Thursday, May 31, 2012

Darkness Falls: review

Title: Darkness Falls (Immortal Beloved #2)
Author: Cate Tiernan
Genres: ya urban fantasy, magic
Summary: You can run from your past, but it will always catch up.

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason it never seems to get any easier. She's left behind her days of debauchery to find peace and forgiveness at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There she's uncovered her family's epic history, reclaimed her magickal powers, and met Reyn, whom she dubs "the Viking god. " Just as she settles into her new life, Nastasya learns that her old friends might be in town....

Reuniting with her gorgeous and dangerous ex-best-friend, Innocencio, Nas wonders if she'll ever be truly free of her dark legacy. Is Incy dangerous, power-hungry, and wicked? Or is he the only one who truly understands Nas's darkness? Either way, Nas is desperate to find out who she really is-even if the answer kills her.


Not *quite* a huge 5 stars like the first. Maybe 4.6. :)

Click here to see my review of the first book in the series, Immortal Beloved.

I surprised myself. Usually it takes me months for me to get to a sequel, even if it's already out. But I just had to get it!!




It started out just a little slow, because of the recapping. Then the pace picked up, and it was exciting. :) About halfway through though, it dragged just a TINY bit. Because the setting changed, and Nasty got into the almost-self-pity mode....and then came right back out of it in a Moment of Epic Awesome. You'll know what I'm talking about when you hit it.

I love Reyn. He is in Darkness Falls about the same amount as the first (aka, not enough!), and I think the part that bothered me most about the whole thing was the head-smacking amount of sexual tension between him and Nasty. XD But I have a feeling he will be in the last of the trilogy a lot more, because Nasty's finally gotten out of her stupid and insecure setting.

Also speaking of Reyn. Ever since my friend (you know who you are) had to say, "He reminds me exactly of Thor!!!"...well, now I think of that too, every time he appears. Because of the way he is described, it's not that hard to make the connection. Nasty does call him The Viking God pretty often.

I can easily see some people complaining about the amount of action in Darkness Falls. But I think if you didn't mind the calmish mood of Immortal Beloved, (meaning more introverted battles, than physical encounters, yanno?) then this isn't too bad. I could say there is actually more action in here, you just have to wait for it.

Still really liking the back-flashes into Nasty's ancient existence! It's fun to go back in time here and there, to see what awful things she did in her former lives. And now she looks at these past events differently, instead of just accepting the misfortune of others as part of life as an immortal, she thinks "Huh, maybe instead of coming upon a train wreck and looting all the dying people's bags...I could have helped save a few of them." That sort of thing. See? She is growing.

And the way immortals can be killed is cleared up more. Yay! :) Apparently you can kill them by beheading them. Ouch. Or by magickly sucking all their life energy/force. Yick. 

So Nasty's brittle attitude and snide comments are still aplenty, and I just really like how reading the writing is like talking to Nasty herself, she has such an interesting internal dialogue. I would never want to know her in person.

I can't wait for the last installment, Eternally Yours! It comes out in November! So long to wait...



So I'd like to do a cover comparison now, because there are SO many! And they're all very different.


The first one, above ^^ is my favorite. It's the sideways words that does it for me. Takes a step outta the norm. It's the US hardcover edition. And the colors are like my favorite colors, so that helps too.






I don't like this one as much. It's pretty, but doesn't really fit the dramatic mood of the story? Feel free to disagree. Still has the same color tone, to identify it's the second book, but if I was browsing the shelves, my hand might, just might, pass over it instead of lingering a little. And speaking of lingering, it reminds me of the Shiver trilogy style covers. This is the US paperback edition.
This is the French cover...yeah not liking it so much. The title is "La Traque" meaning "The Hunt" which makes sense. But wait, do you see the title? Or just "Immortels, tome 2"? That means it's the second volume in the series. Is there a purple glowing planet in the series? I can't recall.


Kidding. No there is not.


Spanish edition! "Oscuridad Inmortal" is "Darkness Immortal". Just think, "obscure" which sounds darkish. Lovely font, still same color theme, but why hands? It should be a neck if anything, because of her scar or something. And is that a celtic knot? Nasty's Icelandic! Better than the French one though.
























Why is this so tiny? Best one I could find. This has to be third favorite, this German version. I don't know why, I just think it's good! "Ersehnt" is "Longs" so maybe it means "Longing" or something? Not sure. Maybe I translated it wrong.














I. Do. Not. Like. It.
At all.


It's the Italian edition, "Abbraccio Immortale" means "Eternal Embrace" which I have to admit, IS kind of a cool title. But this is my least favorite cover. I mean, are they underwater?? o.O


























Well that was fun! I love to rant. Thanks for reading!


-Jane

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