1.5/5

Once again, I have found myself in a position where I strongly dislike a book that most other people seem to love. I’m not too sure why this keeps happening, and I was really looking forward to reading The Edge of Everything because of the amazing things I had heard. In the end, I just had too many issues with the book to enjoy it. Of course, this is just my opinion, and you may enjoy this book much more than I did (like the majority of people!), so it is up to you to read a range of reviews and decide if you want to pick it up or not.

I’ll start with what I did like: I enjoyed the prologue, it got me interested in the rest of the story and made me (initially) want to read on to find out how the characters knew each other. I also loved the dogs, Spock and Uhura, because they were awesome and saved the life of one of the characters by keeping him warm in a blizzard. Another character I liked was Ripper; she was actually funny (a rare thing in this book) and was a no nonsense sort of person who did what she wanted when she wanted to, if that’s what she thought needed to be done.

Unfortunately, I had issues with pretty much everything else. Starting with the main character, Zoe. She just lacked personality. I knew nothing about her, other than she used to go caving with her father. And I couldn’t get over the fact that, while witnessing a crime/weird crazy magical event where her life was very much in danger, she paused to take a photo and then proceeded to actually upload it to Instagram. And then she was somehow surprised when this came back to bite her – I mean, really? Who does this? Is this what the author thinks of teenagers, that they’re so obsessed with social media than even when one is in the presence of a murderer, they would stop to take an Instagram photo?! I mean, maybe I could understand if she were well hidden and were trying to take pictures for evidence, but she took a photo of some tattoos she thought were pretty. I’m not even a teenager, and I found this incredibly insulting.

Next was X. X had a somewhat interesting backstory, and I felt there was real potential to develop his character. Unfortunately, he became victim to insta-love, and most of his point of view was him obsessing over Zoe. He had no other characteristics other than "love Zoe" so yeah, I didn’t like him. He claimed he loved her 33% of the way in. They had met a few days ago, and literally knew nothing about each other. Really. Zoe had no idea who he was, where he came from or what he had done in the past, and all X knew about Zoe was that he liked her “blurting” and her face. He didn’t know anything else about her life at all. I really struggled to believe their “love” for each other, and the actions this led them to take. Especially Zoe; she sided with X after knowing him a week, over <spoiler>her own father? I completely understood her father had abandoned her family and had done terrible things in his youth, and I get her being angry, but she was willing to let him die without even hearing an explanation. She’d rather her own father die than some guy she met five minutes ago</spoiler>. X himself also made some very questionable choices, and despite knowing I was supposed to sympathise with him and his "forbidden love" for Zoe, I never did. It was so strange the way he and Zoe came to all these decisions, and I just couldn’t understand it.

I also couldn’t believe Zoe’s mum, because she just let X into the house despite knowing he was involved in a crime, and then let her daughter frolic around with him when there was some clearly shady stuff going on. And the Q and A session about the Lowlands was laughable, because it answered nothing and would not have eased any of my concerns at all. Jonah was probably the most realistic character, because he did act like a child, though perhaps a child younger than his actual age.

Furthermore, there was zero world-building. Nothing made sense. We were told that X was from the “Lowlands”, and we got to visit there a few times, but nothing else was explained. Zoe and her mother had no idea what the “Lowlands” were, and yet somehow assumed you’d have to do bad things to get “sent” there. Why would they make that assumption? If the regular world didn’t know this place existed, how could they guess that? And I was so confused about what the Lowlands were. They were somehow in the core of the Earth? Where actually? A place in another dimension? Was it hell? Was there a magic system? What was the weird magic/back movie screen thing that X could do (seriously, what was that)? How did people survive there? How did it come to be in the first place? How did the governing system work? We were told about these “Lords” that made up rules and all these strange laws they had, but they didn’t seem at all consistent (the trial of X) and I had no idea why it all happened in the first place. And how did the regular world not know about the Lowlands? Why and how was it kept hidden? I wanted some sort of explanation, and none was given at all.

Plot-wise, it was all over the place. It went back and forth between X and Zoe, randomly focusing on different things each time, some of which were a little bit boring and seemed unnecessary. Everything was also very over the top, and overdramatic, which kept bringing me out of the story, and as a result, it was also easy to predict a lot of what was going to happen – because I knew it would be the most dramatic thing possible. I also struggled to grasp the relevance of the title to the actual story. I know this doesn’t really matter, but even metaphorically, it doesn’t seem to fit at all, and if I’m being honest, that bothered me. I like titles to match the books.

Overall, I really didn’t like this book. There were no redeeming qualities that I could say made it worth reading. I do seem to be in the minority, so would once again advise you to read more reviews, and make your own mind up. However, speaking honestly, I would not recommend this book.

(Published on my blog Bookish at Heart on Friday 3 February 2017)

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles

Release Date: 9 February 2017 (UK) by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Series: Untitled (#1)

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Goodreads | Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads: It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father’s shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods–only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and other like him. Forbidden to reveal himself to anyone other than his victims, X casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As X and Zoe learn more about their different worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. But escaping the Lowlands and the ties that bind X might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them.

Disclaimer: I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not in any way influence my views on the book.

Review: Well The Edge of Everything surpassed my expectations! And that was partly to do with the fact that I’m an idiot and, having read the Netgalley blurb, thought this was a contemporary (realistic) romance?? I did not clock at all that this was a fantasy until quite a few pages in… But when I did, an already promising start just improved 10x over. The story itself is an intriguing one, not much good comes from having a boyfriend literally from hell it turns out (!) It took a while for me to get the gist of the Lowlands but when I did I was totally immersed in the star-crossed lovers’ fate and the thrilling ride that Zoe and X embarked on to save themselves and stay together.

"A frantic beetle was flitting back and forth between the panes of glass, trapped forever with the wide world in full view. X knew what it felt like to be that bug."

The Edge of Everything is one of those rare books where I could forgive the instalove and actually get behind it! Jeff Giles has crafted the characters in such a way and with so much depth that it’s almost inevitable that they would be attracted to each other and you cheer them on because they complement each other really well. I loved that Zoe is the badass, fierce and bold one in the pairing whilst X is very much the shy, naive but hopelessly in love one. I loved that the sweetest stuff between them was often unsaid/thoughts or physical gestures.

I really warmed to Zoe – she’s dealing with some pretty horrific stuff but manages to stay strong throughout. She’s by no means perfect, and I liked that we saw this part of her. At times she’s pretty mean to her little brother but it is the way she loves fiercely and loyally whether it is her family or her friend Val that really shines through. X on the other hand is less snarky but so resilient considering how he has grown up and what he is expected to do. The fact that X is able to hold on to his ‘humanity’ having never experienced it is such a beautiful thing. Reading about their first meeting and what follows, the sweet moments and the heart wrenching really swept me up and just totally immersed me in their story.

"He realised now that he didn’t know very many stories – and certainly no pleasant ones. So he told her their story. He began with her knocking him down on the ice."

I also loved how the other characters all had their own stories and personalities – whether it was Regent, Banger and Ripper in the Lowlands or Jonah, Val and Dallas (loved the dialogue between him and Zoe!) in Montana. The female characters were very badass and inspirational – with brilliantly sharp tongues! The sibling relationship between Zoe and Jonah was also interesting, especially how far she was willing to go for him, and I liked how her protectiveness brushed off on X too. In that sense, I’m really glad this is the first in a series, because I seriously need more page time for these secondary characters!

The world building was top notch and Giles writes beautifully. The Lowlands was fascinating and I liked how some of it is recognisable and other bits totally original. Again, this book set us up with lots of questions about how the Lowlands works and I’m looking forward to discovering more in the next installment. This is the second book I’ve read in so many months where it’s set in a snowy location. Zoe’s Montana was beautifully described and the bits on caving which I’d probably usually find rather dull actually had me vividly imagining (and later googling!) chandelier-esque rock formations. The story weaves together a good mix of fantasy elements and romance and moved along at a thrilling pace.

"The light, meanwhile, was dying fast. The coffin lid over Montana was getting ready to shut."

One of the things that really stuck out to me about The Edge of Everything was how Giles dealt with ‘big’ issues like morality, grief, and the afterlife but did it in a non-claustrophobic or preachy way. I found it really interesting to see how the characters dealt with different, and often uncomfortable, feelings like remorse and mercy and it was actually quite emotionally stirring. I liked that Giles does not shy away from the worst base instincts of humanity but doesn’t glorify them either – if anything he highlights the ambiguity inherent in things like morality and that was a fascinating thing to see in YA.

The Edge of Everything is out on 9 February in the UK – it is a stunning debut, so make sure to grab yourself a copy. I am already eagerly awaiting the sequel which sadly (and worryingly!) isn’t even up on Goodreads yet (don’t leave me hanging Mr Jeff Giles!!!)

'The edge of everything' boasts a unique concept, sense of humour and a freaking adorable romance! The first few chapters will keep you on the edge of your seat and from then on in you'll be unable to leave this book alone. All of the relationships in the book felt authentic and endearing (particularly Zoe & Jonah). I will definitely be recommending this book to my circle of bookish friends!

First things first: we need to talk about the romance. The insta-love was strong in this one! This love goes to hell (or at least a part of it) and back. Literally.

The Edge of Everything has a very strange but alluring premise. Zoe's father recently died in a caving accident but his body was never recovered by authorities. Basically, they left his body in the cave. This is very sad and strange. Then some time later, Zoe and her younger brother are attacked by a seemingly random man. This is also very weird and scary. And then this magical "hero" of sorts just shows up to collect a damned soul while saving their lives in the process. It all sounds romantic, right? This book seems like it will be action-packed and intense but it's really just a very "I-love-you-but-I-can't-be-with-you" type of love story. There's not a lot of kissing or anything like that, but there are a lot of proclamations of love. I truly don't understand how you can love someone after only knowing them for one day, but I digress. This is a YA fantasy novel and I've learned to stop questioning these things.

So, yeah, instead of the wraths of hell... we only feel the heat of this forbidden romance. I'm not complaining though. I actually really enjoyed it! It also really helps that our protagonist isn't annoying and that her love interest has a very interesting backstory. They're both very earnest in their feelings so it doesn't feel overly-dramatic.

The setting is interesting enough. We spend a bit of time in the Lowlands, which I honestly just imagine as a moldy prison, so I wish there was a little more worldbuilding in that respect. If there is to be a sequel, I'd really love it if the majority of the novel took play in the underworld. It'd be so much cooler!

In conclusion, this really was a unique story compared to what I typically expect from YA fantasy and I really think others will enjoy it. Also, fingers crossed for a sequel! You can't end a story like that.

I really enjoyed this book. At first I wasn’t sure of it, but the further in I went, the better it got! Jonah is a little sweetie pie, Zoe was a little bit of a mary-sue, but that’s easy to overlook, my heart broken numerous times for X. I even liked most of the supporting characters, Val, Dallas, Ripper and Banger, just to name a few. I did NOT like her mother though, there were many times I wanted to tell her to shut up.

The plot of the story is fairly unique, and having heard numerous conspiracies about Middle Earth, I was highly amused by the whole Inner world- Outer world thing.

This book has a fair few nerdy references, and as many of you guys know, I live for them in books. My favourite had to be Spock and Uhara.

I WILL be getting this in physical form sometime in the future.
I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

Best-YA-debut-alert! Remember my words, because since the very first moment I saw this book on Netgalley I knew it was destined for success. I don’t have a crystal ball, and honestly, it’s not like I can always trust my gut. But sometimes this feeling is just spot on and yes, I feel kind of witchy. Just for the record, I was approved for this ARC on August 2016 and I have been anticipating this read since then but saving it for a date closer to release.

Well, trust me on this one and keep this book on your radar.

The Edge of Everything is a nice fantasy/contemporary blend with a male-MC coming from the Lowlands to hunt for evil souls and a 17 year old female-MC that ends up being saved by this bounty hunter. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. Everything about it got me engaged from top to bottom and start to end. I must admit that I have been drifting away from the YA-Fantasy genre, with a few exceptions, but this book reminded me how good YA-Fantasy really feels.

This book has a bit of everything: from my point of view, it will be enjoyed by hardcore fantasy readers but it can also be loved by contemporary readers that don’t usually venture into the Fantasy lands. For the ones on my team, that need romance to be hooked, well just our luck! This book has a strong love storyline, which I obviously loved.

Ironically, my only complain or reason why this is not a 5 stars read is the love story. Romance usually wakes up the shipper in me, you know that. I need very little to ship any OTP I encounter. However, in this case, I felt something was missing. So, X and Zoe’s love might be categorized as instalove, but it’s actually one of those “chosen“/”meant to be” kinds of love. On top of that it’s a Forbidden romance, so the author is playing with fire here. You know from the beginning that there’s a special connection between them. But authors must be very careful of this, instalove can be easy to handle… we’ve seen it plenty of times. But destined + instalove + forbidden in YA? Dude, that better be done well. Otherwise it feels like too much or too less. In my case, it was a bit too less. I wish the author would have given Zoe and X more chemistry, more magnetism and many more scenes together to build that connection.

In despite of that tiny complain, WOW. I seriously, seriously loved this book. The writing style was superb really, I was taken from a blizzard to the Lowlands in the blink of an eye. The world building was absolutely compelling, it had the perfect amount of dark and right quantity of fantasy. The Edge of Everything is also the perfect read for winter, as you will only want to hide under a blanket with a hot tea and read about snow blizzards. Don’t believe me?

It definitely is a very good first instalment of a series, and even a better debut. The Edge of Everything left me wanting more and the wait is going to be hard.

I didn't know much about this book when I started it and I found it electrifying from the beginning! One of the best things about this was that there were high stakes and a lot of conflict from the outset.

I also found the concept of the book unique. I enjoyed the opportunity to explore X's life in the Lowlands and the moral battles he faced. This book went into some very dark places and tackled difficult issues really well.

Zoe is one of my favourite characters that I've encountered for a long time! I loved her relationship with her friends and found her to be a very complex, well-developed character. The teen voices came across as authentic (and were often very funny!)

I really liked the balance of action and romance in this book and the climax at the end was excruciating (in a good way.)

Apart from a couple of plot points that rubbed me up the wrong way, I thought this was a fantastic book and I really hope there's a sequel!

I drafted a summary but honestly the synopsis above probably covers it best so go read that!

Done? Ok, so Zoe, her Mum and her 8 year old brother Jonah are struggling to cope with Zoe’s father’s sudden death. It’s them against the world!

I actually really liked the relationship between Zoe and Jonah. We get an insight into the grief of not just a 17 year old, but also an 8 year old boy with ADHD. This part of the book, I liked.

I also really liked the concepts in this book. Without saying too much, I enjoyed the detail of the Lowlands, the idea of bounty hunters and this darker side of the book.

However, I really struggled with the romance element. I’ll try to explain why!

The opening of this book is dark, action-packed and I fully expected to enjoy a thrilling read. Then comes the relationship between X and Zoe. Wow, I struggled with this. It was all so ‘instant’. I felt that not only this relationship, but X’s one with Jonah, just lacked detail. I found it unbelievable and unsubstantive. It bothered me the entire way through the book.

I also took issue with the fact that this thrilling, dark opening suddenly changed and lost pace. There was a lull in the middle of the book where I had to force myself to keep reading. That said, the pace picked up again towards the end and it became more of the thrilling read the opening pages promised.

There were parts I really enjoyed: the concepts, the darkness, the explorations of grief, the twist! But I just couldn’t get beyond the romance that we were just supposed to accept, with little foundation. It grated on me the whole way through and ultimately affected my enjoyment of this novel.

Absolutely brilliant take on the idea of Hell and its residents.
The setting is bleak and cold but our heroine's family is warm and loving, having suffered a terrible trauma. I absolutely adored her little brother and the author was not shy about giving his characters flaws. It did not make you love them any less, it just merely enhanced their humanity.
The romance was gentle and innocent, yet heart-wrenchingly brief in contact time. I cannot wait to read the next book.
I will warn you that there is caving and, as a sufferer of claustrophobia, I was nervous about reading the scenes dealing with caving and I was right. They were nerve-wracking, but done quite wonderfully. My fingers were frozen from start to finish.

What I Thought:

It's been a long time since I've read much YA, and I've never really been much of a fantasy reader but this year I've been planning to read more outside of my usual safe zone. I saw this mentioned in EW's most anticipated YA books of 2017, read a bit more about it and it soon landed on my TBR list. I was both excited and nervous when Bloomsbury approved my request on Netgalley. Fortunately The Edge of Everything didn't disappoint and was a fantastic first foray back into the world of YA.

The Edge of Everything centres around Zoe and a bounty hunter with no name that she calls X. Zoe is a regular high school junior, a feisty 17-year-old who is still coming to terms with the death of her father less than a year previously. X has never known anything other than his life in the Lowlands, only venturing about ground under instructions to capture a soul and return with it, he's never even been given a name.

Within the first few chapters I really connected with Jeff Giles's characters. To say the opening is pretty full on would be an understatement. Zoe is a really likeable character, and I challenge anybody not to fall for Jonah, Zoe's 8-year-old brother. Jonah has ADHD, and like is sister is struggling to come to terms with his father's death. Jonah is often accompanied by their two black labs Uhura and Spock (lovely characters themselves). The sibling relationship between Zoe and Jonah is beautiful to read. X has a wonderful innocence about him, despite all he has seen during his time as a bounty hunter, the sins of the souls he is sent to capture. There are a variety of other characters introduced through the book: Zoe's support network in her mum and her two friends Val and Dallas; X's fellow bounty hunters, Ripper and Banger, and the Lords, those that rule over the bounty hunters in the Lowlands.
There wasn't really a character I didn't enjoy in The Edge of Everything. I'm not saying I liked all the characters, there's one I'm quite convinced not even his own mother could love, but there wasn't one I felt was a waste of pages or that I wanted to skip past when I got to a section they featured in. I felt they all added something to the story. As I mentioned I challenge anyone not to like Jonah, I also really adored the character of Ripper, The Edge of Everything explores a little of her back story and her relationship with X, so I won't spoil it by going into detail. That said I would have happily had even more of her in the story.

I enjoyed the relationship between Zoe and X, Zoe has clearly had a difficult year with the death of her father, and X has never known love. The attraction between the two was instantaneous, and while the relationship was still new it was clear that there was a real connection between the two. I was desperate to know if they could make it work, if X would be able to escape the Lowlands or if he was destined to return there. It kept me turning pages long after I should have gone to sleep and then as soon as I woke up in the morning.
The book had a solid ending but certainly left me wanting more. Fortunately The Edge of Everything is the beginning of a series, I just hope I won't be kept waiting too long to find out what's next for Zoe and X. I'm also hoping that we'll see the return of much of the supporting cast, especially Ripper. If one day Jeff Giles was to write a prequel around Ripper and X's past I would be the first in line to buy it.

Would I Recommend it?

Absolutely. The Edge of Everything was a great read that I only put down because I started reading late at night and literally couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Jeff Giles has created 2 fantastic characters in Zoe and X and a wonderful cast of supporting figures. He's also done a wonderful job of inserting humour amongst what is at times a dark read. If this is what he can produce in a debut novel I can't wait for book 2.

Review is scheduled to be posted to the below blog on the 7th February, and will be added to Goodreads the same day

Review can be found on Goodreads and on my blog as well!!.

NetGalley was kind enough to let me receive an electronic copy of Jeff Giles' upcoming book; The Edge of Everything.
Thank you for letting me read the ARC version of the book. It definitely was a rollercoaster of emotions and adventure :) .

The book is divided between two PoV's, out two main protagonist in the story. Zoe and X. Zoe is a 17 year old girl, who just lost her father in a caving accident in Montana.
X is a bounty hunter spent from hell to collect souls who sinned and done terrible things.
One faithful night Zoe and X meets when someone shows up from Zoe's father's past and attack Zoe and her little brother Jonah in the woods. Afterall, X was sent to retrieve that very soul who attacked them.
We see snippets from both world so we can follow what is happening with our beloved characters. We can see the Lowlands from X's PoV and our land from Zoe's.
X and Zoe meant to be together but how can they be together when there is not one but two worlds that separates them.
One last mission. One last name. One last kill. Will X be able to do it? Will Zoe let him do it?

The Edge of Everything really is not our typical fantasy series. It was fresh it was new and it was unique. I did really enjoy the story development it was thought through, it was planned and all the effort building the story was shown in the details and how good it was.
The writing style of the Author was really enjoyable as well. Easy to read and understand, however, at places I had to double check what was going on - due to sometimes being hard to follow what was happening.

I especially loved the side characters, from Zoe's mother to Jonha, to Ripper to everyone it was so well done. In many fantasy books it is only the main character that worked out well and is relatable, but not in The Edge of Everything. I could relate and feel for Ripper so badly and I just loved her character.

So why is this book not a 4-5 star?
I found that at the beginning it was quite confusing and hard to distinguish who is who. It was a bit off putting. I did not really get into the book thill chapter 3-4 where I found it really hard to separate myself from the book.
Another thing, I did not particularly enjoyed that the book was quite predictable. For me I had a gut feeling if you like about the ending of the book and what the main protagonist will have to do in order to be "free".
Lastly, I found it quite frustrating how the book ended. One minute there was all excitement, shouting, adrenaline, fighting and in the next one moment it was all done. It feels like there was no proper conclusion, ending.
"If I do not return, it is only because not one but two worlds conspired to stop me."

When I picked up this arc last year (thank you NetGalley) I thought it was going to be a typical YA read. It was not. Well. Okay, maybe a little bit in the sense that it has a lot of typical YA elements (missing father, family drama, fantasy power shit, instalove, handsome stranger, quirky friend) but it didn’t feel typical. It felt new and wonderful and I loved everything about it.

So here's whats up. Our heroine Zoe, who is trying to come to terms with her fathers death, gets stuck one night with her younger brother in a blizzard AND ALL THE SHIT HAPPENS. Someone is trying to kill them and a mysterious (handsome) stranger appears and saves them. And then it all begins.

This book just has so much. It was constantly exciting and suspenseful - truly a page turner, and it was so romantic and heartbreaking. The writing was beautiful and emotional, and the story was compelling. Basically all the things.

I don't want to get into the fantasy elements to much since it was wonderful to discover along the way, but it was very original and imaginative, I haven't read anything quite like it. I really liked that it was full of horrors and darkness, and I thought that Giles did a perfect job of keeping it just the right amount of raw and gritty.

Our heroine Zoe was kick ass, independent, funny and strong - just like a female lead should be. And Zoe and the mysterious X together was magic. MAGIC. The had such chemistry - I have rarely seen anything like it on page before.

So yeah. This book was great and I want more. Like now. Yesterday.

Zoe is in grieving from her father's death in a caving accident and the murders of her neighbours. Then a snowstorm hits and Zoe finds herself and her brother in danger only for a mysterious bounty hunter to rescue them. Zoe calls him X and there is more to him than there seems.
X is from the Lowlands, a hellish place where X is imprisoned until he is needed to hunt someone down and return with their soul.
Can X escape the Lowlands?
Do Zoe and X have a future together?

This book was not what I expected. At all. The blurb intrigued me but as I continued reading I found myself liking The Edge of Everything less and less.
What I liked:
Hmm... the cover.
The premise - the idea of the Lowlands was interesting.
That's it really.
What I didn't like:
The writing style - it didn't engage me and it felt awkward at times.
The characters - none of them interested me and I didn't connect with them.
The plot - failed to hold my attention and I found myself skim reading.
The romance - instalove and Zoe immediately began calling X her boyfriend. Ugh.

Overall unfortunately this wasn't for me.

The Edge of Everything – Jeff Giles.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father’s shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods–only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. Forbidden to reveal himself to anyone other than his victims, X casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As X and Zoe learn more about their different worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. But escaping the Lowlands and the ties that bind X might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them.

Ok, so, my last blog post was a moan about how I didn’t think I could get through this book. It ended in me throwing my Kindle aside for around two months. I picked it up yesterday… What was I thinking?! Why, oh why, could I not get into this book before… because this time I just couldn’t put it down!

If you want a book that has everything from murder, romance, quests, friendship, family ties, darkness, the list goes on and on, then this is the one. It actually covers so much that it was impossible to grow bored. The main character, Zoe, was your typical teenager, sarcastic at times but quick to declare her emotion. For this reason, the younger audience would probably find her pretty interesting and may be able to relate to her, thus resulting in them finding this an enjoyable read. X, the superpower-ed bounty hunter from the Lowlands also captured my attention. His determination to do what was right for Zoe even if that meant he would never be free was heartwarming and made me really root for them as a couple.

Overall, I liked the pace of this book. I wasn’t ever bored, I managed to get through it pretty quickly, and it was an easy read. I didn’t have to think too much to understand the plot which made the perfect after Christmas mayhem book.

★★★★