carolesrandomlife

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

4 Stars!

I loved this book! I thought it was a lot of fun to read. I read simply because I want to be entertained and this book grabbed my attention right away and never let go. I am not sure why I tend to enjoy so many YA titles but it may have something to do with the fact that I spend more time with my 14 year old daughter and her friends than I do anyone else. I love discussing books with my daughter and her friends and I can't tell you how happy it makes me just knowing how much they love to read.

I was thrilled that this book didn't fall into the love triangle trap that seems to be a required element in this genre. This book was almost completely romance free but a little bit found its way into the book. To be more precise, a little bit of mutual attraction was part of the story and I fully expect that it will be explored further in future installments in this series. I really wish that the story had been kept romance free.

I was excited to jump into a new series. I liked the world building in this book and think that the world can be built upon as the series progresses. The magic along with the mob like family power hierarchy was interesting and unique. I have seen a lot of the elements that were used in this story but they were put together in a very interesting manner. I loved that monsters and superstitions were incorporated into the framework of the story.

Lila is an awesome character. She is tough, smart, and knows how to take care of herself. While she has survived by stealing, her behavior proves that she is really a good person. She isn't innocent and she is willing to do what needs to be done in order to stay alive even if that means she takes a life. Lila isn't easily pushed around and isn't intimidated by the people in the Family who hold the power. When she finds herself serving as Devon's bodyguard, she does the job well even though it was not a job that she wanted.

I liked the other characters in the story quite a bit. Devon was dreamy. Seriously, I might have a little bit of a crush on him. I really wish that he wasn't quite so perfect to be honest. He really was a genuinely nice guy in this story who doesn't take things for granted. Mo was interesting because I never knew who's best interest he was really looking out for. What can I say about Oscar except that I love him. I love a world that includes a redneck pixie that will do your chores.

The pacing of this book was perfect. There was a lot of action at various points in the book. I am really impressed by the world building in this story. I never felt like information was being dumped on me which often happens in the first book in a new series. The world building simply happened as the story progressed. There were a lot of characters in this story now that I think about it but they were introduced in a manner that kept the story interesting while defining their role in the overall story.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes YA urban fantasy. I have read and enjoyed other books by Jennifer Estep. I cannot wait to get my hands on this next book in this new series.

I received a copy of this book from Kensington - Teen via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.