Back in July, I read and adored Sarah Fine's The Serpent. After enjoying that first book, you bet I was excited to pick up The Guardian. The Guardian turned out to be a solid sequel that managed to surprise me on more than one occasion. Don't you just love when a book can do that?

Ernie, as in the previous book, continued to be a delight in The Guardian. She is becoming more and more comfortable with her magical deck of cards and is learning more about herself daily. However, she is still a young dealer, so when a mistake propels her into another realm, it's up to her to figure out how to find her father and get back home. I was really happy to be reunited with Ernie. She was a brilliant and endearing character, who I quickly grew to love in the first book. In The Guardian, she continued to grow and mature, becoming more comfortable with her newfound abilities. Ernie was someone who loved and cared for people deeply and we get to see those personality traits of hers especially emphasized in this book. She went through a lot in The Serpent, but it's nothing compared to what she had to go through in The Guardian. Yet, Ernie remained true to herself and evolved into a braver, more fearless and more capable version of the Ernie we met in the first book. Gabe, the dealer who helped her out in the first book, was also back in this book. At first, I was a bit annoyed at him for disappearing from Ernie's life with no contact, but he was going through his own obstacles, and I understood where he was coming from. Though Gabe didn't appear as often as I would have liked in this sequel, whenever he was around, he continued to remain a faithful and invaluable partner to Ernie. Their romantic attraction to each other continued to flourish and though there were moments of uncertainty, I think it's safe to say that these two make for a powerful couple.

The plot here was even more engaging than in the first book and I enjoyed the heck out of that first book! Sarah Fine continues to amaze me with these bold and creative worlds that she creates. She truly is one of the most imaginative authors out there for me. The whole other realm that Ernie was sucked into was quite fascinating with the giant grasshoppers terrorizing the folks of the village. Ernie also meets a new friend who was as intriguing as the main cast to me. The whole book had a bit of an adventurous vibe to it with Ernie navigating this new dimension and trying to figure out what happened to her father. We also learn more about Ernie's father, the magical decks and the Forger, the one who created the decks for his own entertainment. I also enjoyed reading more of the other dealers and their morphing relationships with each other - their dynamics are just so much fun. I have to say, Sarah Fine completely stunned me with the ending of The Guardian. It wasn't an ending I ever saw coming and I'm excited to see the repercussions that finale will have on the characters and the world in the future. Ernie and her friends have a long and arduous battle ahead for sure!

As a sequel, The Guardian was impeccable. If you're looking for a fresh and fun UF series, The Immortal Dealers series is a must-read.

Fantastic follow up to one of my favorite books this year. Ernie is back as a “baby Dealer”, only this time she has been thrust into a different dimension to fend for herself. Luckily, she is rescued by a gentleman names Kot, who has been made a Dealer by force. Ernie is finally able to find out what happened to her father in this dimension. This book has Ernie stumbling around a little bit more that I would like, and the outcome was a disappointing surprise. Since I am sure there are other books to be written, I am anxious to find where the story goes from here. A good read which went quickly because the story was so engrossing. I look forward to the next book.
4.5 stars

I really liked this book. Such an extraordinary idea that Dealers, with spirit animals living on their arms to assist them, carry cards with words that are used alone or in different combinations to create magic powers that help them fight for good or evil. The fate of the dealer comes down to their skill in dealing their cards. Ernie has recently become the Diamondback snake dealer and is still just getting used to using her deck. She struggles to help maintain the balance of good against evil in her world. Their leader, the Forger, assigns tasks to the dealers to create chaos and he creates objects that pits them against each other to create more chaos. All are trying to hold on to their own power and alliances are forming. Ernie's dad was a dealer but he left 20 years ago and no one has seen him since. A power hungry dealer attacks Ernie's friend/lover and as she is helping him fight, Ernie is sent to and trapped in another dimension. She has to try and find her way back to her home dimension before she forgets who she is and loses her powers. In her journey, she must discover her father's secrets if she is to return and help her allies. This is the second book in the The Immortal Dealers series. I had not read the first book so it took me a while to understand the world building and magical adventures but I do think this worked well as a stand alone. It is such a creative idea for a series that I will go back and read the first book and will continue reading the series when future books are released. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received a free copy of The Guardian (The Immortal Dealers Series, Book 2) by Sarah Fine in exchange for an honest review. I did not read the first book, but I had no problem following the concept and the storyline of this book. If you are looking for a grade school book report in my review, you will be disappointed.

The Guardian appears to be an innovative series premise; a little reminiscent of green lantern with the powers of immortal dealers somewhat limited by their imagination. At times when I was afraid it was getting a little formulaic Ms. Fine surprised me, especially at the end. The overall theme I picked up through the book which I assume will be in the subsequent books of this series is to get over your apathy and do something good. A good mantra for everyone. The lead character, "Ernie", is an energetic woman who can't give up on people or good causes and is shaking up the immortal dealers who have become disengaged with humans and the world.

I read this second book straight after book 1 and I was so pleased I did, it was easy to follow and the story continued at a good pace with a further insight into some of the other card dealers. I look forward to reading number 3!
I like how Ernie is changing the way the dealers interact and behave with each other and forming bonds not just favours.

I had just read an urban fantasy book which was spectacular; unfortunately, this book has characters that I could not care about or like and a story line that if you weren't a Dungeons and Dragons player couldn't relate to. It made no sense to me and I found myself skipping through the second half of it. Not a book I would recommend. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

As an Immortal Dealer, Ernestine Terrwilliger (Ernie), has the Diamondback deck. A tattoo "familiar" helps her and can emerge from her arm and manifest. Pulled into an alternate realm by Virginia, she searches for her father while she tries to return to the earth realm. Very innovative magic. Dealing the cards to create magic. Shield, food, attack, lift trucks, manifest clothes and vehicles. The authors imagination is all encompassing. Storyline is top notch, and makes this a cannot put down book. Romance is intertwined in this thriller with Gabe and Ernie. Side characters and their decks are fascinating in their own right. 2nd book in the series, not a standalone. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

I received a free copy of The Guardian (The Immortal Dealers Series, Book 2) by Sarah Fine in exchange for an honest review. I did not read the first book, but I had no problem following the concept and the storyline of this book. I liked this novel enough to purchase and read the first, The Serpent. I would suggest reading The Serpent before this one because The Guardian, as the second book, has some major spoilers.

Ernestine “Ernie” Terwilliger has a powerful, magical deck of cards that allows her to perform fantastic feats such as shapeshifting and teleporting. However, as a condition of being a Dealer, she serves a chaotic being who has little care or compassion for those in his service. Ernie has taken care of her mother since her father left. Though she has learned more about her father, she still doesn’t know what happened to him. In this book, Ernie finds out what happened to her father and gets the gang back together to deal with other problems. By the end of the book some things have changed for the better.

#TheGuardian #NetGalley

Though I love Sarah Fine's work, this was not one of my favorites. It was slow going for me while in the splinter dimension. I was really looking forward to more of Ernie and Gabe, and it just wasn't there. The splinter dimension half of the book really didn't seem to advance the story much for me. Maybe that part will have more of an impact in the next book? I don't know. I did love the second half of the book and couldn't put it down. I am anxious to see where the next book goes from here.