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Saturday, September 26, 2009

Review : Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout


Publisher : Mira Books
Genre : Paranormal Romance
ISBN : 978-0778326625
Series : #1 of Lightworld/Darkworld Series
Rating : 4.5/5 - Very good!

From Author Website :

In a time not long from now, the veil between fantasy and reality is ripped asunder creatures of myth and fairytale spill into the mortal world. Enchanted yet horrified, humans force the magical beings Underground, to colonize the sewers and abandoned subway tunnels beneath their glittering cities.

But even magic folk cannot dwell in harmony and soon two Worlds emerge: the Lightworld, home to faeries, dragons and dwarves; and the Darkworld, where vampires, werewolves, angels and demons lurk.

Now, in the dank and shadowy place between Lightworld and Darkworld, a transformation is about to begin....

Ayla, a half-faery, half-human assassin is stalked by Malachi, a Death Angel tasked with harvesting mortal souls. They clash. Immortality evaporates, forging a bond neither may survive. And in the face of unbridled ambitions and untested loyalties, an ominous prophecy is revealed that will shake the Worlds.

Review :

Ayla is an assassin for the Faery Court of Lightworld. It is her duty to protect the innocent Fae of Lightworld, and to destroy those that may cause harm. Her most recent assignment brings her into Darkworld, the home of evil creatures and humans that were banned from the Up World. She is tracking a Werewolf, a vile creature that kills in it's wake. Ayla doesn't fear this creature, but she does fear the one that is tracking her.

Legend has it that there are Death Angels in Darkworld, powerful creatures that kill without mercy. Ayla can understand this, as it is her job to kill without missing a beat. When she realises that she is being followed by one of these Death Angels, she is ready for a fight. No one has lived to see another day after an encounter with one of these creatures, and she is determined to share her story.

Malachi is a Death Angel, and has no feelings for other creatures. It is his duty to remove creatures from the Darkworld that will cause harm to humans. When he encounters Ayla, he brings it upon himself to rid the world of the Fae creature. What he doesn't know is that Ayla is not only Fae, but half-human as well. Touching her is the end of his immortality, and now he is out for revenge.

This is the first installment in Jennifer Armintrout's new trilogy, Lightworld/Darkworld. I must say, that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was written as though it were a historical novel, which was surprising to me, although it had a few modern things about it. Armintrout's characters fight with weapons such as swords, daggers, and axes, because this is what they were able to bring with them when they were banished beneath the streets of the Up World.

Armintrout's characters are very well rounded. Throughout this novel you will learn a lot about Ayla, and how she became an assassin for the Light World. In the beginning there seemed to be some holes, but throughout the story they were filled in perfectly. I also really enjoyed Malachi's character. He was new, and fresh to the mortal world, and we got to experience it all through his eyes.

I have read Jennifer Armintrout's first series, Blood Ties, and enjoyed it very much. I honestly can say that after reading the first book in this new trilogy, it is my new favorite work of hers. I'm thrilled that she decided to write about creatures other than Vampires, because she has done a wonderful job of it. I can't wait to read the final two books in this series, Child of Darkness and Veil of Shadows.

If you liked Jennifer Armintrout's previous series, you should really give this book a shot. I read it fairly quickly, as it is only 375 pages long, according to the advanced copy that I received. It is full of magical creatures of all kinds, not just Fae and Death Angels. There are also Werewolves, Dragons, Trolls, and even Pixies. It does have romance, but it is not the whole of the story, it is just something that makes this book whole. I'd like to thank Adam from Mira Books for sending me an advanced copy of this book. I was so thrilled when he agreed to let me review it. I'd also like to thank Jennifer Armintrout herself, for stopping by my blog early in June to notice my Waiting on Wednesday post featuring this book. It was her that drove me to contact Adam in the first place.

9 comments:

Ellz said...

I haven't read any of Jennifer's books yet, but they are on my list. I think I might enjoy this series too. Thanks for the review.

Cindy said...

Yay!!! I want to read this one!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a review...I really need to check out Blood Ties.

Mandi said...

Yay - this is the first review of this book I have seen..the covers are so cool I have been waiting to see how the book is. I have never read this author and I am really looking forward to starting. Nice review!

Jenni @ Falling Off The Shelf said...

Thanks everyone for stopping by to read my review :) I was surprised that no one else has reviewed this book either..not even on Amazon! I was the first to review there, lol, was kind of an accomplishment for me :)

There was controversy about this author's first series...and either you like them or hate them feeling. I liked them though, but this new series is SO much better. I loved this first installment :)

Eleni said...

Nice review Jenni, I never heard of this book before :)

Jenni @ Falling Off The Shelf said...

Thanks Eleni :) I hope my review will persuade you to give it a shot!

Leslie said...

Great review! I enjoyed the Blood Ties series and to hear this one is even better is great news. Adding this to my Borders list. :)

Jenni @ Falling Off The Shelf said...

Leslie - Great! I hope you enjoy it :) I was so excited about it from just the little snippet in the end of the last Blood Ties book. I was itching to read it ever since then, lol.