Jenn's Review: Beautiful Darkness

Blurb:  Together Ethan and Lena can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Review:  I knew things were going to be bad for Ethan and Lena, I just didn't know how bad.  I must say though, I loved the way it was written. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl did a marvelous job of keeping it realistic without being over the top.

Though I groaned at the addition of a new character when she first appeared, I found that I adored Liv.  I think she brought balance to the story and filled a guidance roll that was slightly lacking in the first book.  I was thrilled that we got more answers... even though more questions inevitably ensue.  I liked that there was a sufficient denouement... nothing irritates me more than a hasty ending.  I must admit though, I am going to have to go back and re-read the climax of the novel before picking up Beautiful Chaos because it was so intense I was speed reading through it.  The only part I'm not sure how I feel about is the Ridley dichotomy.  I know there will be more to this part of the story, but it almost felt like a bit of a plot device that was too easy.

I suppose this review is rather cryptic to those who haven't read the first novel, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone as this is a series worth reading.  It won't be long before I pick up Beautiful Chaos.

Final Take:  4.0/5