Shattered Souls - Mary Lindsey
Synopsis: A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries. Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon. (From Goodreads)
I loved this book while I was reading it, I loved it right after I finished, and now that it's been a couple of days, I can't for the life of me remember why. I know that I've seen this plot before - reincarnation, evil spirits, love triangles and such. And the relationship between Lenzi and Alden feels a lot like the relationship between Will and Ellie in Angelfire. So in those respects, this book isn't blazing any trails; however, I think it's one of those situations where when you have a good thing, just go with it.
Because, the plot is one that I'm not tired of and the Will-Ellie/Lenzie-Alden type of relationship (you know the Angel-Buffy - we can't be together, we shouldn't be together, okay let's try to be together, oh look, all hell is breaking loose - kind of relationship) is great to read, if it's done right. And I do think it's done right in this book. The air between them is always so incredibly charged - and there's something about the fact that he can put his own soul into her body has it's own appeal. In that sense I think these two step up and out of their typecast relationship.
The idea behind the novel, too, seems to have the - it's been done, but look how we can do it differently - feel to it. It's about helping spirits move on (been there, done that) but these spirits can inhabit her body to speak their peace (that's new...). I'm pretty sure I'd be pretty upset with having to share my body with other souls, so I felt like I was going through that adjustment right along with Lenzi. Not to mention, I was very pleased that she had a sufficient amount of freaking out about her new-found role - she didn't just accept that this is the way it had to be - and I always appreciate that.
I do get the feeling that the second book will contain so much more than this one did. There are characters that briefly floated up and there is the whole organization that Lenzi and Alden are a part of that feel like they hold so much potential to enrich and complicate the story. I so thoroughly enjoyed this book, even if I lost my excitement for it quickly. I'm looking forward to what the second book holds, because I think there is great potential here.
Shattered Souls - Mary Lindsey
Synopsis: A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries. Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon. (From Goodreads)
I loved this book while I was reading it, I loved it right after I finished, and now that it's been a couple of days, I can't for the life of me remember why. I know that I've seen this plot before - reincarnation, evil spirits, love triangles and such. And the relationship between Lenzi and Alden feels a lot like the relationship between Will and Ellie in Angelfire. So in those respects, this book isn't blazing any trails; however, I think it's one of those situations where when you have a good thing, just go with it.
Because, the plot is one that I'm not tired of and the Will-Ellie/Lenzie-Alden type of relationship (you know the Angel-Buffy - we can't be together, we shouldn't be together, okay let's try to be together, oh look, all hell is breaking loose - kind of relationship) is great to read, if it's done right. And I do think it's done right in this book. The air between them is always so incredibly charged - and there's something about the fact that he can put his own soul into her body has it's own appeal. In that sense I think these two step up and out of their typecast relationship.
The idea behind the novel, too, seems to have the - it's been done, but look how we can do it differently - feel to it. It's about helping spirits move on (been there, done that) but these spirits can inhabit her body to speak their peace (that's new...). I'm pretty sure I'd be pretty upset with having to share my body with other souls, so I felt like I was going through that adjustment right along with Lenzi. Not to mention, I was very pleased that she had a sufficient amount of freaking out about her new-found role - she didn't just accept that this is the way it had to be - and I always appreciate that.
I do get the feeling that the second book will contain so much more than this one did. There are characters that briefly floated up and there is the whole organization that Lenzi and Alden are a part of that feel like they hold so much potential to enrich and complicate the story. I so thoroughly enjoyed this book, even if I lost my excitement for it quickly. I'm looking forward to what the second book holds, because I think there is great potential here.
