Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters #1) by Jessica Shirvington

 

Summary:

 

It starts with a whisper: "It's time for you to know who you are..."

On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.
LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori--part human, part angel--and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles.
PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.
Two sides: Angel or Exile.
Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.
The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 369 pages (Hardcover)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Publication Date: March 6th 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire     

 

I admit it. When I first picked this book up I was expecting it to be another Twilight rip off (which I liked back in the day) but I was thinking it wouldn't be very good. Much to my surprise it was excellent!

 

I've noticed over the last few years or so that there has been a wonderful influx of Australian authors that are taking the lead in the market for their novels especially young adult authors and it seems as those this author is no exception. She's great!

 

I really enjoyed this virst book in the Violet Eden series. I thought that the main character Eden was very refreshing. She wasn't a push over like a lot of the other teenage girl heroines are in other novels. She had backbone, and a kick ass atittude though she did have a couple bouts of whining but whatever she's a teenager it just made her more "real" because she wasn't written with over the top reactions at all. Hallelujah!

 

I thought the whole Grigori thing was really interesting the fact that on her 16th birthday Violet finds out that she's not exactly entirely human. In fact she is half angel and half human making her part of the society of Grigori just like her love interest Lincoln who is her partner.

 

Unfortunately, Violet doesn't react to the wole situation as well as Lincoln would have liked and she ends up with Phoenix who needless to say is not on friendly terms with any of the Grigori except the undecided Violet. Basically there's a whole love triangle thing going on that results in Lincoln getting hurt and Phoenix and Violet getting freaking on a mountain hourse before Violet jumps off the side of a mountain to "Embrace" he Grigori side.

 

So yeah I suppose that in some ways this book was similar to Twilight because there are some recognizable themes and situations. However, I must say that this book is very much it's own novel. There was a lot of action in the novel to balance out the whole romance element so at least there was an equilibrium which was very much needed. I also liked that the characters acted their ages and the dialogue flowed naturally. There was no awkwardness to it and that's something I think everyone can appreciate because not much kills a book more than horrible written dialogue.

 

In the end I thought that Embrace was a compelling read. I think I finished it in 2 nights or something like that and I'm really excited to read the second book in the series Entice. Since the last book finished I've been really curious to see how the next plays out because I'm really interested to see how things play out with the whole love triangle/Grigori situations play out.

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who love urban fantasy young adult novels that have a new and refreshing spin to the whole Angels mythos. It's really well written and I think it's a treat for anyone who is the fan of the genre.

 

Really Liked It!
★ ★ ★★

 

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