Blog Tour: Fractured Light

As part of the blog tour for Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan, I'm sharing my review on the book with you as well as sharing with you a very special giveaway including signed copies of the book, e-books, and even some special necklaces! Good luck :)

And you can see the full schedule of tour stops here.

Fractured Light (Fractured Light #1) by Rachel McClellan
Release Date ~ February 8, 2012
Sweetwater Books
ISBN13: 9781599559421
E-copy received from author for blog tour

Goodreads Synopsis:
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. But she never felt ready to face them---until now. Defying the Auran Council and everything she's been taught, Llona must learn to use her power over light as a weapon if she wants to survive.

At first glance, when I initially started reading Fractured Light I had the impression that it would be yet another forgettable paranormal romance - and while in some ways I was hoping for something more original and was a bit disappointed, there were enough elements that did stand out to make Fractured Light a fast read with plenty of excitement.

1. Totally unique, creative concept:
   
   I loved the thought and creativity that went behind the Aurans - it was familiar enough in terms of archetypes, but still different so that it stands out from other paranormal mythology. And just enough of it was explained to keep me satisfied as a reader but without using the dreaded information dump.
2. Incredibly creepy, don't look over your shoulder moments:
   
   I don't think a paranormal book (at least, any YA one I've read) has actually scared me. So Fractured Light is the first one to win that award - and it's scary/disturbing in the "what if something is watching me RIGHT NOW?!" kind of way. That sort of stuff just freaks me out. And Rachel nailed that with a few scenes she wrote.
3. A seriously tough heroine:
   
   Llona didn't strike me as the strong heroine type at first, and I'm not sure she exactly was that at first. It really took her some time to grow into her role and figuring out how she was going to respond to the changes taking place in her life. And I liked that she DID choose to respond and deal with it head on - going so far as seeking out training to learn how to fight properly. She isn't just instantly amazing at this - she has to work at it, and grow into it.

Now the downside was that there were two areas in which I found the book to be completely predictable and mundane: the first is the romance, and the second is the villain. Both have been done before, and are easily recognizable. The romance was way too hot and cold for me, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Llona kept giving him chances and getting her hopes up. And the guy was just dumb- he kept apologizing for leading her on, then doing the exact same thing all over again. Luckily, I didn't find the romance to be the driving force behind the book so I could overlook it at times.

Secondly, the villain really wasn't that surprising at all. I found it unbelievable that none of the characters were able to recognize him whatsoever- and as for the reader, he just wasn't very subltely brought in to the story.

This definitely had the feel of one of my guilty pleasure type reads - one that I quickly absorb and am left curious enough about the sequel, but nothing earth-shattering either.

You can get in touch with Rachel here if you want to know more:
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelMcClellan
www.RachelMcClellan.com
Twitter: @RachelMcClellan

Purchase Links

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Amazon	Amazon Canada	The Book Depository
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