By: Colleen Houck
Published By: Delacorte Press
Release Date: Sept. 11, 2018
Series: None
Pages: 416
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA
Buy the Book: Amazon
Goodreads Summary: Welcome to a world where nightmarish creatures reign supreme.
Five hundred years ago, Jack made a deal with the devil. It’s difficult for him to remember much about his mortal days. So, he focuses on fulfilling his sentence as a Lantern—one of the watchmen who guard the portals to the Otherworld, a realm crawling with every nightmarish creature imaginable. Jack has spent centuries jumping from town to town, ensuring that nary a mortal—or not-so-mortal—soul slips past him. That is, until he meets beautiful Ember O’Dare.
Seventeen, stubborn, and a natural-born witch, Ember feels a strong pull to the Otherworld. Undeterred by Jack’s warnings, she crosses into the forbidden plane with the help of a mysterious and debonair vampire—and the chase through a dazzling, dangerous world is on. Jack must do everything in his power to get Ember back where she belongs before both the earthly and unearthly worlds descend into chaos.
First Thought After Finishing: What if the world really worked this way?
I’ve always loved stories about witches—my favorite book as a child was about a group of chimney witches. The cover of this book as well as the fact that it was about a witch made me excited to read this story.
Jack is a Lantern, sworn into service guarding portals to the Otherworld. No souls should slip through his crossroads—but he wasn’t expecting Ember. She’s a witch who feels a pull to the Otherworld, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get there. When a handsome yet mysterious vampire appears and offers her passage, she jumps at the chance. But Ember discovers that as appealing as the Otherworld may be, it holds just as many dangers. And Jack is not about to let Ember slip away from him again.
The world that Colleen Houck is built is fascinating. She pulls from various myths and legends to build a unique world that parallels our own. The various creatures that populate the Otherworld—as well as the mortal world—make me wonder if such things could really exist. In this book, it seems only normal that witches walk among us, that creatures could have guardians, and that all the creatures one only reads about could truly coexist somewhere. The steampunk elements were also quite interesting, making me think about our own technology in new ways.
This book has a bit of everything—a touch of mystery, a bit of adventure required to save the world, and of course a dash of romance. Ember is a headstrong young witch, rushing into action without thinking through the consequences. As for the male characters involved, they certainly have very different personalities, but each have appealing characteristics. Following their adventures through the Otherworld was mostly an interesting journey, though it did take a bit to get into the world, and I never felt quite as attached to the characters as I wanted to. But the beauty of this story is that it’s a standalone and a quick read, good for the beginning of fall or to get into the mood for Halloween.
Most Memorable Aspect: The unique world that could almost be an alternate reality.
New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she’s not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.
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Week One:
9/3/18 - Captivated Reading - Review
9/4/18 - Jrsbookreview - Review
9/5/18 - Two Chicks on Books - Excerpt
9/6/18 - YA Books Central - Interview
9/7/18 - Zach's YA Reviews - Review
Week Two:
9/10/18 - Such a Novel Idea - Review
9/11/18 - Lisa Loves Literature - Review
9/12/18 - Wishful Endings - Interview
9/13/18 - The Bookish Libra - Review
9/14/18 - Here's to Happy Endings - Review
Week Three:
9/17/18 - The Desert Bibliophile - Review
9/18/18 - Smada's Book Smack - Review
9/19/18 - Book-Keeping - Review
9/20/18 - A Dream Within a Dream - Review
9/21/18 - A Court of Coffee and Books - Review
Week Four: 9/24/18 - Do You Dog-Ear? - Review
9/25/18 - Savings in Seconds - Review 9/26/18 - Book Briefs - Review
9/27/18 - Pacific Northwest Bookworm - Review
9/28/18 - Portrait of a Book - Review
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