Angel Arias

Angel Arias (Night Creatures #2) by Marianne de Pierres
Release Date: October 3, 2011
Random House Australia
ISBN13: 9781742751016
If you haven't heard of the Night Creatures books yet, Burn Bright is the first book in this stand-out, intoxicating series which is currently only available in Australia. Which is incredibly unfortunate, because it is a fabulous series, and one of my favourites in YA.

Warning: Since this novel is a review of the second book, there may be some spoilers. If you're curious, you should check out my review for the first book, Burn Bright which is INCREDIBLE.


Goodreads Synopsis:
Retra - now called Naif - has escaped from Ixion, the island of ever-night. She doesn't know if her friends on the island survived the battle between the Ripers and the rebels. But she does know that she must return home, behind the sealed walls of Grave, to find out why the Ripers have been seen there talking to the councillors. What links the two worlds?
First she must convince Ruzalia to help her. The fierce pirate captain saves those who face terrible fates on Ixion, but that doesn't guarantee their gratitude. Instead, she faces a revolt - and Naif is caught in the middle.
Naif will need all her courage to survive. For Lenoir, who wants to keep her safe, for her friends Suki and Rollo, if they live, for Markes, who has secrets of his own, and for the new friends she will make on this journey.
The fate of worlds depends on it.

The first thing I did after finishing Burn Bright, was I went online and pre-ordered Angel Arias. I was completely sucked in to this creative world, and thoroughly impressed with Marianne de Pierre's writing and this unique story.

I really don't know of anything like the Night Creatures series. And Marianne has done it again with Angel Arias! I really believe she must be brilliant to come up with a story like this one.

1. You're a fan of dark YA:
   Marianne does not shy away from making things extraordinarily creepy and disturbing in these books. The evil is just so twisted, and we only experienced a hint of it in Burn Bright. That continues in Angel Arias, but it really makes for some interesting characters as we begin to unravel what some of the horrors taking place are. But at the same time, it isn't graphic- much of it is written in Marianne's subtle way, and there were points when I wondered at first if I was even understanding the insinuation properly. (Turns out that I was.)
2. You want ANSWERS, damnit!:
   
   If you read Burn Bright, then you're aware of some shocking discoveries on Ixion. Angel Arias seeks out to pursue those questions we were left out, and we finally (FINALLY!) get an idea of what the heck is going on. We also get some great insight to familiar characters, like Markes! Oh, Markes. I didn't know how I felt about you in Burn Bright, but he has officially grown on me and he feels like such a real boy now. Plus, we're given more information as to the kind of world Grave and Ixion are a part of.
3. Well-developed plot lines:
   
   The mystery behind Ixion and various people in Night Creatures always remains the focus, it is the constant drive behind the story. I appreciate a story where the romance doesn't overwhelm everything else going on, and this is done very tastefully and thoughtfully in these books. There's just enough action, just enough twists, and enough answers and MORE questions to leave you feeling satisfied.

I have to admit though, that this one took me a little bit longer to get through becuase I found the beginning to be paced much slower than Burn Bright was. You're thrown right back into the world, and I confess that I forgot some of the details and confused some of the characters which really isn't surprising when you realize just how much is happening.

And it did seem to me that it lost some of its charm without Ixion. The outside world just isn't as much fun - literally. But I understand that we had questions to be answered, and had to venture away to get that done.

But can we say, KILLER ENDING?! I'm going to have to re-read both of these books before Blaze Dark comes out in Fall 2012!

Now, because this is an Australian book and the rights haven't been sold over here yet, my Book Depository link is actually to the e-book. If you're happy to read e-books, then I HIGHLY recommend you try out this series! The link to Burn Bright is on my reivew of it. But you can also find these books available from Australian retailers, and Fishpond (free shipping worldwide).

 

Kindred Reads {8}

Kindred Reads is my weekly feature where I recommend similar books. There's a mix of popular books, and fairly unknown authors and indie books as well. This is something that I personally wish I saw more of; after reading a book I enjoy, I often want to read similar books but they can be hard to discover!

These books contain similar elements, whether it's content, writing style, or other themes found in the stories. They are always books which I have read, and clicking on the title of the book will take you to my review of that book.

If you like...

Variant by Robison Wells

Then you might want to consider reading...

Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

I can't sing the praises of Marianne's Night Creatures series enough! I first heard of it on Goodreads where I was drawn in by the cover, but its description is what truly drew me in. It's currently only available in Australia/New Zealand right now, but there are a lot of fans who are hopeful that it will be brought over to this side of the world. Soon. Because it's awesome (I actually just got the sequel this week- squeeee!)

Basic idea is to imagine a world without adults- one which is somewhat hedonistic is well, as the entire focus is on pleasure. But there's something dark and sinister about this place, and Retra is going to uncover what it is. Totally cool, and totally mysterious. And just edgy enough that it's extremely different from just about any other YA book- but a world without adults and kids in control is the link between these three books this week.





The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

I started reading through James Patterson's Maximum Ride series a few years ago, and while I don't have the heart to continue with them any longer (the new books just aren't as good as the originals- it's dragging on for too long now), the first 4/5 are incredible. The idea of scientific experiments on these kids is completely creepy, but these are such good books. Oldies but goodies. Max leads her little group of "bird kids" mostly on her own, without adults, once they're able to escape from The School. And they end up on some incredible adventures.

Crossover Authors

A couple of months ago I was contacted by HarperCollins Canada about doing a special post for the release of Sara Shepard's new book: Everything We Ever Wanted, and since I was such a fan of her and the Pretty Little Liar books I am ecstatic to be a part of it!

While my actual review of Everything We Ever Wanted will be posted on the actual release date of the book, in anticipation of it I'm doing a special post to highlight some extremely talented authors that have done an excellent job of genre blending and crossing over to different types of books.

Because while Sara Shepard is best known for her success with Pretty Little Liars, Everything We Ever Wanted is definitely adult fiction. And there are so many other authors that do the same thing, and it's incredible to realize just how talented they are for doing so, because it isn't easy.

Sara ShepardShepard's Pretty Little Liars series has done so well that she's written nearly a dozen books in it (number 12 is to be released in 2014), and it now has its own spin off show. On the rise of this success, it seems appropriate that she'd try something a little bit different from what she's been doing for a few years now- and I will give a small tidbit of my review about Everything We Ever Wanted, which is that it struck me as containing some of the elements which made Pretty Little Liars popular and enjoyable, but she carries it over in such a way that those readers who've grown up since reading PLL will enjoy her new book for the similar ideas, although they're expressed in a very different way.

So without further ado, my lovely list of 5 other authors (besides Sara Shepard) who can bring out both the child AND adult in you:

1. Lauren OliverAs well known as she is for her Young Adult novels Before I Fall and Delirium, Oliver is also the author of a new middle grade book titled Liesl & Po (which really is as good as her previous books, just written for a different audience)
2. Suzanne Collins Because yes, while she's best known for her outstanding Hunger Games series, Collins also wrote the Underland series which is a Middle Grade story about an 11 year old boy.
3. Marianne de Pierresde Pierres is an Australian author who has previously written adult fiction novels, until the first of her Night Creatures trilogy was released in early 2011 (so far, it hasn't been released in North America yet) as her YA debut- and it is personally one of my new favourites! You can tell she has her roots in adult fiction though, since parts of it do come across as darker than the typical North American YA releases.
4. M.J. Putney (a.k.a. Mary Jo Putney) While Putney is extremely well-known for her romance novels, she took the pen name M.J. for her YA debut, Dark Mirror, in order to help keep the two separate.
5. Richelle MeadOne of the most well known contemporary writers, Mead is currently the author of four rather involved series; two of which are adult fiction, and two of which are written primarily for a young adult audience. All of which have done extremely well, proving that you don't need to stasy within one narrow genre to be a successful writer.

Now, these are just some authors that have crossed over into writing different genres. And they've done an excellent job of proving there's no need to limit yourself as an author- let those creative juices flow! Branch out, try new things! I'm sure this is something we'll be seeing more of in the future, since there does appear to be a lot of overlap in readers from adult to young adult to middle grade books.

How do you, as a reader, feel about authors who crossover or blend genres? Do you think it can be done well? Is it something you appreciate in an author?

And for any of you who are writers- have you written books which could target various age groups? Did you find it difficult?

Any other authors you can think of who've tried this? Did they succeed, in your opinion?

Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

Burn Bright (Night Creatures #1) by Marianne de Pierres
Released: March 1, 2011 (Australia and New Zealand only)
Random House Ausralia
ISBN13: 9781864719888

5/5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:
Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures comes a girl whose innocence may be her greatest strength.
In Ixion music and party are our only beliefs. Darkness is our comfort. We have few rules but they are absolute . . .
Retra doesn’t want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night, ever-youth and never-sleep. Retra is a Seal – sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn’t crave parties and pleasure, experience and freedom.

But her brother Joel left for Ixion two years ago, and Retra is determined to find him. Braving the intense pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she’s ever known, Retra stows away on the barge that will take her to her brother.
When she can’t find Joel, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the Night Creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion?
Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures, but its secrets are deadly. Will friendship, and the creation of an eternal bond with a Riper, be enough to save her from the darkness?

Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.

Wow. I am utterly amazed after finishing Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres. It's incredibly difficult to describe, because I'm really unsure of exactly how to classify it. I suppose it's a horror novel, but even that doesn't do it justice.

Burn Bright is truly unlike other YA books I've read; in my opinion, it currently stands alone and is doing a terrific job of keeping the spotlight on itself. The writing is captivating, the plot is terrifically creative, and this world created by de Pierres is utterly intoxicating. It draws you in and you just can't leave- kind of like Ixion. It's no wonder Ixion's habitants are so drawn to it, how can they not be when I'm just reading about it and I feel the same way without actually living it?

The story of Retra's journey in Ixion is haunting. It plays with your mind, just as Retra finds herself lost in the grasp of this strange place. There is nothing predictable about this, and the discoveries are both disturbing and intriguing at the same time.

I don't want to give anything about this book away, except it's frighteningly hypnotizing.

The one fault I found was how confusing it could be at times; but then again, it's supposed to be. No one is supposed to understand what exactly takes place at Ixion, and every glimpse of a layer revealed only complicates the story further. As well, it's the state in which Retra lives at Ixion (drugged at times, and in a constant state of denial) which makes it even more difficult to comprehend the events taking place when the character's perspective is flawed. But that's the exactly the way it's supposed to be told.

Right now, Burn Bright is only available in Australia and New Zealand from Random House Australia. There is hope that it will become available in North America in the next year or so, but nothing has been decided yet. In the meantime, I ordered my copy from the Australian Online Bookshop which I found to have the cheapest options for book purchase and shipping.

UPDATE: I received an e-mail from Adva, letting me know that Fishbond Books has Burn Bright and offers free shipping. And as well, you can buy Burn Bright from the Book Depository in e-book format (click here to go to the page to buy it). Great news, and thank you for sharing, Adva!