Review: Refuge (Relentless #2) by Karen Lynch

Refuge

Author: Karen Lynch

Series: Relentless

Pages: 309

Publisher: Self

Release date: 9^th December 2014

Amazon – TBD

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

To keep the people she loved safe, Sara left everything she knew behind. She soon learns this new world is nothing like her old one, and she struggles to make a place for herself among the Mohiri. But it soon becomes apparent to Sara and to everyone one around her that she is not your typical warrior.

As the weeks pass, Sara builds new relationships, copes with her new trainers, and tries to manage her ever-changing powers, while keeping her unique heritage a secret. Looming in the background is the constant shadow of the Master who will do anything to find her.

Sara finds herself on a journey of self-discovery that uncovers her true strengths and awakens a part of her she never knew existed. She experiences the delight of new friendships, the sweetness and pain of first love, and a loss so deep it could be the thing that finally breaks her. At the end of it all, she discovers that the one place she was supposed to be safe might not be the refuge she thought it was.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

May contain spoilers from the first book.

Refuge is the second book in the Relentless series and follows on where the first book ended. With the first two books released this year and both with a five star rating for me, I am super excited to read the next book in the series, Rogue. 

After finishing Relentless, which was an impulse buy I instantly pre-ordered Refuge, a highly addictive, entertaining and thrilling sequel that had me frantically flipping the pages eager to know what would happen next, it didn't fail to disappoint.

Our MC is 17 year-old Sara, with a unique heritage she is only beginning to understand her capabilities but she quickly learns how different she is to the other Mohiri who she now reluctantly resides with. Sara is a strong, caring, determined character and the sort of friend everyone needs; she can be reckless but she is selfless and has a reason for each of her decisions.

I wanted more from the romance in the first book, there was certainly strong chemistry between Sara and Nikolas but he was broody, bossy and didn’t show any real emotion towards her but in this book their relationship was certainly kicked up a notch and I loved it! There were a few shock revelations I didn’t expect but enjoyed and I can’t wait to see what will happen between them. The slow to build development of romance has been utterly perfect for me.

Nikolas is a fabulous hero who leaves me swooning, I loved their page time – he is strong, loyal and worshipped by all the other Mohiri. He let down his guard a little more in this book and was the ideal partner for Sara.

All of the secondary characters play a pivotal role in the overall story, I adored Tristan, Desmund and especially Jordan who really surprised me, it’s great to see Roland and Peter make a strong presence and I was shocked and baffled by a certain persons betrayal.

Refuge is a compelling page-turner that leaves you on the edge of your seat anticipating the characters actions and reactions and more often than not guessing completely wrong about what they would be. There was a lot happening throughout the book but I felt the pacing was consistent and everything was balanced out well, the plot was action-packed and it was fascinating to see Sara learn more about who and what she is, her abilities and how she plans to avoid capture from the Master Vampire has certainly left me anxious about her next moves. I still at this point have no idea at which direction the story will go, the element of surprise and the unexpected twists and turns has made for a captivating, addictive read. I’m not completely sold on Sara’s decision at the end of the book so I’m more than eager to see how it all plays out.

Overall, I found myself really enjoying the characters, the vivid imagery and the story-line. Karen Lynch’s writing is brilliant, it was a gritty read filled with evil, intense action, romance and intrigue. I enjoyed the vampire and Mohiri background details; it all made for a riveting, enjoyable read.

About the author: Karen Lynch grew up in Newfoundland, Canada - a place rich in colorful people and folklore to which she attributes her love of the supernatural and her vivid imagination. She moved to Charlotte, North Carolina years ago and was immediately charmed by the southern people but she says she will always be a newfie.

Though she loves supernatural fiction, she has a soft spot for Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austin. She is a fan of classic rock, country and classical music but her favorite music is the sound of a good thunderstorm or a howling blizzard. Two of her favorite past times are baking artisan breads for her friends and spending quality time with her two German Shepherds.

A voracious reader, she fell in love with books and writing at an early age and it grew into a lifelong passion. Relentless is her first published work and she hopes it is the first of many.