Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Running Blind / S.W. Vaughn


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Young Adult/ Urban Fantasy

Approximate word count: 70-75.000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“S.W. Vaughn is the pseudonym of Sonya Bateman, author of the urban fantasy novels Master of None and Master and Apprentice from Simon & Schuster. Vaughn's work tends to run a bit darker than Bateman's. She lives in central New York with her husband, son, and a lot of cats who are often named after movie or TV show characters -- like Fizzgig (The Dark Crystal), Coda (Brother Bear), Mothra (Godzilla), and Blooregard Q. Kazoo (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends).”

Vaughn is working on the fifth and final book of the House Phoenix series, Alpha Male, which started with Broken Angel. The House Phoenix series is straight-up thriller -- no romance, no paranormal. The series features a secret society of underground fighters. To find out more about S.W. Vaughn check out her website, her guest post at Books and Pals, or her indieview at The Indie View.

Description:

“17-year-old Grace Carrington is just your average, everyday freak. Her eyes glow, she can read minds, and electronic machines bend to her will. Colored contacts and a self-imposed lack of human relationships keep her safe while she bounces around Vegas, ripping off casinos to survive and avoiding the police -- who want to bring her back to her manipulative mother.

But what Grace doesn't know will hurt her. And what she doesn't know is this: The father she's never met was an angel, and she's a Nephilim -- which makes her a target for something far more dangerous and predatory than any gun-wielding cop or strangely persuasive FBI agent she might be running from...
Because some angels do not suffer their children to live.”

Appraisal:

This story is told through Grace’s eyes, she is a runaway who has been living on her own for four years. She is smart, spunky, and resourceful. After a bit of unusual trouble in Vegas Grace decides to head east hoping to learn more about her father who disappeared before she was born. The problem is she is now being hunted because a new ability has captured the attention of a couple of very nasty angels. On the train she meets Lucas who is also running away and has abilities of his own. Together they try to unravel the mystery of who they are and what their purpose is on earth.

The action is fast paced as Grace and Lucas learn to depend on and trust one another. I had a hard time accepting the fact that the angels in this story were such angry, violent, and mean beings who seemed to have no redeeming qualities. It was never explained why the Nephilim were considered a threat to them or society as a whole. Silver is a Nephilim who the angel Lorin completely controls, he is her assassin, and he quickly became my favorite character as he tries to protect Grace.

This could clearly become a series as Grace and Lucas meet the other teenagers, with abilities, who think they have found a safe haven at a clinic/camp in the Adirondacks. The head of the camp, Michael, thinks he has all the answers and Grace has no problem telling him he is full of BS. (Did I mention she was spunky and strong-willed?) This is a coming of age story that many young adults may enjoy, although I had a problem with the excessive narrative. This is not to say there wasn’t any realistic dialogue, because there was as the story progressed and I did enjoy knowing Grace’s thoughts throughout the story. I am relatively sure any plot holes, which were left open, will be filled-in or completed as the story continues, and I would like to see that happen. I would love to see how the relationship between Silver and Grace develops as Silver becomes his own person. If you enjoy urban fantasy and don’t have a problem with despicable angels you may enjoy this book. 

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant editing issues.


Rating: *** Three stars

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