LemonSky reviewed Evernight by Kristen Callihan (Book 5 in the darkest London series)
Review of 'Evernight' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I was provided with a free copy of this book by Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
First, please do not think that a three-star review is negative. It isn't. While I found "Evernight" interesting and very different from what I normally read, I didn't enjoy it enough to rate it four or five stars.
The basic summary is this - Will Thorne is a Sanguis, a vampire-like demon, who falls into the hands of a fallen angel (Fallen). The Fallen does something to Thorne that changes the very fiber of his being. Thorne's heart is replaced with a clockwork one and he gains the power to turn entirely into metal. Of course, he is in agony while in that form, so this is not a good thing. The person who changes out his heart is Holly Evernight, who has the power to control metal. A year …
I was provided with a free copy of this book by Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
First, please do not think that a three-star review is negative. It isn't. While I found "Evernight" interesting and very different from what I normally read, I didn't enjoy it enough to rate it four or five stars.
The basic summary is this - Will Thorne is a Sanguis, a vampire-like demon, who falls into the hands of a fallen angel (Fallen). The Fallen does something to Thorne that changes the very fiber of his being. Thorne's heart is replaced with a clockwork one and he gains the power to turn entirely into metal. Of course, he is in agony while in that form, so this is not a good thing. The person who changes out his heart is Holly Evernight, who has the power to control metal. A year later, Holly is a prisoner in her own home, which is fortified against attack. For some reason, creatures keep attacking her home. The defenses of the veritable fortress destroy three attackers - the fourth one is Thorne. Because of her power over metal, Holly can calm Thorne, so he makes her a bargain - he will protect her if she will find a way to help him.
Kristen Callihan is a good writer and has created a intriguing world with - for me at least - a different spin on steampunk. I think part of my problem is that this is the fifth book in the series, and it would probably help to read the first four books. While there is some explanation of terms - GIM, Sanguis, etc. - and the relationships between Jack, Mary, Holly, and Thorne - I still had the feeling that I had just started watching a movie halfway through. Confusing to say the least. Makes it a little hard to understand people's motivations. Well, except for Will Thorne. His motivation was pretty obvious.
I had a hard time relating to the characters or even caring about them. They never really came alive to me. I was interested enough to finish the book and certainly don't regret reading it. However, I don't think I will reread it.