Review: Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast

Release Date - June 9th 2015
Publisher - Diversion Publishing
Edition - Paperback
Pages - 250
Series - The Escaped

Summary -
There is a world that runs parallel to our own, a world in which the souls of the damned are caged, where they are looked over by the Furies, and where they spend eternity in torment, mirroring the devastation and mayhem they created when alive. Someone has opened the cage.

The worst of terrors has crossed the barrier that separates our world from theirs, and the Furies send a great, albeit untested warrior—their only son, Alek—to try to bring those souls back. He is young and handsome, headstrong and impulsive, and he won’t be able to do it alone.

Eva has grown up, beautiful and beloved, but surrounded by secrets. First, she will be hunted in an ancient feud that will threaten her life. Then, she will become the hunter.

With the police closing in and two worlds on the verge of crumbling around them, Alek and Eva must find each other, discover the limits of their powers, and work together to save everything they hold dear, including one another. Blending elements of mythology with the dazzling storytelling that her fans have devoured through the House of Night series, Kristin Cast weaves a spellbinding and passionate tale that starts a thrilling new series with an explosive charge.

Review - The first thing that caught my attention to this book was the cover. I thought it was absolutely beautiful. Then a little while in I realized it was written by Kristen Cast, co-author of the House of Night series. (Yes, I realize now that it states this on the cover, but I didnt pay that much attention.) Once I realized this it set my bar high since the books from  that series that I have finished I loved, but I was very disappointed when that bar was never met.

At first I really didn't think I was going to like this one. All I could think is it is going to be a boring Hercules novel. And it kinda seemed like that's what it was. But at some point in turns into a murder mystery and caught my attention. Then here comes some romance. It really threw me for a loop. This book was not anything like I was expecting. The writing style was not my favorite, but it was bearable. I was not a fan of jumping back and forth between 3 perspectives. Two, ok, I can usually handle but three seemed to be too much and too busy for me. It also made the book seem really rushed. It kept my attention to the end and I didn't just give up, like I have on other and like I have read many did with this book. 

When I would be reading about the sisters perspectives, or Alek when they were in Tartarus, I found myself to become disinterested during those portions. Something about the setting just really didnt get me. It was almost like enough time was not spent there for it being such an important part of the plot. I definitely was more interested in the parts that took place in "our realm", which was actually kind of disappointing. I really enjoy getting into stories that take place in a different time or unusual setting but it felt like the ball was really dropped with me in this aspect.

Finally we get to what seemed like the real story, of Eva and Alek but then it ends. All of a sudden. That part I really did not like. It was like they just ran out of room and quit. Or needed to just stop there so they could continue it into another book. I felt like it was short and needed to continue. I have not decided yet whether or not I will read the second in the series. As much as I want to find out what has happened to Eva and Alek, I am afraid of whether I will like the next one to read it all the way through. I wish more of the book had been about Alek and Eva trying to discover their importance to each other and what they needed to do to save their perspective worlds. Maybe book two, will do this. I have read a few reviews on it and am not sure how I feel about it.

Then we come to the epilogue. Is it just me or was that I completely different story all by itself. It made absolutely no sense to me. I almost with I hadn't read it and just left it at the end of the last chapter. 



Overall I really enjoyed the story line and the characters but there were some things about the writing that I would have changed. 



Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this review and look forward to more things to come.