Thursday, March 15, 2012

Book Shelf: Winter's Light (Winter Saga #2) by M.J. Hearle


Blake is gone.

He sacrificed himself to save Winter, leaving her alone, unprotected... hunted.

An ancient enemy is rising, but Winter is no longer the innocent girl who was fated to die at Pilgrim's Lament. She will not wait to be saved. She will do what she must to survive, even accept an unsavoury alliance with those who destroyed her love.

In the gathering darkness, the enemy of an enemy is not always a friend, and Winter must find the strength to stand alone and fight for the one she loves. For she is the key to unlocking the secrets beyond the veil of shadows.

And she is Blake's only hope.

(Blurb from Goodreads.....)


Review:

Winter’s Light is a darkly intense follow up to Winter’s Shadow by M.J. Hearle that doesn’t disappoint with it’s rich description and enthralling storyline!

I find the world crafted by Hearle in this series to be hauntingly beautiful. Hearle’s prose is exquisite; deeply gothic and one that flows easily, sweeping you up straight into the story. It captures you from the very beginning and it’s easy to get immersed in the tale. In Winter’s Light, the storyline from Winter’s Shadow continues and the tragic events of the first book continue to impact on the storyline of it’s sequel.

The combination of past and present that Hearle blends is both tantalizing and intriguing and the inclusion of new mysteries and new characters weave with old to leave you glued to the pages and eager to know what’s next. I loved getting a glimpse into some of the events that are a part of the history of the Malfaerie and Demori and learning more about Lamara, the young woman we’ve only heard about proved to be insightful. It was easy to be drawn to her desperate plight and brave nature.

Winter has been through an incredibly lot lately. The last three months have been hard on her and loosing Blake has taken its toll. I find Winter to be a fantastic heroine to follow! M.J. Hearle writes her voice with such perfection that it’s no problem at all to slip into her head. She undertakes such growth throughout this book in her determined quest to save her lost love and her inner strength that she demonstrates definitely endeared her more to me. Her ability to make tough choices and her desire to do the right thing make her a force to be reckoned with; I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.

While I’ll be the first to admit I missed Blake, Jasmine continues to be a fantastic character and best friend to Winter and Sam steps up in his search for redemption. I love Jas. Her witty remarks and devotion to her best friend is beautiful and I found I really loved Sam in this book. I liked him in the first book, but here he truly touched my heart with his desire to make up for his actions in the first book and his desire to be a friend to Winter. I also liked Elena. As one of the new characters introduced and part of the mysterious Bane, I admit she wasn’t who I thought she was at first sight and I loved seeing Hearle unveil her character. I’d definitely like to see more of her in future books.

With twists, turns and betrayal, Winter’s Light is a spectacular read! A heart-racing and surprising ending is bound to leave you begging for more and desperate to know what Hearle has in store for this series next!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Pan Macmillan Australia (Thank-you sooo much Charlotte!)
Format: Bound ARC
AU Release Date: May 2012
Expected AU Price: $16.99
Recommend: Yes!
Recommend borrow or buy: Buy it.
Cover: Am I the only one in love with this cover?!? It's stunning, just stunning!
Read sequel/continue with series: Yes! Oh, yes.

12 comments:

  1. Gee Rachel . . . I'm so jealous you got a copy of this book because I want to read it so badly. haha. Anyway fantastic review! Makes me want the book even more!

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    1. It's a fantastic refuel Erin! You'll love it!

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  2. Hi Rachel,
    Just wanted to thank you for such a beautifully written review. I'm very glad you enjoyed my book. Pressure's on now for book 3!

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    1. No thank YOU for writing it M.J. This is such a fantastic series and I love reading it. Haha. Yes, I imagine the pressure is on, but I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve for us next!!

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  3. You lucky thing! I will get my copy in the middle of April! ugh but still thats better than nothing right?. such a great review, like erin Im also jealous!!!! :) glad you enjoyed this one! dying for this! x

    Ƹ̴Ӂ̴ƷFICBOOKREVIEWSƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ

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    1. You'll see Lalaine, the time until April will just fly by! Then you'll be like me--dying due to the wait for book 3 ;)

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  4. Rachel! Yes! Beautiful review! I felt exactly the same way about this. Hearle stepped up the game even more in Winter's Light and I love how Winter grew and that we got to explore not only new characters, but further probe those from the first book. Love Sam and Jasmine! And Lamara's story had to be my favourite part, I think. It was so fascinating... creepy, but utterly intriguing.

    And eeek! Desperate for book three now after that cliffhanger ending :D

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    1. Thank-you Brodie! <3 YES! I loved that too. It was interesting seeing Lamara's history. Knowing when we knew from the first book, it was so creepy seeing it unfold before our eyes.

      Ditto! NEED more as soon as possible :)

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  5. Very nicely written this review, well done:D Yes , young Winter is starting to change before our eyes. She is becoming quite the take charge young missy. I love Jasmine's spunk, and loyalty. I hope Jasmine makes Sam work for being a bit naughty in Winter's Shadow. Now I sit back and wish a year away in the blink of an eye for book 3:D

    I think I might read this review again, I liked it that much!!

    Michelle

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    1. Awww, thank-you Michelle <3 I liked the growth in Winter over the course of this book. There's something so magical in watching a character grow before your eyes. Hehe. Me too. Sam has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to get back is Jasmine's good graces!

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  6. Oh, wow! Rachel, this sounds AMAZING. You know, I'd never even heard of the series before seeing your and Brodie's reviews, but AAAH! Want! I'm kind of torn, though... it sounds seriously sad...

    BEAUTIFUL review. SO keeping an eye out for this one ;)

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    1. This is a great series Sarah! Beautifully written, haunting and gothic! And it's by an incredibly talented Aussie author :) It's not really as sad as it sounds. Just a bit haunting....

      Hope you decide to give it a chance! <3

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~Rachel
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