Emblaze (The Violet Eden Chapters #3) by Jessica Shirvington

Title: Emblaze:

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Series: 3rd (Embrace, Enticed)

Pages: 464

Published: March 5th 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire

ISBN: 9781402268465

Source: Publisher provided for honest review

Description: Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.  Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.  Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.   Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.  With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...
I  Give This ...
  

I'm invested in the story at this point.  I want to know what happens next so there really was no doubt that I would be reading this book.  Question was...would it live up to the second book in the series or would it be along the lines of the first?  

I was really beginning to like Violet throughout this story.  She's starting to recognize her own powers and their importance to the greater picture.  But, at the same time I don't feel she has an overinflated sense of herself.  If anything, her emotions still can get the best of her.  She tends to think with her heart first and her head later.  But, that's just who she is.

There's a couple relationships that were interesting to me.  Violet and Lincoln's relationship is intense.  I wasn't buying it in the first two books.  I think it's extremely hard to portray soul mates.  But, the author surprised me and did an excellent job of showing how they truly felt about each other.  But, I found this to be a sharp contrast to how Violet feels about her mother.  I was shocked to see how much anger and hatred she's built up.  I don't think it's fair.  Perhaps she's just looking for someone to place the blame on, and a deceased mother is a good place to start.

It's the storyline that dragged me down quite a bit in this one.  There's way to much back and forth in the beginning. I really felt like some of it could have been edited out.  I liked some of the mythology that we learn this time around.  But, when the events become to grand, I just start to loose interest.  Hidden gates in volcano's, typhoons, etc all blind to the human eye.   It gets to be over the top.  

I'm not sure if the story is over.  There's obviously some loose ends.  I don't know how I feel about the next.  It's been a roller coaster so far!

 

Review - Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters #2) by Jessica Shirvington

Title: Entice

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Series: 2nd (Embrace)

Pages: 464

Published: September 4th 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire 

ISBN: 9781402268434

Source: Publisher for honest review

 

Description: Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.  Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.  The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.  

I Give This ...

I probably wouldn't have picked this up if hadn't already been sent for review.  There were elements of the first book that I really liked and others that I had issues with.  I had hopes that this might be better.  I'm glad that I gave this book a chance.

Violet was a much better character this time around.  She's starting to embrace who she is a little bit better.  She acknowledges that she made mistakes in the past, but at the same time they are a part of who she is.  I'm not surprised that there's something different about Violet, ever more so than the fact that she's a Grigori.  I enjoyed how everyone refers to her aura.  I'll be curious to see how this will benefit her in the end.  I'm also curious to see how the 7 rays fit into this (and I especially hope that it's even a little bit better than the book of the same name).  

I was pleased to see that Lincoln and Violet's relationship seems to be moving in the right direction throughout this book.  I'm not saying that they need to be together, or that they are soul mates.  But, I absolutely hated the way Violet treated Lincoln in the first book.  But at the same time, Lincoln pulls some shady things throughout this book.  He desperately wants to make amends, but he is constantly hiding things from Violet.  I don't see how they can be soul mates because of their deceptions.

I liked the plot line more in this story.  The race to find the list first is interesting, especially since it does not work exactly like planned.  I love the idea that Moses body is hiding in plain sight, thinly veiled by angel magic and illusions.   I love how Judas plays into the story.  It was a twist that I was not expecting.  I also really enjoy Phoenix.   I'm not sure he's the bad guy we all want him to be.  I think his story is deeper than that.

At this point, I will be ready the next book in the series.  I'm hoping it can continue to develop. 

 

Review - Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters #1) by Jessica Shirvington

Title: Embrace

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Series: 1st

Pages: 369

Published: March 6th 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire 

ISBN: 9781402268403

Source: Publisher for honest review

Description: On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.  Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.  LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori--part human, part angel--and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles.   PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.  Two sides: Angel or Exile.  Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix. The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...  

I Give This ...

 

This caught my eye originally, but I never firmly decided to pick it up and read it.  When the opportunity came up to review the second, I decided to give the series a shot.  

Violet's background is interesting.  Her mother died in child birth and her father has been pretty much no existent for the last few years.  Cliche in many ways with today's teen novels, but sometimes you have to just go with it.  The only constant in her life is Lincoln, whom is completely head over heels for.  Yet, she does absolutely nothing about it.  When she learns that she part angel, she refuses to believe that any of it can possibly be true.  When faced with nothing but the facts, she tries to deny her own powers.  I'm not sure how she thinks she can live a normal life after what has happened to her.

I thought the idea behind this was actually interesting.  But, sometimes it didn't really make sense.  I kept getting the Grigori and the exiles confused, not in the sense in who they were but in how they were made.  I also found Violet to be incredibly irritating for most of the novel.  Sure Lincoln lied to her.  But, they way she treated him in return was harsh.  I thought it was a little extreme and it really bugged me.  Granted in the end, we learn there is perfectly valid explanation for that.  But for me, it was too little too late.   I also wasn't really thrilled with her interactions with Phoenix and the repercussions from that.  

I will read the second in the series, but if it weren't for the fact that I already have it, I might not have picked it up.