Synopsis (Goodreads):
Zoë Merrick lived a less than ordinary life, until late one night, she was brutally attacked and left for dead.My Thoughts: This book sort of hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I was captivated by it. There were times when I wanted to shake Zoe for the situations she found herself in but I understood where she was coming from. There were times when I was wide-eyed and horrified by the things that happened to her and there were times when the dynamic between Zoe and the various men made me a wee bit misty. I ran the gamut of emotions with this book. It was a wonderful feeling.
A man named Adam spotted her running down the road covered in blood, and took her under his wing. Zoë didn't just survive that night - she underwent a physical transformation and acquired strange new abilities. Severed from her old life, her frustration grows as she tries to comprehend what's happening to her.
Serendipity leads her to Justus. He's handsome, arrogant, and not entirely human. Zoë learns the truth about what she is, and just how dangerous their world is for a young Mage. The only way she will understand her power is by putting her trust in this man, and accepting the protection he offers.
When her immortal freedom is threatened by the one man who has a right to claim her, Zoë learns the price of freedom...and the value of loyalty.
There was so much that happened here. Zoe is transformed - both literally and figuratively - by her attack. She can't go back to her old life and she's lucky enough that Adam took her under his wing. Her meeting with Justus puts her on a path to understanding what was done to her and how she needs to adapt to her new circumstances. Yet, she resentful (and rightly so) that she was given this "gift" against her will and in such a brutal way. Her emotional journey, along with those of the men who place themselves as her protectors (especially Justus), is wonderfully written and felt complex. She's not done, either. There's still so much she doesn't know about herself and the world she now belong to.
I really hope that Zoe/Silver ends up being the catalyst for some major change within the Mage. Their way of doing things is outmoded and ended up hurting her in more ways than one. She's already touched Justus and managed to get him to unbend a bit, what's a couple thousand years of tradition after that?
Overall, I was very impressed with this book. It's dark and sometimes brutal and Dannika Dark has created something so incredibly captivating with this world. Fans of urban fantasy will enjoy both the characters and the complex world building.
Books in this series
1. Sterling - Kindle
2. Twist
3. Impulse
Author Links
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Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sterling was provided for review.
This sounds...intriguing. Though "the various men" makes me a go a little o.O
ReplyDeleteThe world building is really interesting. I'd recommend this book for that alone.
DeleteSounds interesting! I love a good urban fantasy book, but am wondering if it's too dark and brutal ...
ReplyDeleteI didn't think it was but I like dark books.
DeleteI'm so glad you liked this book!! It was a little known gem I found a while ago and I really loved the world she built, too!! I have Twist waiting for me and I really need to remember to get to it - I miss the guys!! Thx for the awesome reminder :) (as in, great review!)
ReplyDeleteI have a review for twist coming up later today! The world building Dannika Dark did really blew me away. It was just different enough that it made me think. In a good way!
DeleteI think I read these reviews backwards didn't I? My bad!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! It does sound like the series was a total win for you :)
Lol! You did, but it's okay. I like you anyway.
DeleteYes, the series absolutely hit all my buttons. Excellent world building, excellent characters and different enough that I didn't feel like I was reading the same old thing.