Book Review: Vanish And Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Book: Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Published September 2011 by HarperTeen|294 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Firelight #2

Genre: YA Paranormal/Dragons

 

An impossible romance.
Bitter rivalries.
Deadly choices.

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?I read the first book in this series years ago, in the early days of the blog.  I somehow never got around to picking up the rest of the series, but one day, when I was at the library, I saw this book and decided to pick it up and read it. After re-reading the first one (Firelight) because I had the feeling I would be really confused otherwise.

I really liked this book, and thought it was a good continuation of the first book.  It did feel like a second book, at least a little, but for the most part, it didn’t, which is good.  It does set up for the next book, of course, but there’s a lot going on and we see a lot of Jacinda and Tamra.

I was not expecting everything that happened with Tamra, and it was an interesting development.  It really caught me off-guard, because if there’s anyone I thought would never be tied to the draki world, it would be Tamra.  There’s quite a role reversal for Tamra and Jacinda, and Jacinda’s actions definitely have consequences in this book.

Jacinda was more frustrating in this book, because she was really indecisive.  She goes back and forth a lot, and I just wanted her to make a decision.  In Firelight, all she wanted was to go back to the draki world, but once she came back, all she wanted was to be with Will.  Hopefully, she’ll figure out what she wants in the next book.

I wasn’t a big fan of the romance.  I liked Will in the first book, but I didn’t really like him in this book.  And I kind of liked Cassian in the first book, but I’m wavering between neutral and dislike in this book.  I’m not sure why, since it’s obvious he cares for Jacinda and would do anything to protect her and keep her safe.  For whatever reason, I feel neutral towards him.

I did like the book, though, and I do want to know how everything turns out for Jacinda and Tamra.  And Will and Cassian, of course.  Oh, and Jacinda’s mom.  Basically, I want to know what’s going to happen to everyone.  I really do.4 stars.  I really liked Vanish, and I thought it was a pretty good sequel.

 

Book: Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Published September 2012 by HarperTEEN|260 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Firelight #3

Genre: YA Paranormal/DragonsJacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the “prince” of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian’s sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there’s no guarantee they’ll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning….

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan’s Firelight trilogy.I’ve really liked this series, and this book really took me by surprise.  There were quite a few things I was not expecting.  At all.  Like escaping the enkros and all that came with it, and what they were really up to.  Most of all, how little they really understand, and hopefully, should they keep capturing dragons, they don’t learn that much.  It’s the same with the hunters.  Particularly where Will’s family is concerned, I hope they don’t find out the truth, because I am not fond of them.

There were so many other things that I did not expect- betrayal from the pride, what really happened to Jacinda’s father, and the death of one character really surprised me.  I think I expected everything to go okay, and while they did, to a point, there were some twists and turns along the way.  Which, looking back, wasn’t surprising, but still.  I did not expect certain revelations to come out.

It is pretty fast-paced, but considering it’s under 300 pages, the fast-pace isn’t surprising.  I did want more with what happened to Cassian and Jacinda, particularly with what happens at the end the end of the book but I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen since the book came out over 5 years ago.  I also wanted to see more of Tamra, but that never really happened either.  Basically, I just wanted something a little longer, because it did feel like something was missing.

3 stars.  I liked it, and it was a pretty good ending to the series, but I think I wanted something a little longer.  There were some things that came up that weren’t really talked about a lot, and I wanted to know more about those things.

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