Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast is the first book in the Escaped series. The Furies (Maiden, Crone, and Mother--the phases of women) lived in Tartarus. They are the jailers who keep the evil (those who threatened to end humanity) contained. But then the Maiden fell in love with Galen Argyris (he gave up his soul for his son). Their true love (which was forbidden) has cast a curse over Tartarus (infected it) and prisoners have escaped. Maiden goes to Hera for help. Hera gives the Maiden a son, Alek who will be a warrior. He need to bring back the prisoners that have escaped. Alek will need to work with Eva. Eva Kostas is a descendant of Pythia (first Oracle of Delphi). The two need to work together to end the darkness/curse. But first Alek needs to find Eva before the hunter does. Can Eva and Alek complete their mission and save Tartarus?
I found Amber Smoke to be juvenile, flat, and cheesy (especially the romance between Alek and Eva). The characters did not feel real (they were not developed or fleshed out). They never came alive for me. The dialogue is stilted and awkward. I'm afraid I found the novel to be silly and just not for me. It sounded like a good book, but I just did not enjoy the final product (I finished it though). One scene that seemed especially ridiculous was when Eva and Alek find each other. They have people chasing them and they need to move quickly (run), but they stop to share a kiss (they are about to be captured). I found myself laughing. I give Amber Smoke 2 out of 5 stars (did not like but good idea). The worst part is the novel ends with a cliffhanger. Normally, these would ensure I read the next book. But in the case of this series, I will not be reading Scarlet Rain.
I received a complimentary copy of Amber Smoke from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
I found Amber Smoke to be juvenile, flat, and cheesy (especially the romance between Alek and Eva). The characters did not feel real (they were not developed or fleshed out). They never came alive for me. The dialogue is stilted and awkward. I'm afraid I found the novel to be silly and just not for me. It sounded like a good book, but I just did not enjoy the final product (I finished it though). One scene that seemed especially ridiculous was when Eva and Alek find each other. They have people chasing them and they need to move quickly (run), but they stop to share a kiss (they are about to be captured). I found myself laughing. I give Amber Smoke 2 out of 5 stars (did not like but good idea). The worst part is the novel ends with a cliffhanger. Normally, these would ensure I read the next book. But in the case of this series, I will not be reading Scarlet Rain.
I received a complimentary copy of Amber Smoke from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
