Review: Vanish (Firelight #2) by Sophie Jordan

Vanish (Firelight #2) by Sophie Jordan

Published: September 6th 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Page Count: Hardcover, 294
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter
Buy This Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. 
Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love? 
In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever. 

I liked Firelight enough, but was a little disappointed with the love story. I wasn't feeling it as much as I felt I should, but the ending had a good cliffhanger and I knew I'd have to read Vanish. 


In Vanish we find Sophie back in the pride with some major problems. Everyone basically hates her and there are plenty of people out to get her. Sophie's attitude in this installment irritated me a lot and I felt hope that the love story might turn in a good direction, but ended up sorely disappointed. This series has a major love triangle and unfortunately, as usual, it looks like the heroine is taking the turn in the wrong direction. I felt Sophie was ignoring all the right signals and using her rebellious nature to make her romantic decisions rather than her heart. Unfortunately I think that if the author goes in the direction I'd want her to go it would somewhat go against what she worked for in this first book, which didn't exactly work for me anyway... 


I am curious to see what happens in the next book --- I need more Cassian! 


                                3 out of 5 Hello Kitties!

Review: Firelight (Firelight #1) by Sophie Jordan

Firelight (Firelight #1) by Sophie Jordan

Published: September 7th 2010
Publisher: Harperteen
Page Count: Hardcover, 323
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter
Buy This Book: Amazon, The Book Depository

A hidden truth. Mortal enemies. Doomed love. Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki   to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy. Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide. - Good Reads                                 

When I found out they were selling the kindle version of this book on Amazon for $2.99 I snagged it up right away. I wasn't even sure what exactly what it was about, but the cover was gorgeous, it was cheap and I knew a lot of people who had read it enjoyed it. When I found out that it was actually about dragons, I was even more excited, because it's a new twist on the fantasy/paranormal scene. 

The lore of the story is very fascinating. The draki aren't exactly dragons, but descendants of dragons. Jacinda is a fire-breathing draki and is very rare and the pride expects her to hook up with the alpha's son Cassian and basically be a draki baby machine. Cassian has a certain allure to him though... I'm attracted to cocky studs, okay? I think I have issues. Of course, Jacinda might be smarter than me and she thinks he's a total jerk. She doesn't have to put up with him much longer though, because after an incident where Jacinda almost gets killed by hunters, her Mother decides enough is enough, packs their bags and moves Jacinda and her twin sister to the Nevada desert. The hunting incident earlier that I mentioned introduced Will. He's a dangerous and dashing hunter. Him and his crew hunt draki and Jacinda was nearly captured when they caught her, but Will decides to let her go free. Thank God, because coincidentally she ends up attending the same high school as him when she moves to Nevada! And the thrills are on! Jacinda and Will are stuck together like flies and honey. Jacinda tries to deny her feelings, but it's no use: it's truuuuue looooove! 


I'll admit, this book had it's flaws, but I couldn't pry my eyes off of it. Jacinda did start to get annoying with her back and forth nonsense. 

• No, I'll stay away. 
• No, I can't stay away. 
• No, I totally need to stay away from him, he's bad news. 
• NO, I LOVE HIM! 

Jacinda and Will are starcrossed lovers who are instantly attracted, you see. I was a little surprised by their fierce love declarations at the end of the book though. It kind of reminded me of that scene (<--) in Last of the Mohicans where Hawkeye grabs Cora and says, "I WILL FIND YOU!" It's awkward and uncomfortable... And I kind of believed Hawkeye more than Will. 


Overall, I'm glad I read it though and look forward to reading the next book! Hopefully Cassian gets some play.... Or Sophie Jordan can write me in as a badass draki beauty in her third book. I'll help Cassian populate the pride!

3 out of 5 Hello Kitties!