I am so happy to join Rockstar Book Tours as a part of the Descendant Blog Tour. You can find more information about this tour here.
Descendant (Starling #2) by Lesley Livingston
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
336 Pages
The last thing Mason Starling remembers is the train crossing a bridge. An explosion . . . a blinding light . . . then darkness. Now she is alone, stranded in Asgard—the realm of Norse legend—and the only way for her to get home is to find the Spear of Odin, a powerful relic left behind by vanished gods.
The Fennrys Wolf knows all about Asgard. He was once trapped there. And he’ll do whatever it takes to find the girl who’s stolen his heart and bring her back—even if it means a treacherous descent into the Underworld. But time is running out, and Fenn knows something Mason doesn’t: If she takes up the Spear, she’ll set in motion a terrible prophecy. And she won’t just return to her world . . . she’ll destroy it.
In this pulse-pounding sequel to Starling, Lesley Livingston delivers another electrifying blend of nonstop action and undeniable romance that will leave readers breathless.
Tour Schedule:
WEEK ONE:
8/19/2013 - The Happy Booker - Guest Post
8/20/2013 - Bewitched Bookworms - Interview
8/21/2013 - IceyBooks - Review
8/22/2013 - Tater's Tall Tails - Guest Post
8/23/2013 - [B.O.O.K.L.I.F.E.] - Review
WEEK TWO:
8/26/2013 - Fiktshun - Character Interview Fennrys
8/27/2013 - Wholly Books - Review
8/28/2013 - Book Jems - Review
8/29/2013 - Two Chicks on Books - Guest Post
8/30/2013 - About to Read - Interview
Two signed sets of Starling and Descendant are open to US and Canadian residents.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Descendant was a "MUST READ ASAP" book for me as soon as I finished its prequel, Starling. If you have read the first book, you know that it ends on a doozy of a cliffhanger. Like many, I had been itching to get my hands on a copy of Descendant so that I could know what happened next. Thankfully, I read Starling only about a month before the release of the second book, so I wasn't tortured as long as some of those who had read the book when it was first released. It was everything I could've hoped for, and more. In fact, I enjoyed it even more than Starling and was seriously upset at its end, not only because this part of the story was completed, but also because there was a major cliffhanger in this novel as well and the wait for the next book is F-O-R-E-V-E-R (not really, but I tend to exaggerate when I am displeased).
Descendant begins almost exactly where Starling left off. Everyone is injured after the quasi-battle. Mason has no idea where she is, no idea what's she's to do and no idea how to get home. Fenn, the Fennrys Wolf, is desperately searching for his beloved Mason, with the help of mutual friends. Mason is guided to a way home by an unlikely companion, but is ignorant to the fact that the key to getting her back is also what will cause the end of the world, or Ragnarok mentioned in Norse mythology.
I love these characters! Except… Ya know… The ones I hate (there is one that comes to mind who really needs a kick in the pants). We are introduced to several new characters in this book, and one of them is especially entertaining: Loki. Everyone at least has an idea of who Loki is (if you aren't thinking of Tom Hiddleson in The Avengers, you obviously have the wrong mental image in your head), and no matter what, he's always this misunderstood character that you hate to love AND love to hate. That description works well for several of the characters in this story. The author does a good job at making sure to give you a smattering of both good and evil characters--ones to love and ones to hate all the way to holy hell. I could hardly put the book down due to my affection for the characters. Well, the characters and the plot, that is.
Livingston is a skilled storyteller. Her devotion to myth in this series is wonderful. I'm not extremely knowledgable beyond Greek mythology, but her focus on all different kinds of these ancient stories really intrigued me. It was neat to see them incorporated with the modern world, and joining our characters on their adventures was absolutely thrilling--Mason's time in Hel (specifically her time spent with Loki in the very beginning) was my absolute favorite part of this story. The lore brought to life was just wonderful. It's amazing that the author was able to pull together multiple kinds of mythology (Egyptian, Greek and Norse--Norse being the main focus) without completely demolishing the original stories. Each kind plays a role in this story, and it is done in a way that will intrigue readers rather than confuse them. Livingston excellently displayed her ability to weave a story remnant of mighty legends in this novel. Book three cannot come soon enough, if only so I could get a taste of more!
While the author's focus on monologue and description disoriented me at first, I really grew to appreciate it in this novel. Her strong prose and engaging plot were able to negate most issues I found. This book is so addicting. It, and its prequel, are fast paced, plot-driven and utterly engaging. I'm really enjoying this series and the different twists that the author has taken. Though if I'm being honest, Descendant was able to enthrall in places where Starling fell flat. The main theme of action works fantastically well with the myth in this novel, and I really enjoyed the details given on those sequences. It was impossible to not be entranced by the mind-blowing action, the mythical monsters and gods, and new and old challenges that these characters face. I hope that the author keeps up with her growth and makes the next book in this series even better.
I received a finished copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.
Thank you to the ladies at Rockstar Book Tours, Lesley Livingston and HarperTeen for allowing me to join in this tour!
Love the cover and great review. Thanks for the giveaway.
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