Quick Review: Seeker by Veronica Rossi

seeker This was a fun book to read if a little uneven.  The sequel to  Riders, Seekers picks up a week after the first book ended.  Daryn has returned from Georgia after watching Marcus, Jode and Gideon reunite but too scared to face them.  She’s still blaming herself for abandoning Bas to the other realm with Samrael, the leader of the Kindred.  Gideon is still conflicted because he’s mad at Daryn for her role in Bas’ situation plus losing his hand but he’s also madly in love with her.  The trials of teenage love.  It’s been eight months and time is running out get Bas back so Daryn, Gideon and the other Riders of the Apocalypse must reunite to go into the Rift, face their demons and save Bas.  Now I say it was fun because mixed with all the teenage angst were some funny moments.  I truly appreciate Gideon’s snarkiness and sarcasm.  A little uneven because it didn’t feel the momentum of the first part of the book didn’t stay to the last part.  The book spends half of the book trying to find Bas and then we find him and find out that he was just the bait.  Samrael was only using him to get Daryn and the real conflict begins.  I sort felt that all the trials that happened before were kinda meaningless now.  It seemed like a long way to go to get to the payoff and we did it wasn’t as satisfying and felt rushed.  I wish we had spent less time on the Bas search and more on the Samrael/Daryn debate of forgiveness and who deserves it.  Other then that, it was a good book.

May Flowers Bring New Books

The month of May has a lot of great new books coming out and of course I’m already behind in my to-read list. Sigh.  Anyway, here’s a list a few books that I’m definitely going to try to get to in May.  Let’s see how I’ll do.

May 2:

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan

May 16:

Seeker by Veronica Rossi

May 23:

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

May 30:

Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson

 

Review: Riders by Veronica Rossi

ridersThis is what I know about the Book of Revelations.  At one point Jesus will come back to usher those of us worthy enough to get into heaven, leaving the rest of us behind to deal with the Apocalypse which I think will have the 666 Beast and the Four Horsemen.  So basically I don’t know much but it is intriguing how the End of Time will play out?  Riders is not about the world ending but it does bring together War, Famine, Death and Conquest together to fight against evil.  Is that what the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse supposed to do? Gideon wants to be an Army Ranger when he dies in a training accident but instead of moving on he comes back as War.  With the help of the Seeker, Daryn, Gideon must find the other three riders to stop the Kindred from finding the key that will open different realms and enslaving mankind in their new kingdom.  If that isn’t hard enough, he has to convince the U.S. Government that he’s not crazy and the biggest threat to national security is a gang of demons.

I really liked this book.  I liked the set up. Gideon is being held by the Government in a secret bunker, trying to explain why he was where he was and convince them that he is not the enemy but it’s still out there.  He’s been drugged so the narrative is almost this stream of conscious.  Anything and everything in his head is just coming out but he’s a soldier so he’s still sizing up his situation.  He’s a likable, funny and smart. He knows the situation he is in not good and the only way to get out is to tell his story, size up his surroundings and use his military training to help him out.  We begin from the day he died and goes through discovery who he is now, finding the other horsemen, falling in love with Daryn and getting over the death of his father the year before.  Because it’s from his point of view, Gideon is the most drawn out character but Daryn is a fully fleshed out girl, who may not a trained fighter but can hold her own.  As for the other horsemen, I would love to know more about them.  Bas aka Famine we get to know a little bit more.  We meet him second so we have more time but we don’t really have that luxury with Marcus (Death) and Jode (Conquest) which is a shame.  All for of them are damaged in one way or another and no more then Marcus.  He’s defensive from the beginning and considering how Gideon basically jumps him as a welcome it’s understandable but there is clearly more to his backstory that Rossi hints at but doesn’t really get into.  I can only hope we learn more in the sequel.  Gideon himself is not perfect, he clearly has anger issues. Daryn I want to learn more about.  She’s brave, smart and clever. As a seeker, her life is not her own.  She goes to where she is needed meaning that she avoids attachments which leads to a lonely existence.  That is why I was happy to find out that the sequel, Seeker, is going to be from her point of view.  Speaking of the sequel, I can’t wait for it to come out because there was one pretty big cliffhanger for one the characters that needs to be answered. Not to repeat myself but I really liked this book.  It was different and kinda strange but completely enjoyable.