"Everyone is wrong about hell."
Rouge#1 was a throughly entertaining ride which introduced us to high-kicking heroine Hunter.
Rouge#2, which is a continuation of the story, is even better. Titled Embers & Ice, and complete with yet another stunning cover, one wonders if it could match the first story, or hopefully - better it?
I bought the paperback version of this book, and it is truly awesome to have on my shelf.
From the very first line:-
"Everyone is wrong about hell."
you, dear reader, will be hooked.
Embers & Ice raises the intensity of the first and then some. I relate it to being thrown into a cement mixer at high speed and ejected at said speed. That's what this book is like. I may have mentioned in my review of Rouge#1 that you could definitely see this on the big screen.
The author, Isabella Modra, is in clear command of her universe and you can tell she had great fun pulling us along with the story.
There are no filler chapters in the book and even though it ends with a 'what the hell happens now' scenario, you will want to know what does happen. Middle books of series are so hard to write - they are not the first nor usually the last in a series. Thankfully this is a fantastic middle book, and sets up the finale which I am sure will be awesome when it finally lands.
In addition, the paperback version is beautifully presented. The typeface is gorgeous and totally relevant for this kind of tale.
My favourite scene in the whole book was between Hunter and Will. Not to give the game away, but Hunter uses her incredible fire power (literally) to turn the tables on Dr Wolfe (a cool bad guy, but you'll hate him anyway).
Why I loved this book:-
Fantastic story.
Great characters that are not limited to only the main protagonist.
Hunter is a fantastic, believeable heroine. She is not needy, is tough as nails (but not in a plastic, predictable uber-heroine kind of way) and just keeps on going. Why wouldn't you root for her?
Romance is there, but thankfully kept to a minimum. This book is all action.
The bad guys are cool. You hate them but you cannot ignore them.
And here is perhaps the best praise I can give for this book:-
Katniss Everdeen has a new competitor for my heart and mind!
I'd like to see Saoirse Ronan play her in the movie.
I cannot stress enough how important reviews are. This book, and its counterpart, deserves to be read by many people. It's perfect for YA, but anyone with a pulse will enjoy the stories.
Bring on Book Three. We are waiting!
In summary: My favourite YA book of 2014 by a country mile.
Author Website: IsabellaModra.com
Amazon Page for Embers and Ice
