CATCHALL
Let's just say that I rarely rate books 5.00 stars. It is a huge accomplishment.
Where to begin? I'll start with a miniature anecdote.
Some time ago I bought a tube of bright, electric, cobalt blue mascara. I wanted something different and fun. Well, recently I've taken to wearing it and have observed that it is very noticeable. I get compliments and comments on it all the time. It seems impossible for people not to say something or, at the very least, do a double take.
Anyway, there is a point to this story. This book is like that. It's impossible not to notice it. It's practically screaming, "I'M RIGHT HERE, EVERYONE!!! SEE ME SEE ME SEE ME!!!!" And it's beautiful and different and very, very wonderful.
THE HERO
Cas is a wonderful narrator whose voice I loved from the very beginning. He's intriguing and haunting and downright sexy. He's also beautifully developed BUT the author does not spend pages and pages going over the way he looks. In fact, I'm not entirely sure we are subjected to the way he looks at all. Thank you, Ms. Blake, for not obsessing over the way our hero looks. There are ideas, certainly, but I can picture him in my head quite clearly.
He kind of reminds me of my boyfriend, actually. Not the killing-ghosts part, but the dedication part. Okaaay, they are dedicated for different reasons, but that is beside the point. Dedication is sexy in a man.
ANYWAY. It's not often I get to read a very good book from a male P.O.V., and I'm happy to say that Cas did not disappoint me in the least. He was a wonderful hero whom I immediately fell in love with and I enjoy reading about him immensely.
THE GHOST
I adore Anna. She seems so haunted and even though she doesn't remember her past at first, clearly trapped inside it. She has so much history and so much emotions that she managed more than once to drive me to tears. Anna is no puffball (oh my God, I used the word puffball) and she is most definitely not TSTL. I loved that she was strong.
Anna is such an interesting character and I wished we'd gotten to see her more even though we saw her so much. She has such an air of mystery surrounding her and I'd love to go even deeper into her character.
THE OTHER SECONDARY CHARACTERS
Carmel and Thomas were wonderful secondary characters who were not underdeveloped and served nice places in the story. They each are beautifully characterized and described. I feel like I know them very well, as I should. Morfran is a magnificent character as well. Will, Chase, and Mike serve also move the story along nicely as well, though that is their only purpose, really. Each character is very well-written. Anyway. I probably can't really say much else here without starting to blab spoilers so… moving on.
THE PLOT
Oh my, my, my. This plot is so beautiful and original that I almost don't know what to say. I most certainly do not want to give anything away because I would hate to ruin this book for anyone. It's perfect. Intriguing and mysterious and just the right amount of vague, it blends into the story and fits beautifully. The plot is so original that it never gets boring, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The setting and the details are intricate. Every detail was perfect, from the Victorian house to the elaborate but nicely slowly moving descriptions of magic. Magic, also, was not overused or clichéd. I'm afraid to say more, so.
THE ROMANCE
(Someone pointed out to me that I forgot to write this section. I actually totally meant to leave it out. *LIE*)
Anyway, the romance was beautiful. It was not developed too quickly and it had real substance. It wasn't shoved in my face. It was subtle but it was most definitely there. Cas and Anna make a sweet, if tragic, pair, and I will be looking forward to how this plays out later on.
THE WRITING
Ahhh!! I love Ms. Blake's writing. It's lovely and detailed and not insipid or vapid at all. It definitely contributes to the beauty of the story, and, as aforementioned, I adore Cas' voice. It is realistic and intelligent and rings true. The writing is never boring, but brings to life the characters and plot and setting of the book and makes them real and visible.
THE ENDING
Beautifully written ending with an awful cliffhanger. Awful because the next book does not arrive until early next August. The ending was relevant and didn't feel thrown in but seemed well-thought-out. It didn't feel overused but original. It was definitely a ver good way to end the book and I'm not sure it could have been better.
WRAPUP
I will absolutely be reading the sequel as soon as I can possibly get my hands on it. This book left me aching for Girl of Nightmares.
FINE.
