REVIEW: Carrier of the Mark (Carrier Trilogy #1) by Leigh Fallon

Author: Leigh Fallon

Series: Carrier Trilogy

Pages: 342

Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal

Publisher: HarperTeen

AMAZON: Carrier of the Mark

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs. 

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction. 

REVIEW: 3.5 out of 5 stars

**Contains possible spoilers**

Carrier of the Mark is the first book in the Carrier Trilogy by Leigh Fallon.

Since the death of her mother, Megan Rosenberg has moved numerous times with her father, never settling in the one place to form relationships or friendships, she is hoping their latest move to Kinsale, Ireland will be different and from her first day at school things appear to be looking up, she has made some close friends and has caught the eye of a gorgeous boy.

Adam DeRis comes across as arrogant, distant and rude to his fellow students but shows an interest in Megan, he is drawn to her and tries to keep his distance but things change when he saves her from a drowning incident and Megan begins to notice unusual things happening when he is around. She has piqued his interest and the feeling is mutual.

Adam had me curious initially, he is evasive, extremely good-looking and shrouded by secrecy, there are rumors and gossip around town about the DeRis family, but what Megan discovers about their abilities astounds her.

Adam, Rian and Aine DeRis are Carrier’s of a mark, each able to wield a power over an element (fire, earth, water) and have been protected by their Guardian Fionn and a secret society of sorts since birth. It is soon revealed that Megan too carries the same mark and possesses the power to control the element of air.

Megan embraces her power without hesitation and is ready and willing to fulfill her destiny but there is a greater force that is about to prove things aren’t going to go as smoothly as what could be expected. It took me a while to warm to Megan; I didn’t find her instantly likeable or interesting but as the story progressed so too did my opinion of her.

I found Carrier of the Mark a lot more interesting once the paranormal element was revealed and when more action came into play. I was eager to learn more as the story flowed and more was revealed.

Carrier of the Mark had an interesting cast of characters, Adam’s siblings certainly had me curious, and I especially felt sorry for Aine and the destiny she faced. The friends Megan made were also believable in their behaviors and mannerisms.

The instant attraction between Megan and Adam was undeniable but I wish their relationship could have been further developed without all the insta-love declarations; I enjoyed the initial mystery of it all but then all of a sudden they were inseparable; too much too soon for me. I do like the forbidden love aspect and am curious to see how it all pans out.

Whilst some of the story was predictable and clichéd, I still found myself fascinated by the easy flowing plot and the history and mythology of the Carriers and the powers behind the elements they wield.

The way in which the Carriers and Royal Bloods was explained was quite complex and I still haven’t quite grasped it fully; there was a lot of information to take in so I am hoping I get a better understanding from the sequel.

Ms Fallon’s writing was detailed and engaging and I enjoyed the beautiful setting of Ireland, you are taken in with the amazing location. The cover is also beautiful and what initially caught my attention.

All in all, a pleasurable read. I am keen to read the sequel Dawn of the Knights which has an anticipated 2012 release date.

Obtained: Amazon for kindle