Author: Jacquelyn Wheeler
Age: Young Adult
Copy Provided by: Author
Summary:
Ashlyn Woods has just transferred to one of the most beautiful campuses on the west coast, where she can't wait to start her life over as a normal college student. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers she is a Soterian: a person who develops amazing powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil's favor.
Soon she and the other Soterians are studying martial arts and learning to use their powers to prevent California from being plunged into chaos. But they quickly discover that they're up against a much more dangerous enemy than they anticipated.
And when Ashlyn meets Kai, a devastatingly gorgeous guitar player, she realizes she must sacrifice more than she ever imagined.
Review: When I first started Rising Shadow, I was extremely hesitant because I was unable to find really any reviews on the novel. So, I just jumped right on in with nothing to go off of.
The novel starts out with a bit of college life, and I found myself connecting with the characters. Rebecca proceeded to become my favorite of the group. I disliked how some characters were introduced, just to be barely mentioned later on (the non-Soterians), but perhaps they will play more roles in the future.
The novel starts out with a bit of college life, and I found myself connecting with the characters. Rebecca proceeded to become my favorite of the group. I disliked how some characters were introduced, just to be barely mentioned later on (the non-Soterians), but perhaps they will play more roles in the future.
Everything became more interesting when Ashlyn and the other Soterians discover their abilities, and begin to train.
The villains of this story don't have any special powers or anything. A lot of the evil things that are happening all revolve around politics, robberies, and crime sprees. It's all interconnected, and the Soterians struggle to learn more about their powers, and who is behind all of this chaos. All of the things that were happening kept me intrigued, especially since I had no clue who was behind it all until the end (which was quite an interesting twist).
The action and the mystery of this story really made it an easy to continue page after page. The missions were intriguing, realistic, and I found myself invested in the story.
Highlights: I loved all of the Soterian's powers. Wheeler's descriptions of everything kept me engaged. I also loved the little twists in the plot, because they kept my interest going.
Lowlights: In the beginning of the story, Ashlyn meets your stereotypical mean girl, and proceeds to do a pretty childish action. I found myself put off by this action, because really, this isn't middle school, and I would expect our heroine to at least act her age.
I really disliked how quickly "Love" came into action with Kai and Ashlyn. They really are complete strangers, and then they're in love? Sorry, but that doesn't work for me. They both even admit how weird it is, but I still think the whole love thing should have waited until the next book.
As a whole, I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the intrigue of the Soterians and their abilities. Definitely a fun book to read that has a different take on superpowers. Check out Jacquelyn's website to see if you'd be interested!
Rating: 
Lea
Great review! I've seen this one around too, though this is first time reading a review. Hm, I wonder if the author is trying to convey some political message... And what really killed it for me were that the characters themselves admitted how weird their love is. Even if they think it is, by admitting it they automatically make their "love" weird! Agghh! Still sounds possibly interesting though, thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like an interesting read...I'll add it to my wishlist. Thanks for the rec :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the review! This is such great feedback. I definitely took a risk with having the characters fall in love so quickly, because it's not the typical get-the-guy-in-the-end kind of storyline. I'm much more interested in what happens after you fall in love and how a relationship progresses, but I know this won't resonate with everyone. Books two and three in the series deal a lot more with the tension in their relationship, so keep an eye out for the second book, Merger, which should be out next month. Thanks again for the review and for your awesome blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! Glad to know that now I don't have to jump into the book blind. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Emma
Hmmm...books that explore politics can be so bleak so I'm not sure about that bit. Also I can't remember the last time I read a book that had a character with my name. I might read it just for that you know. Vain? Yeah! Great review.
ReplyDeleteWe are about to receive this book for review. I'm very interested to read it now based on your review. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I hadn't heard of this one before :)
ReplyDeleteThis is going straight into my TBR pile ! Loved your review.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds good with so many characters in it..!