The Last Awakening- Rachel Firasek

Published: December 6th 2011 by Entangled Publishing

Genre: Romance/Adult/ Urban Fantasy

Format: Ebook

Date Finished: 12th February 2012

Synopsis:

For three hundred years, Arabella’s life has been one meaningless death after another. In a cruel twist of fate, Osiris–god of the Underworld–gifts the phoenix her mortality and returns her voodoo magic. If she fails to harness her wayward magic and save a man worthy of a second chance, she’ll forfeit her power and her soul–forever.

Ex-soldier Greyson Meadows desperately wants to be freed from the nightmares and guilt that haunt him after the tragedy that brought him and Ari together. Confronted by the waif of a woman who forces him to face his worst fears, he resists, fighting the need to keep his personal demons hidden instead of setting them free.

When Ari becomes the target of her own magical blunder, it’s not just her life in danger, but now the one of the man she loves.

Review:

Is it possible to love the beginning more than the first book? Rachel has done it again with hooking me from the get go with this amazing second novella in the Curse Phoenix series. This time we meet Grayson an ex- Soldier who despite the horror living inside his head is a wonderful, compassionate person. For readers of The Last Rising you will know Grayson from Ice and Turners story as you will Arabella. This aspect alone kept me up early into the morning wanting to know their story.

I will admit that I would have liked to see more time pass and tension build before Ari and Grayson are rekindled in her new transformation, but to be honest it didn’t detract too much from the story. Grayson’s history along with Ari’s past blended together well, as both were seeking redemption and trying to overcome their haunting pasts. It is one of the many traits I have already grown to love about Rachel’s writing and I am a firm believer in strong story telling.

There seemed to be a lot going on in this story and while I did enjoy each aspect at times I felt it to be a little jumpy and too fast. There were some passages that I believe could have had more detail, especially when it came to Ari seeking help, while others confused me. I lost track of the story a little bit through the middle, but it quickly picked up.

I was excited to read about her powers as I haven’t read too many stories with voodoo magic, so it was interesting to discover what her powers are capable of and from experience with spirits I know the overwhelming and haunting sensations and consequences of dealing with them while living in the modern world.

The Last Awakening was a bittersweet novella that tugged on my heartstrings and also brought back a lot of memories with my own spiritual experiences. Again I loved the aspects of Egyptian mythology this time seeing Ari as the daughter of Anubis . I really appreciate that Rachel brings something fresh to each installment of this series as it makes it a joy to read.

★★★.5

Please if you have not heard me gush about it enough seek out the first book in the series. The Last Rising

You can find Rachel here : http://www.rachelfirasek.com/

The House in Via Manno - Milena Agus

· pages: 121

· Genre: Contemporary fiction/ Adult

· Published: 2009 by Scribe Publications (first published 2006)

· Shelf Recommendation: Borrow

· Date Finished: 28^th October 2011

· Rating: 3 Stars ***

Synopsis:

In this magical, jewel-like novel, a young Sardinian woman explores the life of her Nonna — her romantic, beautiful, and somewhat crazy grandmother. Nonna is an unforgettable character whose life spans much of the twentieth century. A dreamer with fierce loyalties and unbridled passions, we follow her search for perfect love to an ending both surprising and profound. Along the way, against the stunning Sardinian landscape of cities, marinas and mountains, we meet the members of her large family, and the mysterious Veteran, the man of her dreams — each one drawn with warmth, humour and deep insight.

Milena Agus writes of family loves and secrets, of sexuality, of music, and of the harsh realities of war and migration in twentieth-century Europe in a powerful, compelling, and yet whimsical voice.

Review: [notes]

For the best part, this novel was rich in detail, full of magic and subtle dark undertones. With its complexities of life and love and what it means not only to live passion, but to deny yourself of it and the consequences and suffering of a life hardly lived, this book at the worst of times was daunting and confusing; however kudos to Milena for the unique style of writing, and for opening my eyes to a different kind of reading.

I enjoyed this book, and not in the way I was expecting. It wasn’t mind blowing, but it was provoking and a learning experience. I found myself getting tangled in the language which I didn’t understand and lazing over the historical elements, like facts on war. Although I did enjoy the history and scenery of what it was like during the period this story is set in and getting to know Nonna as her own character as well as her role as a mother, mistress, friend and lover.

While this wasn’t ideally my cup of tea, it was a nice change from the more heavily American influenced novels I read. If you are looking for something intense, and culturally full then I would recommend picking up this short book.