Why hello there!
How are you this fine Thursday?
Great I hope….or at least in a better situation than our
lead characters finds herself in in today’s featured title; trust me, it’s a
doozy. What’s that? WHY trust me?
Well because…this is Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers and the aim of
our game is to give you something new (or new to you) to chew on every day of the
week!
Today’s featured title, already vaguely mentioned above, is
the long awaited (well, any day you have to wait makes it LONG when it’s a
GREAT story…in my mind at least ^_^) sequel to All These Things I’ve Done….the first book in the newly christened Birthright trilogy. For a quick reminder of what’s transpired,
feel free to click on over to my review for a brief overview of that opening
title and then hurry back because you WON’T want to miss this…
*whistles*
_waits_
^checks clock^
Ah, there you are!
Ready to continue?
Let’s DO this!
WARNING to those that haven’t read book one…yet…a few
spoilers may abound but nothing to get yourself in a tizzy about. Now that that’s settles, the title of the day
is…
Birthright, Volume 2:
By
From the publisher…
Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship. But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It’s a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve--and her heart--will be tested as never before.
It’s another twisted road for Anya Balanchine; daughter of
and heir to a chocolate empire, target of those with ill intentions towards her
name and her family, and above all a teenager simply trying to find her way in
life and love. Yes, it’s a hard life she
leads but she was made for it. Who else
but Anya could juggle the many faces she must wear? Who else but Anya could willingly choose a
life on the lamb in order to protect her family, friends and the boy she
loves? Who else but Anya could even TRY
to take down the psycho trying to kill her in the middle of a cacao
plantation? Her violent past and
uncertain future give her the strength to withstand almost anything thrown her
way making her a force to be reckoned with…but even she is not invincible.
You see that last line there…the mention of a flaw in her
armor…that’s just one of the things I LOVE that the author built into Anya’s
character. Above all else, the
independent streak, the “I-can-handle-everything” attitude….she is human. Her veins may run with brown gold from her
family tree but her heart is 100% pure…even if her intentions are not always so
(hey, she has underhanded dealings to deal with…she can’t always lay all the
cards on the table; it’s called leverage).
She would do anything for her family and friends…ANYTHING…but she never
expects anyone to do the same for her. When
she does let her guard down, she gets bitten…in the worst way possible
considering everything else that’s already happened but it’s a lesson learned
and one that she’ll not likely forget.
Trust is something very important to Anya and her family; once broken,
you can believe that the road back to her graces will be anything but
easy. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, or should we saw try to fool
Anya twice and you may not be around for the “third times a charm”. Moving forward…
The characters introduced this time around are varied and a
wee tad hard to keep track of, but rest assured they are well worth knowing, or
at least knowing of. There’s a
connection made between the story’s beginning and end that you won’t see coming
but in hindsight, it’s totally sitting there on the outskirts of it all. Back to the people though, I had a love/hate
relationship with SEVERAL of them this time around. From Mr. Kipling, Anya’s lawyer (oh yes, he
CAN do wrong) to Theobroma Marquez, aka Theo (a funny kid from a bit further
South that can teach her a thing or two about many things), Charles Delacroix
(Win’s father and loser of the election…HA! Sorry…) to Gable Arsley (who is STILL
just like his last name sounds), it’s a big mixed bag of characters but it
keeps things interesting…though I could have done with a less “interesting”
take when it came to Win Delacroix.
Honestly Win, the road was clear for you! Lighten up on the “leave it behind business”,
get on the “yay chocolate” bus, and step up to the plate already! Sorry, but he has a lot of pretty words and
some great actions but then flips like a switch; makes my head crazy. Anywho…
All in all, a fabulous follow up to all the greatness that
was introduced in book one with enough story to hold its own and tide us over
until the final installment is released.
(Soon, I hope…soon?) Step into a
world where chocolate is taboo, paper books are scarce and love weaves just as
tangled of a web as ever before…just a bit more dangerous. You’ll be swept away as Anya wages war in
battles that were never meant for her, carried off by promises too sweet to be
denied, and lose your footing when the carpet is grabbed from beneath your step
once again. In the end, you’ll rise like
the phoenix Anya has proven to be showing the world that some things CAN be
counted on for life….and her word is 100% pure.
3 comments:
The Birthright series is new to me, and you have me really curious about it now. A psycho, a cacoa plantation..chocolate..eep, adding these to my list! Awesome review now i want chocolate!
kimbacaffeinate: You're welcome. ^_^ (hehe...it's a GREAT series)
Oh wow. Interesting! :) Thanks for sharing this one as I'd not heard of the series before. :)
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