Awaited
Lynn Rush
Series: Wasteland, #2
Release date: May 1st, 2012
by Crescent Moon Press
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The voice is a powerful thing…
Russell Leonard is a centuries-old Guardian who’s lost faith in his purpose. So when he’s charged with procuring the first female Guardian in over two centuries, he can only hope it’s the red-headed beauty who’s been haunting his dreams for months. And if it is, he intends to claim her as his. But when he finds his dream woman, Annabelle is mute and bears no Guardian’s Mark.
He soon realizes she’s been tainted by an ancient evil. Russell must somehow release the secrets trapped within this delicate soul to help her tap into the only weapon powerful enough to silence a millennia-old demon—her voice.
*A copy was provided by Lynn Rush for review purposes*
In Wasteland we met half-demon David, in Awaited, we get acquainted with
Russell. Theoretically, this could be read as a stand-alone - although I
don't suggest it - meaning the book is in the same world, but we go
through unique stories with familiar characters who will eventually meet
up for the bigger picture. Like Wasteland, you can expect a lot of
action and romance in this fast paced paranormal novel.
It
starts with a bang when Russell and Durk's plane crashes and they meet
the only other survivor - Annabelle. I had met Russell in the first book
so I was happy to get to know him better as he's a great character.
He's a very old soul who's starting to lose sight of himself in his
loneliness. He's a complex hero; I grew to understand and admire his
strength, his determination. Annabelle is an instantly intriguing
character as well. She's mute, she has supernatural healing, and then
she turns… bizarre. We meet her as a weak, feeble girl who grows
immensely throughout this novel. Being mute makes it hard to get a read
on her which left me equally sympathetic and wary. Thus, I enjoyed
trekking through her history, as well as speculating about her future.
She's a really peculiar character with a story that is positively
engrossing.
With such intricate personalities, we clearly need
some romance, and Lynn delivers. Russell feels an unexpected, but
intense attraction towards Annabelle. Surprisingly, even though it's an
instant attraction, it's deep and powerful. You know there are
supernatural forces at work which makes it especially interesting;
Russell's feelings for her are almost overwhelming even to himself. As
with the first book, their connection is felt passionately throughout
the story and only intensifies the plot. This is great since the romance
itself plays a fairly big part in this book. Their tale is torturous
and heartbreaking, but unquestionably romantic.
The world that
Lynn has introduced us to in Wasteland is broadened in this sequel. We
learn more about the war between angels and demons, as well as how their
powers can be manipulated. This is one of the very few angel stories
that I was able to get immersed in. It's creative with an original lore
that gives us constant surprises and never ending action. The twists
keep you perpetually glued to the pages while the plot is revealed in a
consistent manner, giving us plenty of excitement without it being
overwhelming.
If you're new to this series, you should know that
it's labeled in the new New Adult genre, meaning it's not quite adult,
but still very mature for a YA novel. It's got steamy scene with
characters that are in their late teens/early 20s. Consequently, this is
a story that both YA, and adult readers could really get into. If you
enjoy great world building with compelling characters and lots of action
- the Wasteland series has got to be on your shelf!
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| 4 Hot Espressos |
The Wastelands series so far:
