I desperately wanted this series to continue. At the end of White Heart of Justice, I felt a little bereft that the lives of these characters would stI desperately wanted this series to continue. At the end of White Heart of Justice, I felt a little bereft that the lives of these characters would stop there. Alas, the Gods of Fantasy must have heard my plea. Noon is back, and she's as amazing as ever.
Brilliantly narrated, this book is a magnificent fantasy novel because it has stamina in its pace, it's witty, it's romantic, and it's stimulating for the mind and conscience as well as the heart.
I can't help but love so many things about it. The complex hierarchy of legal authorities and demon patrons, the apocalyptic historical background of the world-building, the latinized names of places, and people, the fiery magic, the clever use of humour, the mysterious and deadly plot, and the beautiful intricacy of the forbidden romance between Noon and the multi-faceted Ari.
One thing that is so great about Noon is that she is powerful, strong and intelligent, but she always sweats for her victories, and she suffers and evolves through each of them. This time, she's been posted to a remote area where she must conduct an investigation over the destruction of a controversial dam and find the culprit.
I just dived head first into this exciting mix of magic melees, cunning demons, angelic lore, quirky characters, exhilarating fights and rich legends.
I fell in love again with Noon and her impossible mission to battle deadly enemies lurking behind insidious plans and the price she always has to pay to stay true to who she is against law, magic and sacrifice.
Then, after the most perfectly passionate reunion which I was so hoping for, the author decided to destroy me without remorse. From a creative point of view, that terrible and mind-blowing plot twist is the source of an immensely imaginative and gripping sequence of events, laden with action and magic and which leads to a resolution of this fourth book that once again is fitting and opens up more exhilarating venues for a fifth book.
Yet...
It's gutted me open like an innocent puppy and now for the first time in my life I kind of hate the mind behind the book. Sorry. I could never accept that this kind of thing happens to a character. After supporting the series from the start and praying for its continuation, I feel betrayed. I'm a reader, after all. I love characters as if they were real. And now I'm in mourning. My sorrow literally rained on my kindle. I can't understand why this would be done to us, Noon and readers alike. I'm deeply disappointed. ...more
Suspenseful and dark in style, beautifully written, and with two engaging characters that I was eager to undress of their secrets, this novel introducSuspenseful and dark in style, beautifully written, and with two engaging characters that I was eager to undress of their secrets, this novel introduces the plot and every intense scene in a very thorough approach.
A masked man proposes a stranger to film ten intimate scenes in exchange of one million dollars. Catchy? Yes. The true magic lies in all the shadows, terrors and secrets that push Quinn Blackwood and a woman in the run to commit to this endeavour.
Mystery tinges every scene as they unfold into a cold and hot relationship that defies labels. Quinn, behind his unbreakable anonymity, weaves a web of domination around Lucky. A the same time, another parallel situation takes place while Lucky is groomed for the event. Every electrifying conversation, every subtle game of sensual bonding, felt hypnotic. And I was eager to see both stories collide and all the ugly, dark, cathartic secrets explode into liberation or utter destruction.
What’s even greater, this is all before the actual filming begins. Then… wow. Each shot was laden with a sharp mixture of molten-hot passion and eerie threat.
I was so curios about the reasons behind Lucky’s agreeing to the degrading, scary albeit sensual pact, and Q’s falling prey to the darkness in his soul. When those reasons started to spill, they were complex and layered, and I was captivated.
After that thrilling, devastatingly emotional final chapters (38 is a singular masterpiece), I can only recommend this book to anyone who loves dark, emotionally charged romances. It's got what it has to have: the best of plot, dialogues, writing style and steamy romance.
Me he enredado literalmente en la trama de ILLUMINAE a medida que trataba de seguir los acontecimientos sin perder ripio de los personajes y sus andanzas. No es que sea una trama inconcebible, sino que la presentación de las escenas es lo más singular que he visto nunca.
Entrevistas de la autoridad a los testigos de un ataque masivo a una colonia minera.
Expedientes e informes clasificados que buscan esclarecer los hechos a posteriori.
Trasiego de mensajes informáticos clandestinos entre los héroes a la fuerza de unas naves espaciales.
Transcripciones de audio entre desesperados supervivientes de un sinfín de fuerzas destructoras.
Todo ello expuesto a los ojos del lector en formato ilustrado como si realmente tuviéramos en nuestras manos la documentación, las pantallas de ordenador, los planos de las naves, incluso el cosmos en el que se entablan batallas estelares con toda la viveza de un comic.
Esa combinación de tácticas televisivas y complots bélico-misteriosos me ha fascinado. Esta novela es un tour-de-force de imaginación visual que recuerda a una simbiosis entre la serie Galáctica y la película Alien. Me he enganchado rápidamente al estilo de gamberra familiaridad con la que hablan los personajes mientras el mundo que conocen se desmorona violentamente a su alrededor. Entre Kady y Ezra existe un quebrado romance a lo Romeo y Julieta que es sólo la punta del iceberg de toda la carga emocional que conlleva el apocalipsis en medio del frío universo.
Me he sentido engullida por la magnitud de la historia. Potencia de naves estelares, batallas mortales, inteligencia artificial, conspiraciones oscuras y plagas imparables, giros sorprendentes que me han dejado boquiabierta, masacres en situaciones al límite y, sobre todo, unos protagonistas como Kady, Ezra y Aidan que estiran el sentido de la vida hasta fronteras conmovedoras.
Deslumbrante.
Tiene su gracia que los autores hayan dado con un truco magistral para expresarse con el lenguaje natural que requería la historia sin rendirse a los cortes de censura. Los mismos textos están mutilados sin perder un ápice de su sentido y dejando claro lo que se vislumbra debajo, con todo su impacto moral.
Lo único en lo que discrepo es en el orden de los dos últimos capítulos. Yo lo hubiera invertido para maximizar el impacto emocional. Cosas de una lectora caprichosa :-D
Advertencia: precisamente el estilo poco ortodoxo de presentar la trama puede disuadir a algunos lectores de sumergirse en este libro tan inusual. Sin embargo, yo insto a perseverar porque tal imaginación y tal osadía de apostar por un formato tan rompedor bien merecen un salto de fe de nuestra parte. A quien le guste la ciencia-ficción trepidante, ILLUMINAE significará un punto y aparte.
Al final, he sobrevivido al cosmos asfixiante, a la persecución de las corporaciones y la muerte encapsulada, a las cegadoras páginas teñidas de negro con letra blanca. Conclusión: Yo, Babel, necesito GEMINA como al oxígeno en el espacio sideral. ...more
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