Early Review: The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz

The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz

Dark World #1

Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.

The world building behind The Dark World was interesting and somewhat complex. It definitely kept me on my toes as I was trying to figure everything out. While I did guess some things ahead of time,  other caught me off guard, making for the perfect blend of suspense in my book. I especially enjoyed how this book is quite different than most of the paranormal YAs out there. It gave me something new and fresh to read, and I loved it for that alone, nevertheless all the other things that drew me in, like the fabulous cast of characters. I loved how they, just like this world were very unique and fully fleshed out. It certainly made for an enjoyable read.

I loved, loved, loved the slower build of the romance between Paige and Logan. Sure, it's still pretty fast, but compared to many similar books in the genre, it moved at almost a turtle's pace. This allowed me to attach more to the two of them together so much more than an instalove would have. So when roadblocks came into play, I felt the pain and angst right along with them. While I won't spoil things, I will say that by the end this better attachment to the characters and their romance became very important. So that when the whopper of an ending came into play and a certain character makes a huge life changing choice, it didn't lead to an eye roll from me. A definite win in my book.

I enjoy Cara's Spellbound series, but this one steps it up a notch for me. The characterization, world building and romance have only gotten better, and I love getting to see an author grow like this. I'll definitely be on the look out for the next book in the series after that ending, and frankly anything else Cara writes will more than likely be on my radar as well. So if you are looking for a fresh read and a good book to escape into for an afternoon, look no further than THE DARK WORLD.

(Received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley)

Rating:

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Other Reviews:

     Addicted 2 Heroines

     Petite Ame

     Bookworm Blogger

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Spellcaster (Early Review)

Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz 

Spellbound #2

Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.

Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.

After the happy ever after of finding her soulmate, Brendan, Emma though her life would be a lot calmer than it has been in recent months. Never mind her budding powers as a witch, she just wants to be a normal sixteen year old going to prep school, with a yummy boyfriend to boot. However, she should have known things wouldn't have stayed so easy. A malevolent force who makes Emma's witch skills look like parlor tricks, has set its sight on Emma and Brendan. It will stop at nothing to rip them apart to steal their power for its own dark purpose.

The previous book was rather mediocre to me, there just wasn't anything that grabbed a hold of me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but in the end it wasn't something that would leave an impression on me. However, when I saw there was going to be a sequel, I knew I would still like to check it out to see where the characters went next. Unfortunately they didn't really get far at all, as there didn't seem to be enough forward momentum or point to really warrant anything. I guess I am just disappointed because I feel the story wasn't really added to with this installment, so I have to question the necessity of it all. 

Several times throughout reading Spellcaster I became quite exasperated at the characters' behaviors. Emma and Brendan were both so protective of the other that they kept trying to keep the other one out of danger, and only wound up hurting each other instead. A lot of the angst in this book could have been prevented if they had of only opened up. Then you add in Emma's witch friend Angelique who takes Emo to a whole new level, yet she somehow gets all giddy happy in the face of danger. I also had a hard time believing in the strength of the threat since the girls were so emphatic about keeping Angelique's mother out of things, but then again it really doesn't surprise me as they are teenagers, and with maturity comes the wisdom to know when to ask for help.

I found myself easily distracted while reading Spellcaster to the point where I had a lot of difficultly picking it back up, and I almost didn't finish it. To be honest, while I would still read something else from this author as I see a lot of potential there, I highly doubt I will continue on with this series if there are anymore installments. That being said, if you liked Spellbound more than I did, then Spellcaster will probably be pretty enjoyable as well, and you will definitely want to check it out.

(Received a copy from Netgalley) 

Rating:

Pre-order a copy from Amazon:
Spellcaster (Harlequin Teen)

Other Reviews:

•  Over a Cuppa Tea
• A Soul Unsung
• Fangs, Wands, and Fairy Dust

 Previous Books:

1. Spellbound

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Spellbound (Early Review)

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz
Spellbound #1

What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

Emma has a chance to start over and forget the past. She moved to New York to live with her aunt. She's enrolled in a very exclusive upper class prep school that people like her never fit in to. She's determined to keep her head down and just finish out the last two years unnoticed. Of course that all changes once she meets Brenden. She is inexplicably drawn to him and he seems the same in reverse. Or at least at times he does, other times he can't seem to get away from her fast enough. Since meeting him, mysterious things keep happening and she feels a sense of foreboding. Warnings are happening in her dreams telling her that she must stay away from him or she risks her very life.

Emma is an interesting character. She has a horrible past that has left its scars on her, both mental and physical. She has a strange sense of courage, and her bravery (or foolishness depending on how you want to look at it) lands her in trouble way over her head more than once. Heck, just the fact that she chose to stay around despite the almost guarantee she would lose her life as a result speaks volumes. She did have a little more "does he or doesn't he" teen angst going on when it came to things with Brendan than I would have liked, but I realize this won't bother teens as much as they can relate a little better than I can. However, this did get a little better as things progressed between them, and in the end is understandable because we all get a little nuts at the beginning of a new relationship, no matter our age.

While I did enjoy the book, it just was not quite as satisfying as I would have liked. Don't get me wrong, the concept of the story was really intriguing and I genuinely cared for Emma and her plight. However, as I was reading Spellbound, I couldn't help comparing it to a house that is well constructed and has a good foundation, but the builders forgot one crutial element; the insulation. There was a lot of things going on in Spellbound, but nothing really bound it all together and kept the threads from escaping, thus the lack of "insulation." One example would be the witch aspect. It was built up as something of great importance, and then midway through almost completely forgotten. Another would be the constant hot and cold treatment Brendan gave Emma. When the reasoning behind this was revealed, I couldn't help but be disappointed as I had thought there was some mysterious or magical mojo going on instead of the actual reason. Things like this would happen periodically throughout, making it a little hard to stay fully immersed in the book.

This book was incredibly hard for me to decide on a rating. While I may have had a little issue with how things were tied together in Spellbound, I still think it was a pretty good read, especially for a debut novel. I could be wrong, but I think it is a stand alone novel. That being said, I wouldn't mind more books in this "world," and I will be on the look out for more books from this author as I feel she definitely has potential. In the end Spellbound will enchant you and make you believe in a love that survives lifetimes despite the horrible odds against them.

(Received from Netgalley)

Rating:

Pre-order at Amazon:
Spellbound (Harlequin Teen)

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
YA 
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