Review: Captive (The Blackcoat Rebellion #2) by Aimee Carter

Captive

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: Blackcoat Rebellion

Pages: 299

Publisher/Source: Harlequin Teen Australia

Release date: 25^th November 2014

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers from the first book

Captive is the second book in the Blackcoat Rebellion series and begins where Pawn left off.

Everything was certainly kicked up a notch in Captive – the intense action, betrayals and surprise plot twists had my mind spinning but I loved each and every moment.

Kitty’s reckless behaviour drove me crazy in the first book and it is probably worse in Captive unfortunately but in saying this she is a generous character who thinks of others before herself, especially when it came to Benjy who I have come to really like but for the first part of the book I still felt he was a bit of a mystery and we didn’t know enough about him, I also still feel they are suited more as friends and even though Knox could be a complete ass and was extremely frustrating, I preferred him as the love interest for some silly reason.

As we know, in the first book Kitty had been masked to become Lila Hart and the decisions she has had to make in order to survive have been extremely difficult with a lot of sacrifices needing to be made. Her world is now more hostile than what we knew it in Pawn and as a result she ends up where she was most afraid of – Elsewhere, which was brutal. 

The plot is fast-paced with some wonderful action sequences, the villain is written to perfection and we are introduced to a wonderful secondary cast who each play a pivotal role in the overall story.

Captive started off slowly for me but it soon picked up and delivered action and surprising plot twists, leaving me flipping the pages wanting to know what would happen. The world-building is original but I still feel there are certain aspects which are lacking when it comes to the details of how it all came about, it was hinted at and unless I have missed something I felt it was lacking.

Overall, Captive delivered an action-packed thrill ride that I was almost unwilling to let go of when it ended. I can’t wait to read the final book in the series Queen which has an anticipated 2015 release date. 

Thank you to Harlequin Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Captive.

About the author: Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She is the author of several series, including The Goddess Test series, The Blackcoat Rebellion series, and the Simon Thorn series.

QUEEN (#3 of The Blackcoat Rebellion) will be released on November 24th, 2015.

SIMON THORN AND THE WOLF'S DEN (#1 of the Simon Thorn series, Bloomsbury) will be released February 2, 2016.

Review: Captive (Blackcoat Rebellion #2) by Aimee Carter

Captive

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: Blackcoat Rebellion

Pages: 304

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release date: 25^th November 2014

Amazon – TBD

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Captive is the second book in the Blackcoat Rebellion series and begins where Pawn left off.

Everything was certainly kicked up a notch in Captive – the intense action, betrayals and surprise plot twists had my mind spinning but I loved each and every moment.

Kitty’s reckless behaviour drove me crazy in the first book and it is probably worse in Captive unfortunately but in saying this she is a generous character who thinks of others before herself, especially when it came to Benjy who I have come to really like but for the first part of the book I still felt he was a bit of a mystery and we didn’t know enough about him, I also still feel they are suited more as friends and even though Knox could be a complete ass and was extremely frustrating, I preferred him as the love interest for some silly reason.

As we know, in the first book Kitty had been masked to become Lila Hart and the decisions she has had to make in order to survive have been extremely difficult with a lot of sacrifices needing to be made. Her world is now more hostile than what we knew it in Pawn and as a result she ends up where she was most afraid of – Elsewhere, which was brutal.  

The plot is fast-paced with some wonderful action sequences, the villain is written to perfection and we are introduced to a wonderful secondary cast who each play a pivotal role in the overall story. Captive started off slow for me but it soon picked up and delivered action and surprising plot twists, leaving me flipping the pages wanting to know what would happen. The world-building is original but I still feel there are certain aspects which are lacking when it comes to the details of how it all came about, it was hinted at and unless I have missed something I felt it was lacking.

Overall, Captive delivered an action-packed thrill ride that I was almost unwilling to let go of when it ended. I can’t wait to read the final book in the series Queen which has an anticipated 2015 release date.

Thank you to Harlequin Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Captive.

About the author: 

Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. Her first novel for young adults, THE GODDESS TEST, will be published by Harlequin Teen on April 19th, 2011. The sequel, GODDESS INTERRUPTED, will follow in January 2012.

Find her on Twitter at @aimee_carter.

ARC Review: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Pawn 

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion

Pages: 346

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian

Release date: 26th November 2013

Amazon

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Pawn is a book I have been anxious to read since I first glimpsed the interesting cover, which I love! And it was a nice start to Aimee Carter’s newest series, The Blackcoat Rebellion.

Aimee Carter’s formulaic society is one where couples can have no more than one child, if they do they are sent to group homes until they are tested for societal rank and placed in a suitable job. Rankings range from I through to VII, I’s and II’s are generally unheard of and sent to Elsewhere, III’s generally end up in a menial service role and V’s and up in office and government jobs.

Kitty Doe has taken the test and rated a low level III so she is to be sent off to work in the sewers but has a plan to make enough money to eventually escape with her boyfriend Benjy – but she ends up confronted by the most powerful man in the country with an offer to become someone else which turned her whole life upside down but she was also given the chance to leave her old life behind and live the life of luxury as a VII which is the most elite ranking available but it came with a cost – she was masked, surgically altered into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under questionable circumstances.

I came to like Kitty despite a few minor irritations; she was strong and knew what she wanted even if at times I didn’t agree with her actions you could understand why. Her devotion to Benjy was wonderful and even though I expected a love triangle with Knox, Lila’s fiancé I was relieved nothing eventuated.

The romance was definitely not at the forefront of the story and I would have liked to have learnt more about Benjy to see his appeal, what we do know is he is extremely self-sacrificing but I think I actually preferred Knox and with the ending we are given, I am keen to see how the romance plays out.

The premise is unique and the multi-layered plot was fast-paced and exciting as we see Kitty learning more about the rebellion that Lila had secretly promoted. The title is perfect and Kitty is definitely a pawn in a game between right and wrong; it is filled with power struggles, threats, conspiracies and a really messed up family which all made for an interesting read.

I enjoyed the secondary characters and the villains were perfectly evil – Daxon and Augusta were frightening and at times I didn’t know who could be trusted, everyone seemed to have their own agenda and I could never really get a feel for who was playing for good or bad.

There were a few minor things which grated on my nerves, (Possible spoilers - highlight to show) the beginning frustrated me with Kitty so will nilly giving away her virginity and not seeming to show any emotion with it, this was also the case when she woke after being surgically enhanced; I expected screaming, demands etc. but it didn’t come – she also came across as being naïve in certain situations when truths were sitting right in front of her, it caused unnecessary complications. Although it does have a similar feel to other dystopian novels, the concept is creative but I would have liked more background information on why things became the way they now were; I found this aspect to be lacking as well as more details about the Blackcoats and the rebellion.

Aimee Carter’s writing is engaging and despite having a few issues with Pawn, it was enjoyable none the less and I am eager to learn more about this dystopian world.

Overall, Pawn was an entertaining read but wasn’t flawless with its execution; there are many questions left unanswered so I hope we get follow-up in the sequel. Fast-paced and filled with political intrigue and conspiracies, this book will appeal to fans of captivating yet brutal dystopian worlds.

Thank-you kindly to Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review Pawn.

 

About the author: Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. Her first novel for young adults, THE GODDESS TEST, will be published by Harlequin Teen on April 19th, 2011. The sequel, GODDESS INTERRUPTED, will follow in January 2012.

Find her on Twitter at @aimee_carter.

Waiting on Wednesday - Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Hi everyone, thank-you so much for stopping by my WoW!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW for this week is Pawn by Aimee Carter which is the first book in her new series, The Blackcoat Rebellion, I love post-apocalyptic novels and this sounds fabulous!

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion

Pages: 304

Amazon pre-order

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release date: 26^th November 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. 

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Previously titled Masked.

What are most anticipating this week?

REVIEW: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

 

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: Goddess Test

Pages: 293

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Amazon: The Goddess Test

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

REVIEW: 3 out of 5 stars

I was initially drawn to The Goddess Test from the beautiful cover and wonderful synopsis and although I enjoyed this book there was unfortunately something missing from it for me to really be captivated by it.

Kate Winters mother is dying of cancer and her last wish is to move back to her childhood home in Eden, Michigan; Kate’s life revolves around her, keeping her comfortable and spending as much time with her as she possibly can; she literally has no life of her own besides attending the local school and having no interest in making friends until James and Ava come along.

Ava entices Kate to a supposed party where in fact it is a jealous prank which goes horribly wrong and ultimately leads to Ava’s death – when a dark and mysterious stranger, Henry comes along and offers Kate a deal, Ava’s life returned for six months of her living with him she willingly agrees although is confused by the terms of their bargain.

Henry a.k.a Hades, God of the Underworld has agreed to keep Kate’s mother alive for the duration of Kate’s stay which will allow her time to say a proper goodbye while she also completes and passes seven tests (based on the seven deadly sins) offering her the gift of immortality and to become his wife. Henry was an interesting character and although I found him a little strange at the beginning, I really liked him, he just wasn’t what I expected the God of the Underworld to be like.

I didn’t immediately warm to Kate, I can’t pinpoint exactly why – she was selfless, strong and kind and her dedication to her mother was wonderful but for some reason something was lacking for me and I didn’t really connect with her until the story had very well progressed. I felt she accepted everything all too willingly and without question or fear.

I liked the mythology – this story is a retelling of Hades & Persephone and reading about each of the Gods was intriguing. I liked Ms Carter’s modern twist.

The plot flowed well, we are given a few light twists and turns to keep us guessing, some things were predictable but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story.

I enjoyed Ms Carter’s writing and unique storytelling; I still have a number of unanswered questions which I am hoping will be answered in the sequel.

All in all, if you are after a read filled with betrayal, sacrifice, romance, mystery and intrigue then The Goddess Test is for you. The ending was certainly unexpected so I will definitely be reading the next book in the series Goddess Interrupted.