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Falling Light (2014)

by Thea Harrison(Favorite Author)

3.54 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0425255107 (ISBN13: 9780425255100)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Berkley

series

Game of Shadows

review 1: Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: In this conclusion to the Game of Shadows duology, Michael and Mary are in a race against time, trying to reach Astra before the Deceiver catches up to them. Will they be able to make it in time?Opening Sentence: When Michael killed the two unconscious men that lay sprawled in the overgrown grass, he did so with quick, efficient slashes across their carotid arteries.The Review:This book was probably more like 2.5 stars rather than 3, but I rounded up. As much as I love Thea Harrison’s Elder Races series, this Game of Shadows duology just does not do it for me, which is very disappointing. While the story moved at a good pace, I just could not bring myself to care about what was going on, which made it a very difficult re... moread.The book starts immediately where the first one left off, so it would definitely be helpful to read that book first. Michael and Mary are on the run, trying to find their way to Astra before the Deceiver catches up to them. This becomes tricky, as the Deceiver has framed them for a massacre he committed, and every cop and federal agent in the area is on their trail. As they continue to make their way towards Astra, they also continue reacquainting themselves with each other and trying to figure out exactly how you navigate a soulmate relationship when your base personalities (warrior vs. healer) are so different. Meanwhile, as he attempts to chase down Michael and Mary, the Deceiver is also doing his best to track down Astra, so he can take care of her once and for all and continue with his plans to take over the Presidency. Who will reach Astra first? Will Michael and Mary be able to win their fight against the Deceiver?As is often the case with books that I have a hard time liking, one of my biggest problems has to do with the characters. I just could not form a connection with any of the three main “good guys.” I think, in the end, everyone came off feeling more like caricatures of a particular character type (e.g., strong hero who has a hard time expressing himself, wise old woman who tends to butt in where she’s not wanted) rather than characters with distinct personalities of their own. Mary seemed to move quickly from the woman who refused to believe what was going on in book one to all of a sudden having complete control over her alien healing abilities. A little bit of a learning curve would have been nice to see and would have made everything a bit more believable to me. On the positive character side, I really liked Nicholas, but he is by no means a main character and is only in a small number of scenes. If Harrison ever decides to write a story from his point of view, I would definitely be interested in reading it.As I said before, the pace of the story is good. There’s never really a slow moment. While there are plenty of fight scenes, this book didn’t seem quite as dark as book one. It’s still not a light read, but there wasn’t as much blood and gore as was present in certain book one scenes. Overall though, the book didn’t quite work for me, which is very unfortunate. It won’t keep me from reading any of Harrison’s future stories though!Notable Scene:“There are things I can teach you, and things you need to help me do. We must not let the Deceiver keep the three of us from reuniting.”“That’s what Michael says,” Mary said. She lifted her gaze. “We won’t stop again.”“Good,” said Astra, sensing truth.“I must go,” Mary said suddenly. “I meant to take only a little nap after I healed my shoulder. Michael’s still injured. He needs me.”“Of course,” Astra stood. “It is so good to see you again, Mary. It has been far too long. I have missed you. Please come quickly.”Mary stood as well. “We will. We are.”Astra nodded and thrust gently out of the other woman’s dream, traveling back to the cool quiet well of her own mind.I am not in control of her, Astra thought. And Mary does not show the absolute dedication to our cause that we all need, especially now when the Deceiver is so close at hand.The realization was jarring. Astra had been confident of Michael for so many centuries. For lifetimes. His rage at the disappearance of his mate ran so deep. But now that he had found Mary, she was beginning to skew his motives.They were starting to fight for survival, not for the Deceiver’s destruction.Astra must be prepared to kill them both when they arrived.FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of Falling Light. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
review 2: LOVED IT! Since I really enjoyed Rising Shadows, Book 1 in the Game of Shadows series, I could hardly wait to read Falling Light, Book 2! Falling Light picks up right where Rising Shadows ended.Michael has finally found Mary and the two re-united lovers must make their way to re-join Astra while avoiding the Deceiver. I love the scenes with Michael and Mary - their chemistry is passionate and pulled my heart-strings tightly. Without Astra, they cannot hope to put away the Deceiver, but with Astra, they may be ending their own existence and the future they've dreamed of. Trusting the wrong person can end all hope. I loved the story and the surprising twists were beyond anything I'd imagined. If you haven't read Rising Shadows, I would highly recommend that you read it 1st. Falling Light is not a stand-a-lone read. AND... if you love Rising Shadows, as I did, this is a must-read! Be aware that this series is nothing like The Elder Series, which I also love... Thea's captivating story-telling and the way her writing flows doesn't change... it's a treat in both series. 5 STARS!!!!! less

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