you come to a point where everything you’ve read comes together.

In this 2^nd book there are many new characters that are unveiled as the story moves on, Liv the keeper in training, John Breed an incubus who can walk in the sun and in particular I loved the cat Lucille Ball (maybe I’m a little bit biased being a cat lover) who appears a lot more in this book. They add depth to the story and unexpected twists, which holds the reader well. The small town of Gaitlin is the perfect setting for this story, there is Link in his beat up beater, the all American school, and along with Amma and her cooking it really pulls you into the story. I loved the whole backdrop to this tale and the caster tunnels and world that make up a secret part of Gaitlin; the authors really do their job well with their vivid descriptions.

When Lena disappears with John Breed we find Ethan, Liv, Link and Lucille Ball being drawn into the caster tunnels, they go deeper than they’ve ever been before and get a lot more than they bargained for. The way the authors entwine the caster world into the ‘normal world’ is so exciting pulling the reader into the tunnels with Ethan and the others. In Beautiful Darkness the setting is quite different to Beautiful Creatures; the setting in the caster world and tunnels is so different to Gaitlin and the school in book 1. The songs and the visions intrigue the reader as you try to decipher what they mean  and the way the visions are from the past but impinge on the present leave a  tangle of magic and involvement

I found this an excellent sequel to book 1 and couldn’t wait to read book 3, I would recommend this book for older readers, even though the target audience is young adult. This is a great read at anytime but be aware you may not want to put it down so make sure you have the time to read them. I rate this book

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles Book 1)

Synopsis

Ethan Wate is haunted by dreams of a girl he’s never met. When Lena Duchannes moves into his small southern town of Gatlin County, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her. And he is determined to uncover the strange connection between them, even if it means uncovering the one secret that could change everything.

Review

This book is a breathtaking love story of 2 teenagers drawn together and envelops Ethan into a world of dark magic and a supernatural world ingrained into the small town in the middle of nowhere.  The town has a close knit community that doesn’t like change and new comers to their town and would be horrified at the thought of a magical supernatural world around them. When Lena arrives they take an instant dislike to her, only Ethan is drawn to her

Although the 2 main characters are teenagers, and I’m most definitely not, the book is such a brilliant read with a plot that twists, turns and builds quickly that older readers would thoroughly enjoy this book as well. What I really liked about this book is that it’s from Ethan’s perspective. in many books it is usually the females perspective that is favoured but this is written in such a great way that it really works well and is one of the best I’ve read. Ethan isn’t a part of the mystical supernatural world that unfolds throughout the book and it is refreshing to have a male perspective looking into this world.

The way the authors write the book they draw you into the world that is unfolding and you find yourself enthralled. I must warn you that this is one book I couldn’t put down and because it is written in such a real and believable way, when I wasn’t reading it I found myself thinking about the book and imagining what is to come next. When you come to the end of the book, you find yourself really wanting to start the next book, and I couldn’t wait.

There is nonstop action and thankfully no long pages full of scene setting. It is done in such a concise way that it fits well into the brisk pace of the plot. Lena is feisty and thankfully not needy like you find in some books and Ethan complements her well. All though it does fit into the boy gets girl boy loses girl etc it is done in an original and exciting way. There are a number of lesser characters around the 2 main ones, and I particularly like Amma who is a feisty southern housekeeper who takes care of Ethan and his father and is involved with Tarot reading and voodoo. I also liked Link who is Ethan’s best friend and is one of the few who doesn’t desert Ethan. The ‘bad guys’ are believable and their link to one of the main characters is an excellent twist (Shan’t say who as I don’t want to spoil the story).

I would recommend this as an anytime read, but be aware that you may not want to put it down until you’ve read it! It is aimed at the young adult market but as an older adult I still loved this book (must still be a teen in my head)

I rate this book