**I received this as a Read2Review through one of my groups, so I would like to thank the author and moderators for this opportunity.**
I have not read the first book in this series prior to this R2R even though I tried to get a hold of a copy before starting this one. Would having read book 1 change my opinion of Ever Fire? I doubt it, but I feel that I should preface this review with this bit of information. This review might contain small spoilers.
I gave this book 2 stars, but in actuality I think it only deserves 1 1/2 stars and here's why....
I really struggled to get through this book. I don't particularly care for fae/fairy type books, I don't really know why they don't interest me, but I tend to gravitate toward other themes more regularly. The fae angle was not why I didn't like this book. The framework of this book seemed solid. It seemed the world created had elements interwoven into the story that would make for an entertaining, interesting read. The cast of characters appear to be unique and have stand-alone attributes. And, that right there are the only things I liked about this book.
The one predominant thought that comes to mind when I think about this book is hot-mess. I can't help it.
I could sit here and list out all the things that bugged me or straight pissed me off, but my number one is the way the story flowed (not sure if that is the technical term or not). It was as if this book was stuck at Warp Speed 10. Events, conversations, even relationships progressed at a staggering speed. I had to re-read a lot because I thought I had missed things. I felt like us as readers weren't given a full story, just highlights the way events were brought up and then resolved in the matter of a few sentences at times. For example, Shade finds out who her father is, what she is entitled to, and her future role in this upcoming war in the span of a few paragraphs. Ok, a little fast, but I can go with it. Another example: Shade hooks up with her Grandmother and gets the quick & dirty on her family's past along with her abilities while training to use them. This scenario is not new, many books have these "awakening" moments. What I didn't like is Lana agrees to teach her as well as train her, but then there are no scenes of the actual training. It skips ahead 6 weeks. I'm not OK with that. I like to see a character's evolution, especially if it pertains to a central theme of the series. Another one: Shade's rescue. The set up was good. I was really intrigued on how the outcome was going to be written. Well, I won't go and spoil it for those who haven't read this book, but boy was that anti-climatic.
The writing was not totally horrible. I guess I just wished that Purdy would have slowed down and invested more time in the resolution and everything that led the characters to the choices they made. The story arc wasn't too bad. The chain of events weren't boring and lead the story in an interesting direction. The character's dialogue and the vocabulary, slang more precisely, annoyed the hell out of me. I found myself constantly rolling my eyes. Editing didn't seem to be an issue and there were not info dumps every other paragraph, which I hate. I believe in a "show, don't tell" approach.
The characters, well, I didn't really connect with any of them. I have rarely read a book and not connected with at least one of characters, so this a first for me.
Shade, oh my, where do I begin?! She is probably the most unlikeable female main character I have ever read. She was a complete brat, really immature, excessively whiny, irrational, and kind of slutty. What is with these writers creating these female characters that bounce around from guy to guy. What kind of message is that sending? "I love Dylan." "I love Soap." "I'm hot for Ursad." Ahhhh...kill me now!
Dyan was the least hated character for me, but seriously, if I have read about one more "I love you but we can't be together, but I'm going to be a possessive, jealous jerk" love interest one more time I am going to claw my eyes out with a spork.
Soap....dude, you need to find and reattach your balls, asap.
This book was a total mess for me. The characters pissed me off, repeatedly. The story's progression was not organic or natural in any way. Like I said before, the foundation was sound, but everything else just left something to be desired. I will not check out the first book or any future installments of this series.