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Svatura #2
Hyacinth
Librarian Note: Older cover of B00BK9TMCC.
Selene sacrificed everything when she took her brother’s place as ruler of the Vyusher, including her secret love for her one-time adversary Griffin Aubrey. When nightmares that are just a little too real start, Selene fears she’s turned into a cold-blooded killer…the monster that Griffin thinks she is.
Griffin and Ellie Aubrey are finally safe for the first time in over a hundred years. But when an unknown menace drives Selene to leave her family and ask for help, Griffin must decide. Can he move past his hatred of everything she is? Or will the bond that could bring them both the greatest joy now be the source of their deepest despair?
The threat of the danger stalking Selene in her dreams might be too much even for this powerful group. And Griffin doesn’t want to easily forgive the woman he blames for killing his family…
Selene sacrificed everything when she took her brother’s place as ruler of the Vyusher, including her secret love for her one-time adversary Griffin Aubrey. When nightmares that are just a little too real start, Selene fears she’s turned into a cold-blooded killer…the monster that Griffin thinks she is.
Griffin and Ellie Aubrey are finally safe for the first time in over a hundred years. But when an unknown menace drives Selene to leave her family and ask for help, Griffin must decide. Can he move past his hatred of everything she is? Or will the bond that could bring them both the greatest joy now be the source of their deepest despair?
The threat of the danger stalking Selene in her dreams might be too much even for this powerful group. And Griffin doesn’t want to easily forgive the woman he blames for killing his family…
200 pages, ebook
First published February 23, 2013
9 people are currently reading
466 people want to read
About the author
Abigail Owen
51 books4,807 followersAbigail Owen is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and International bestselling author of 30+ books that range from upper YA (18+) epic romantasy to new adult modern mythic romantasy to super spicy adult paranormal romance. She loves magical worlds with plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs!
Abbie has a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) from Texas A&M University (gig’em Ags!), and an MBA from California State University-Sacramento. Prior to becoming a published author, she spent 15+ years using the other side of her brain in various tech- and business-related roles.
Other titles include: wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, AuDHD, spreadsheet lover, Jeopardy! fanatic, organizational guru, true classic movie buff, linguaphile, wishful world traveler, and chocoholic.
Abbie currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their (mostly) angelic teenagers, and an adorable fur baby.
Abbie has a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) from Texas A&M University (gig’em Ags!), and an MBA from California State University-Sacramento. Prior to becoming a published author, she spent 15+ years using the other side of her brain in various tech- and business-related roles.
Other titles include: wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, AuDHD, spreadsheet lover, Jeopardy! fanatic, organizational guru, true classic movie buff, linguaphile, wishful world traveler, and chocoholic.
Abbie currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their (mostly) angelic teenagers, and an adorable fur baby.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 23, 2017
GAH!! I LOVED this story.... until the ending when everything instantly turned between Selena and Griffith and Violá! Perfect, in love, all problems instantly vanished!! Uhhhh, no. Griffith was a total jerk throughout the book, never once treated Selena with love. We never saw him thaw, never got to experience his remorse. He just walks in one day and says he changed his mind and wants to be with her?!?! This is MONTHS after she told him she loved him and he ignored her!! BLECH!! Ruined the whole book.
BUT, if that kind of thing doesn't bother you... you'll love it!
BUT, if that kind of thing doesn't bother you... you'll love it!
May 28, 2021
Abigail Owen has been a favorite of mine since I first discovered her dragon shifters (Fire's Edge and Inferno Rising series). They are just as hot and lethal as dragons should be, and I'm half in love with every one of them!
So, in keeping with my usual pattern, I took steps backwards in her career to see where she began. My journey backwards began with her Shadowcat Nation series, which, in pure Abby style, blew me away with her cat shifters and the entire nation that went with them. And since I'm just a glutton for a good book, I kept going. I thought to avoid the next step back because they sounded an awful lot like romance HEA mush, which really is not my style, but then I thought, what the hey, it's Abigail Owen, after all.
So I read Blue Violet. And that was a Wow. The first book ever for her, and it was great. It might not have been up to her levels now, but you gotta give an author breaks when you're going backwards in their careers, you know, breaks for the learning curve. Which I did, and found I loved the storyline. She had quite the idea going here, and one that had me wanting more. In comes White Hyacinth. And, hello more!
In White Hyacinth, we get to watch Selene and Griffin grow into their powers, and their connection, and also make that extra effort to overcome their mutual pasts. They are a "dream couple", and I will say no more on that subject! LOL! It is better written than Blue Violet, which to me always means improvement, which I love to see in a new author as their series progresses, and the storyline stays consistently exciting, completely engaging, and not so "romantic" that it ends up turning me off. She brings forward the conflicts that are going on in and around their communities, while progressing the tales of the individuals, in this case, Selene and Griffin. All in all, a very full book, carrying the storyline forward in a way the keeps us engaged. Selene and Griffin are very interesting characters since they are of different castes in the whole Svatura/Vyusher paranormal species. And the lack of trust between them is palpable when reading this. Bringing them together was quite the task and Abby did it with aplomb.
The move from Blue Violet to White Hyacinth was so seamless, particularly since it was going from her first-ever book to her second-ever book, which truly shows a talent in the making. And that, right there, is why I love Abigail Owen's works. She started out with a real love of weaving tales and has done nothing but progress from there. Even if these were re-edited and given new covers, the baseline is still there for us to see; a talented young woman with a story to tell.
After finishing White Hyacinth I moved immediately on to Crimson Dahlia, explaining my tardiness in writing this review, and will continue on to Black Orchid the moment I'm done with Crimson Dahlia. I just wish I could learn to love hot romance/Amish romance, because she also writes as Kadie Scott and Kristen McKanagh and with her talent, I bet she'd get me to like those genres as well!
From the first, you impressed me with your ability to draw me into a story and keep me there until you were done telling it. You are a true wordsmith, and I'm so glad I found you. So Very Well Done, Abigail Owen! So very well done, indeed!
So, in keeping with my usual pattern, I took steps backwards in her career to see where she began. My journey backwards began with her Shadowcat Nation series, which, in pure Abby style, blew me away with her cat shifters and the entire nation that went with them. And since I'm just a glutton for a good book, I kept going. I thought to avoid the next step back because they sounded an awful lot like romance HEA mush, which really is not my style, but then I thought, what the hey, it's Abigail Owen, after all.
So I read Blue Violet. And that was a Wow. The first book ever for her, and it was great. It might not have been up to her levels now, but you gotta give an author breaks when you're going backwards in their careers, you know, breaks for the learning curve. Which I did, and found I loved the storyline. She had quite the idea going here, and one that had me wanting more. In comes White Hyacinth. And, hello more!
In White Hyacinth, we get to watch Selene and Griffin grow into their powers, and their connection, and also make that extra effort to overcome their mutual pasts. They are a "dream couple", and I will say no more on that subject! LOL! It is better written than Blue Violet, which to me always means improvement, which I love to see in a new author as their series progresses, and the storyline stays consistently exciting, completely engaging, and not so "romantic" that it ends up turning me off. She brings forward the conflicts that are going on in and around their communities, while progressing the tales of the individuals, in this case, Selene and Griffin. All in all, a very full book, carrying the storyline forward in a way the keeps us engaged. Selene and Griffin are very interesting characters since they are of different castes in the whole Svatura/Vyusher paranormal species. And the lack of trust between them is palpable when reading this. Bringing them together was quite the task and Abby did it with aplomb.
The move from Blue Violet to White Hyacinth was so seamless, particularly since it was going from her first-ever book to her second-ever book, which truly shows a talent in the making. And that, right there, is why I love Abigail Owen's works. She started out with a real love of weaving tales and has done nothing but progress from there. Even if these were re-edited and given new covers, the baseline is still there for us to see; a talented young woman with a story to tell.
After finishing White Hyacinth I moved immediately on to Crimson Dahlia, explaining my tardiness in writing this review, and will continue on to Black Orchid the moment I'm done with Crimson Dahlia. I just wish I could learn to love hot romance/Amish romance, because she also writes as Kadie Scott and Kristen McKanagh and with her talent, I bet she'd get me to like those genres as well!
From the first, you impressed me with your ability to draw me into a story and keep me there until you were done telling it. You are a true wordsmith, and I'm so glad I found you. So Very Well Done, Abigail Owen! So very well done, indeed!
December 27, 2017
I love Abigail Owens novels. We have strong female characters with, powers and abilities that I wish I possessed. Danger and intrigue are around every corner and I aim to find the villain…with a little help from my Svatura friends.
Selene is Vyusher, a beautiful and deadly white wolf. She has no desire to hurt anyone, but her nightmares tell a different story. She can visit others in their dreams whenever she wants, but this is not her dream. She does not want to be here. Who…or what is doing this?
Only one person knew of her ability, and she could never have him. Her situation is unsettling and she felt keeping distance from the pack was best for them all….for now. So, it’s off to college in Colorado. She’s never made her own decisions before and she’s looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.
Griffin and his family live in Colorado and he dreamed of her long before he sees her. They have a history and it isn’t a good one. Can they get past it for the battle to come? We shall see…won’t we. 🙂
Ts’sorthene – fated souls bonded by heart and spirit
Selene and her brother, Gideon, are twins of parents with multiple powers, as is Griffin. After all Selena has been through, how can she be such a sweet person? But, make no mistake, she can be deadly.
Music soothes the savage beast and I love when Griffin does a little dirty dancing, Patrick Swayze style, with his baby.
There is a conspiracy among the Vyusher and Selena’s life is in danger. Will her new family stand by her?
I love the moments of levity with Nate that had me grinning ear to ear. He has a sense of humor that shines through, even in the most dire of circumstances. I hope he has his own story because I sure want to know more about him.
As one battle is fought, another rises on the horizon and I am eager to read on to see who’s story will be told. The more I hang with the characters, the more I get to know and love them, their powers and abilities, the more I want of them. I love strong females, and we have our share in the Svatura Series.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Hyacinth by Abigail Owen.
See more at fundinmental
Selene is Vyusher, a beautiful and deadly white wolf. She has no desire to hurt anyone, but her nightmares tell a different story. She can visit others in their dreams whenever she wants, but this is not her dream. She does not want to be here. Who…or what is doing this?
Only one person knew of her ability, and she could never have him. Her situation is unsettling and she felt keeping distance from the pack was best for them all….for now. So, it’s off to college in Colorado. She’s never made her own decisions before and she’s looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.
Griffin and his family live in Colorado and he dreamed of her long before he sees her. They have a history and it isn’t a good one. Can they get past it for the battle to come? We shall see…won’t we. 🙂
Ts’sorthene – fated souls bonded by heart and spirit
Selene and her brother, Gideon, are twins of parents with multiple powers, as is Griffin. After all Selena has been through, how can she be such a sweet person? But, make no mistake, she can be deadly.
Music soothes the savage beast and I love when Griffin does a little dirty dancing, Patrick Swayze style, with his baby.
There is a conspiracy among the Vyusher and Selena’s life is in danger. Will her new family stand by her?
I love the moments of levity with Nate that had me grinning ear to ear. He has a sense of humor that shines through, even in the most dire of circumstances. I hope he has his own story because I sure want to know more about him.
As one battle is fought, another rises on the horizon and I am eager to read on to see who’s story will be told. The more I hang with the characters, the more I get to know and love them, their powers and abilities, the more I want of them. I love strong females, and we have our share in the Svatura Series.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Hyacinth by Abigail Owen.
See more at fundinmental
April 11, 2013
Book 2 of the young-adult, Svatura, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance series
The Svatura are magically gifted humans who each tend to possess two or more superhero type powers. They are extremely long lived because they age very slowly. Their magical abilities usually begin to manifest in childhood, but most Svatura very slowly move toward complete mastery of their gifts across many decades.
Book 1, Blue Violet, centers on the romance of Ellie Aubrey and Alex Jenner. In this second book, Ellie and her brother Griffin are still living with Alex's family, the Jenners, and another Svatura family, the Pierces. Ellie and Alex are very much in love and planning their wedding, however, their romance is now in the background of the story and the primary romance is between Griffin and Selene, Queen of the Vyusher. The Vyusher were the villains of Book 1. They are essentially Svatura who have the ability, along with one or more other powers, to shapeshift into huge wolves.
In this book we learn in detail the history of the Vyusher. The villain who was killed by Ellie in Book 1, Gideon, was King of the Vyusher, and Selene's evil, older brother. His main magical power, other than shifting into wolf form, was mind control. He could force anyone to do what he commanded them to do while simultaneously causing them to believe that they were happy to comply. Selene could not resist the compulsion of Gideon's commands, but unlike everyone else, she retained the ability to know she was being compelled, a torturous state of mind to endure for even a short length of time. Selene is well aware that it is a miracle that she endured this heinous situation for 150 years and kept her sanity.
Selene is about 160 years old, almost exactly the same age as Ellie, Griffin and Alex. Gideon, her deceased brother, was only a year or so older than Selene. From the time she was ten years old, Gideon enslaved her and forced her to exert her main magical ability against others, starting with their own parents. Selene can turn off temporarily or, with huge effort on her part, completely eliminate the magical power of any other Svatura or Vyusher. Selene can also shift into a wolf, and she has the ability to hide Svatura from the Vyusher tracker whom Gideon had compelled for scores of years to track down Svatura so that he could have his wolves slaughter them. Gideon's obsessive goal was to destroy all Svatura who could not shift into wolves. He functioned as a kind of Svatura Hitler who was systematically creating a "master race" of wolf Svatura and committing genocide against all others.
In this story, the Vyusher are in disarray after Gideon's death, and a council of their elders cannot decide if they want Selene to be their queen. On top of that, Selene is not sure that she even wants the job, though it is hers by right of inheritance through her lineage.
Selene has been visiting Griffin's dreams since they were children--another magical gift of hers--and because she initiated her dream walking, she has always known who he was. This was not the case for Griffin. Until the end of the story in Book 1, when Griffin met her in person, he had never known his dream girl was real.
Griffin is painfully conflicted about his intense, emotional and spiritual attachment to Selene. He believes in his deepest self that she is his destined soul mate--in the same manner that Alex is Ellie's soul mate. But Griffin can't bring himself to forgive Selene, as Ellie has. Ellie believes Selene's story that only the mental enslavement by her evil brother could have caused her to aid him in his mass murder of Svatura, most especially Ellie and Griffin's family 150 years ago. In addition, one of their Svatura friends who can magically intuit truthfulness backs up Selene's story. Neither of these things is enough to turn the tide for Griffin. He feels tremendous guilt at the thought of having anything to do with Selene, even as a friend, let alone a potential mate, and he adamantly refuses to associate with her in person or allow her to continue to meet him in his dreams.
When Selene tells the Vyusher council that she wants to take a break from their clan to attend a university and moves to Estes Park, Colorado, where Ellie, Griffin, and the Jenners and Pierces are living, Ellie immediately befriends her. Griffin does his best to resist Selene, but the connection between them is so magically fated, he ends up following her around in the form of a falcon. Selene is well aware of his presence, because part of her ability to turn off magic in others is a constant, effortless awareness of any magic in play anywhere near her. Griffin's frequent presence gives her hope that they might, someday, have a future together.
This is a well-done YA urban fantasy series with strong female characters who are more than a match for the equally strong male characters. As a long-time fan of the adult romance genre, I am delighted to see a YA author employ the highly effective approach to a paranormal-romance series which has been used for decades by authors of adult romances. That is, having a different pair of lovers in each successive book in the series. What links the individual books is a shared magical world as well as close ties between the protagonists of all the books of the series, either by blood or friendship. Some classic examplse of this type of structure for adult, paranormal romance are The Edge series by Ilona Andrews and the Guardian series by Mary Jo Putney.
This book contains an excellent blend of romance, close friendship, and my favorite kind of action sequences in which success depends on a whole group of characters acting closely together to defeat a common enemy. The climax of the book is a battle scene as magically fast and furious as in Book 1, which will satisfy fans of action as well as romance in an urban fantasy book.
I look forward to reading the next entry in this thrilling series.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Fantasy World-Building: 5 stars
Romantic Plot: 5 stars
Action-Adventure Plot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
Disclosure: The author contacted me to review her book because I am a top reviewer on Amazon. I rarely accept such requests because I don't have a lot of time, but in this particular case I am very glad I did.
The Svatura are magically gifted humans who each tend to possess two or more superhero type powers. They are extremely long lived because they age very slowly. Their magical abilities usually begin to manifest in childhood, but most Svatura very slowly move toward complete mastery of their gifts across many decades.
Book 1, Blue Violet, centers on the romance of Ellie Aubrey and Alex Jenner. In this second book, Ellie and her brother Griffin are still living with Alex's family, the Jenners, and another Svatura family, the Pierces. Ellie and Alex are very much in love and planning their wedding, however, their romance is now in the background of the story and the primary romance is between Griffin and Selene, Queen of the Vyusher. The Vyusher were the villains of Book 1. They are essentially Svatura who have the ability, along with one or more other powers, to shapeshift into huge wolves.
In this book we learn in detail the history of the Vyusher. The villain who was killed by Ellie in Book 1, Gideon, was King of the Vyusher, and Selene's evil, older brother. His main magical power, other than shifting into wolf form, was mind control. He could force anyone to do what he commanded them to do while simultaneously causing them to believe that they were happy to comply. Selene could not resist the compulsion of Gideon's commands, but unlike everyone else, she retained the ability to know she was being compelled, a torturous state of mind to endure for even a short length of time. Selene is well aware that it is a miracle that she endured this heinous situation for 150 years and kept her sanity.
Selene is about 160 years old, almost exactly the same age as Ellie, Griffin and Alex. Gideon, her deceased brother, was only a year or so older than Selene. From the time she was ten years old, Gideon enslaved her and forced her to exert her main magical ability against others, starting with their own parents. Selene can turn off temporarily or, with huge effort on her part, completely eliminate the magical power of any other Svatura or Vyusher. Selene can also shift into a wolf, and she has the ability to hide Svatura from the Vyusher tracker whom Gideon had compelled for scores of years to track down Svatura so that he could have his wolves slaughter them. Gideon's obsessive goal was to destroy all Svatura who could not shift into wolves. He functioned as a kind of Svatura Hitler who was systematically creating a "master race" of wolf Svatura and committing genocide against all others.
In this story, the Vyusher are in disarray after Gideon's death, and a council of their elders cannot decide if they want Selene to be their queen. On top of that, Selene is not sure that she even wants the job, though it is hers by right of inheritance through her lineage.
Selene has been visiting Griffin's dreams since they were children--another magical gift of hers--and because she initiated her dream walking, she has always known who he was. This was not the case for Griffin. Until the end of the story in Book 1, when Griffin met her in person, he had never known his dream girl was real.
Griffin is painfully conflicted about his intense, emotional and spiritual attachment to Selene. He believes in his deepest self that she is his destined soul mate--in the same manner that Alex is Ellie's soul mate. But Griffin can't bring himself to forgive Selene, as Ellie has. Ellie believes Selene's story that only the mental enslavement by her evil brother could have caused her to aid him in his mass murder of Svatura, most especially Ellie and Griffin's family 150 years ago. In addition, one of their Svatura friends who can magically intuit truthfulness backs up Selene's story. Neither of these things is enough to turn the tide for Griffin. He feels tremendous guilt at the thought of having anything to do with Selene, even as a friend, let alone a potential mate, and he adamantly refuses to associate with her in person or allow her to continue to meet him in his dreams.
When Selene tells the Vyusher council that she wants to take a break from their clan to attend a university and moves to Estes Park, Colorado, where Ellie, Griffin, and the Jenners and Pierces are living, Ellie immediately befriends her. Griffin does his best to resist Selene, but the connection between them is so magically fated, he ends up following her around in the form of a falcon. Selene is well aware of his presence, because part of her ability to turn off magic in others is a constant, effortless awareness of any magic in play anywhere near her. Griffin's frequent presence gives her hope that they might, someday, have a future together.
This is a well-done YA urban fantasy series with strong female characters who are more than a match for the equally strong male characters. As a long-time fan of the adult romance genre, I am delighted to see a YA author employ the highly effective approach to a paranormal-romance series which has been used for decades by authors of adult romances. That is, having a different pair of lovers in each successive book in the series. What links the individual books is a shared magical world as well as close ties between the protagonists of all the books of the series, either by blood or friendship. Some classic examplse of this type of structure for adult, paranormal romance are The Edge series by Ilona Andrews and the Guardian series by Mary Jo Putney.
This book contains an excellent blend of romance, close friendship, and my favorite kind of action sequences in which success depends on a whole group of characters acting closely together to defeat a common enemy. The climax of the book is a battle scene as magically fast and furious as in Book 1, which will satisfy fans of action as well as romance in an urban fantasy book.
I look forward to reading the next entry in this thrilling series.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Fantasy World-Building: 5 stars
Romantic Plot: 5 stars
Action-Adventure Plot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
Disclosure: The author contacted me to review her book because I am a top reviewer on Amazon. I rarely accept such requests because I don't have a lot of time, but in this particular case I am very glad I did.
March 6, 2013
Abigail’s Owen’s HYACINTH is the sequel to BLUE VIOLET, in which she first introduced us to Ellie and Griffin Aubrey, the last of a clan of Svatura. As Owen explains, the Svatura are a race of beings descended from Gypsies, magical people with extraordinary longevity (Svatura may live to be hundreds, if not thousands of years old) and X-Men-style super powers. Hundreds of years ago, the Vyusher (another race of similar magical beings, with the ability to assume the form of wolves) destroyed all but a handful of Svatura. In BLUE VIOLET, Ellie tracked down others of her kind, and together they battled the Vyusher. In HYACINTH, the focus shifts to Selene, Queen of the Vyusher, whose brother Gideon was killed by Ellie and her family at the end of the first novel. Was Gideon the evil mastermind of the Vyushers’ evil acts against Svatura, or is Selene a danger as well? Is there a chance for the Svatura and the Vyusher to co-exist as allies? And what is the connection between Selene and Ellie’s brother, Griffin?
HYACINTH is an exciting, romantic, engaging novel with a unique and rich perspective. Owen’s use of Romany (or Gypsy) mythology adds a layer of believability to a story that is definitely fantasy. In BLUE VIOLET, when Ellie found her “te-sorthene” (a Romany word meaning soul-mate, or eternal love), we understood her connection with Alex. Their relationship in that novel was both sexually provocative and delightfully endearing. Here, in HYACINTH, I found myself just as involved in what might happen between Selene and Griffin . . . while at the same time wondering if something more dangerous might be in store for this couple.
As with the first novel, HYACINTH’s greatest strength lies in Owen’s portrayal of women. Her heroines are both strong and capable, and they are fully able to lead their people as equals with their male counterparts. Ellie is a leader who helped her people come together and fight great threats against them. Here, in the second novel, she is still playing that role. At one point, Alex says, “You should know by now that no one ‘lets’ Ellie do anything. She just ‘does’ it.” But Ellie is not the only admirable woman in HYACINTH. Selene is a wonderful heroine, torn between the horrors she endured under the influence of her sadistic brother Gideon and her determination to help her people move beyond their centuries as tormentors. The Vyusher can be a force of good, she believes. But it will not be easy to convince them, just as it will not be easy to convince Griffin that the things she and her brother did to his people can be forgiven. Additionally, Lila and Adelaide Jenner (part of Ellie and Griffin’s adopted family) are essential and influential members of the clan – Lila’s ability to see the truth in others (and to bring calm in times of stress), and Adelaide’s visions of the relationships between people, are essential to the continuing success of the remaining Vyusher. These are not just girls mooning over guys. These are strong women with voices of their own, inspiring their people to achieve greatness.
Some fans of BLUE VIOLET might be a bit disappointed in how little time is spent in HYACINTH on the romance between Ellie and Alex. As newly engaged “te-sorthene,” they are still sweetly together, but the focus here is most definitely on Selene and Griffin. Personally, I found that to be refreshing, and Owen’s willingness to expand the worlds of her characters will give this series continuing life. Compared with TWILIGHT (in which the excruciatingly melodramatic romance between weak and wimpy Bella and manipulative Edward takes four books to complete), HYACINTH is willing to shift the focus to new characters, while at the same time celebrating the relationships we have come to love. There is a hint, in the final few pages of HYACINTH, of what the next installment will bring – Lila may take center stage, with a love story (and an adventure) of her own.
HYACINTH is an excellent second novel in a series that really is both original and addictive. It’s great to read young characters that so beautifully embody personal strength, commitment, and the importance of relationships. Ellie and Selene are wonderful role models for today’s teens. I recommend this novel highly.
[Please note: I was provided a copy of this book for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
HYACINTH is an exciting, romantic, engaging novel with a unique and rich perspective. Owen’s use of Romany (or Gypsy) mythology adds a layer of believability to a story that is definitely fantasy. In BLUE VIOLET, when Ellie found her “te-sorthene” (a Romany word meaning soul-mate, or eternal love), we understood her connection with Alex. Their relationship in that novel was both sexually provocative and delightfully endearing. Here, in HYACINTH, I found myself just as involved in what might happen between Selene and Griffin . . . while at the same time wondering if something more dangerous might be in store for this couple.
As with the first novel, HYACINTH’s greatest strength lies in Owen’s portrayal of women. Her heroines are both strong and capable, and they are fully able to lead their people as equals with their male counterparts. Ellie is a leader who helped her people come together and fight great threats against them. Here, in the second novel, she is still playing that role. At one point, Alex says, “You should know by now that no one ‘lets’ Ellie do anything. She just ‘does’ it.” But Ellie is not the only admirable woman in HYACINTH. Selene is a wonderful heroine, torn between the horrors she endured under the influence of her sadistic brother Gideon and her determination to help her people move beyond their centuries as tormentors. The Vyusher can be a force of good, she believes. But it will not be easy to convince them, just as it will not be easy to convince Griffin that the things she and her brother did to his people can be forgiven. Additionally, Lila and Adelaide Jenner (part of Ellie and Griffin’s adopted family) are essential and influential members of the clan – Lila’s ability to see the truth in others (and to bring calm in times of stress), and Adelaide’s visions of the relationships between people, are essential to the continuing success of the remaining Vyusher. These are not just girls mooning over guys. These are strong women with voices of their own, inspiring their people to achieve greatness.
Some fans of BLUE VIOLET might be a bit disappointed in how little time is spent in HYACINTH on the romance between Ellie and Alex. As newly engaged “te-sorthene,” they are still sweetly together, but the focus here is most definitely on Selene and Griffin. Personally, I found that to be refreshing, and Owen’s willingness to expand the worlds of her characters will give this series continuing life. Compared with TWILIGHT (in which the excruciatingly melodramatic romance between weak and wimpy Bella and manipulative Edward takes four books to complete), HYACINTH is willing to shift the focus to new characters, while at the same time celebrating the relationships we have come to love. There is a hint, in the final few pages of HYACINTH, of what the next installment will bring – Lila may take center stage, with a love story (and an adventure) of her own.
HYACINTH is an excellent second novel in a series that really is both original and addictive. It’s great to read young characters that so beautifully embody personal strength, commitment, and the importance of relationships. Ellie and Selene are wonderful role models for today’s teens. I recommend this novel highly.
[Please note: I was provided a copy of this book for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
September 30, 2013
Stops at Tome Tender October 4 - 11!
Click on the Picture to Enter the Giveaway!
Abigail Owen takes us back to the world of the Svatura, beings who live far longer than humans and possess extraordinary powers from controlling fire to morphing into different creatures, to being able to transport to different locations in a flash! Hyacinth takes off from book one, Blue Violet in perfect harmony as more Svatura find their heart’s true mates and struggle with past differences among the different clans. Ellie and Alex have cemented and committed to their bond. Now its Griffin’s turn to discover his soulmate, and instead of being a joy to his heart, it brings him deep conflict, as he realizes his mate for eternity is Selene , the new queen of the Vyusher, the clan who not only killed his parents, but had attempted to wipe all Svatura off the face of the earth. Will his reluctance to even be I the same room with a contrite Selene keep them apart? Will Selene have to choose between her people and her heart’s desire? With all the dissension and the evil afoot, there are far more pressing matters at hand.
Once again Abigail Owen creates a world filled with strong characters who know how to work as a team, working for the whole as opposed to trying to be the shining star. Her ability to convey a sense of camaraderie and the unselfish devotion the characters have for each other is admirable and refreshing. The conflicts come either from the heart or from the outside, cementing everyone even tighter as the explore and celebrate new powers that are discovered and honed.
I can’t say enough about how well this story flows, Ms. Owen gives us strong characters, a great plot filled with tension and excitement, while not giving in to page after page of graphic violence. Hyacinth is another well-thought out tale with a refreshing plot, refreshingly sweet romance and wonderful characters!
Series: The Svatura, Book 2
Publication Date: February 23, 2013
Publisher: Abigail Owen
ISBN: 1482626071 (Paperback)
Page Count: 200
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy
Recommended Age: YA on up
Available to Purchase From: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
March 10, 2013
So I would like to mention this was the first time i was gifted this book for an honest review, and I would like to Thank the author! But I will be honest so don't go running off to another review just because i was given it for free. If you want the facts from this kid, thats what you are going to get!
And I HONESTLY give this a solid 4 stars. I want to say i liked this one more than the first, which is sort of true but not really, there were aspects of the first book i liked more and aspects of this books i loved more and i will get to those in a minute but i got to find a song to "assign" this book, or at least what i think might give you a better understanding of the book.
Song: "Ain't No Reason" by Brett Dennen, or if that doesn't meet your fancy then, "I Gave You All" by Mumford and Sons (who happen to be one of my favorite bands!!!)
So first thoughts - wait have you read the first one? No go read it because this is will contain spoilers for those who have not read the first one so too bad i warned you. But no i will not give spoilers from this one, and if i would i would hide them. So moving on. Like i mentioned before i liked this one somewhat more on certain aspects than the first one. What i loved? I don't know i think just connected better with Selene, or maybe its because i am sick, sick person that loves broken characters. But I loved Selene and she right there is a reason to read this book, what i liked about the first book that i felt this one was lacking in was the relationship development between Selene and Griffin. And if you read the first one you know that these two obviously have a little bit of bad blood between them, yeah a little that's funny. Anyways I understand that there needs to be distance between them at times but it felt like there was too much distance. I was hoping for a little more romance between them but i also understand there is a third one coming out so maybe we will see hints of their love blossoming some more. This is a horrible job at first thoughts okay so to sum it up. If you have read the first one, read this one. If you haven't read the first one but somehow got here to the second one and still reading this review, stop and go read the first one then read this one.
My thoughts on plot: Okay so if you recall from the first book there was a lot of learning going on, we were learning a lot about the Svatura, and Vyusher. And if you looked at my review for the first book i said how i didn't really understand the differences between the races but i got a better understanding now and i really like that we are more submerged into the Vyusher race, what i like even more though is the enemy from last book suddenly becomes more than that. I think that this has been one of the first times that we get a look on the "bad guys" from last book who really weren't bad. Its an interesting concept that i think worked really well for this series. The pacing was i think a bit better in this book than the last, there was a lot going on there was one part that bothered me but i will put that later in the review. It wasn't really that big of a deal...anyways I liked that this was a "greater scheme" than just finding out who the murdering wolf was, because there was a more to this story than that and the action will keep you going but its more than that its the story of a very broken girl, being repaired. So plot? I loved it, i thought again really well paced, nice amount of action and suspense to keep the reader going. Also i forgot to mention this, again the book had the omniscient voice going on but this book it stuck more closely to Selene i think that i would have preferred a little more Griffin because he could have gave the reader that full rounded experience, because we as readers find out more good things about Selene and Griffin kinda turns into an ass in my eyes because i know all the good she did, but i wasn't getting much of his side of this, i understand his past i do but i don't know his feelings now.
Characters!
Selene: As i mentioned before i loved her! I REALLY did she became one of my favorite characters in this series pretty much as soon as they first chapter ended. When we first meet her in the first book she seems as cold as ice, and in this book referenced many times as the "ice princess" well for good reason does she hide who she truly is, how she truly feels. We learn about her past, and there were moments when Abigail Owen went for it, and again this the point i had wished for more development between Selene and Griffin, she could have shared more of her with him and i know he was being difficult but i think it would have brought them closer, and made him understand better. i also understand that Selene didn't want to be pitied but i still was waiting for that scene between them, they had one, but i wanted more, because like i said i am sick, seriously i have problems. Anyways back to Selene, she is more than her icy exterior, she has a heart of gold (maybe i should have said Neil Young for the song...*snickers* if you don't get that then damn i am old). Anyways she really is a great character and i loved her!!! Though she maybe broken on the inside she remains strong on the outside, and i love her just as she is but i love even more that she grows!
Griffin: Like i mentioned up in the plot that he came off a little bit like an ass to be me because we weren't getting much of how he was feeling. And i wanted more of his thoughts, again to give me that whole rounded feeling that we got from the first book. He was absent a lot and when he was around he was distant, that is why i think more of following him would have given the reader a better chance to connect to him because i loved Selene cause i connected to her character but Griffin i wanted so badly to connect to him and there were moments that i did, that i wanted to just jump in the book and kiss him myself because damn! DAMN that boy is coy, and sexy as hell. Oh and there was a scene in the book had to be my favorite scene, the dancing scene, OH jeez....talk about hot...um...okay this just got a little awkward didn't it? Well moving on...so last thoughts on Grif? more please!
Lila: She came out a little more in this book than the first book and i have the understanding of where this book left us off at she will be the third book's focus which let me tell you i am excited for and Abigail HURRY PLEASE!! But i liked Lila and i liked that she got more time in this book but i keep remembering what we learned about her in the first book, i thought she was suppose to be a little more closed off? In this i felt a mix about her character, a little more compassionate than what i was expecting - that isn't a bad thing - also she eavesdropped so i was also expecting her to be a bit more playful? no um prank-ister-y? yeah like that...
Ramsey: i thought he might have a little crushy-crush on Selene but the book doesn't throw him into the love interest light, thank goodness. But i will admit i have loved him since we met him in the first book and again he comes out a little more in this book as well.
So Ellie is still there and she is still bubbly. Alex is there still all manly. Other family members are also present. And we meet some other new peoples as well. No real reason to go in depth about them though.
So last thoughts? Well there is that nasty spoiler thing i have deal with soo this is a bit revealing and if you don't want to know don't read it
So so for real last thoughts now: There were a lot of new mysteries set up at the ending of this book that will getting you itching for the next one, but honestly i think that this series is worth it. I like the idea of the new paranormal races that we were introduced to before that are now expanding into so much more. The first book we get a lot about one race, and this book we get the other so i am eagerly going to wait for the next one to see what it holds in store for us. My parting advice go pick this up and read it kids.
So this will appear on that little thing i call a blog. And i hope that i entertained you enough for you want to stop by and find your next read after this one while you wait for the third one in this series because i like finding indie authors they write some awesome stuff. But if you didn't like my review, well then :( sad face but there is nothing i can do about that. So anyways i will give you the link check us - me and my friend do reviews - out and hopefully you will find something that sparks your fancy. http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp... we appreciate you!
And I HONESTLY give this a solid 4 stars. I want to say i liked this one more than the first, which is sort of true but not really, there were aspects of the first book i liked more and aspects of this books i loved more and i will get to those in a minute but i got to find a song to "assign" this book, or at least what i think might give you a better understanding of the book.
Song: "Ain't No Reason" by Brett Dennen, or if that doesn't meet your fancy then, "I Gave You All" by Mumford and Sons (who happen to be one of my favorite bands!!!)
So first thoughts - wait have you read the first one? No go read it because this is will contain spoilers for those who have not read the first one so too bad i warned you. But no i will not give spoilers from this one, and if i would i would hide them. So moving on. Like i mentioned before i liked this one somewhat more on certain aspects than the first one. What i loved? I don't know i think just connected better with Selene, or maybe its because i am sick, sick person that loves broken characters. But I loved Selene and she right there is a reason to read this book, what i liked about the first book that i felt this one was lacking in was the relationship development between Selene and Griffin. And if you read the first one you know that these two obviously have a little bit of bad blood between them, yeah a little that's funny. Anyways I understand that there needs to be distance between them at times but it felt like there was too much distance. I was hoping for a little more romance between them but i also understand there is a third one coming out so maybe we will see hints of their love blossoming some more. This is a horrible job at first thoughts okay so to sum it up. If you have read the first one, read this one. If you haven't read the first one but somehow got here to the second one and still reading this review, stop and go read the first one then read this one.
My thoughts on plot: Okay so if you recall from the first book there was a lot of learning going on, we were learning a lot about the Svatura, and Vyusher. And if you looked at my review for the first book i said how i didn't really understand the differences between the races but i got a better understanding now and i really like that we are more submerged into the Vyusher race, what i like even more though is the enemy from last book suddenly becomes more than that. I think that this has been one of the first times that we get a look on the "bad guys" from last book who really weren't bad. Its an interesting concept that i think worked really well for this series. The pacing was i think a bit better in this book than the last, there was a lot going on there was one part that bothered me but i will put that later in the review. It wasn't really that big of a deal...anyways I liked that this was a "greater scheme" than just finding out who the murdering wolf was, because there was a more to this story than that and the action will keep you going but its more than that its the story of a very broken girl, being repaired. So plot? I loved it, i thought again really well paced, nice amount of action and suspense to keep the reader going. Also i forgot to mention this, again the book had the omniscient voice going on but this book it stuck more closely to Selene i think that i would have preferred a little more Griffin because he could have gave the reader that full rounded experience, because we as readers find out more good things about Selene and Griffin kinda turns into an ass in my eyes because i know all the good she did, but i wasn't getting much of his side of this, i understand his past i do but i don't know his feelings now.
Characters!
Selene: As i mentioned before i loved her! I REALLY did she became one of my favorite characters in this series pretty much as soon as they first chapter ended. When we first meet her in the first book she seems as cold as ice, and in this book referenced many times as the "ice princess" well for good reason does she hide who she truly is, how she truly feels. We learn about her past, and there were moments when Abigail Owen went for it, and again this the point i had wished for more development between Selene and Griffin, she could have shared more of her with him and i know he was being difficult but i think it would have brought them closer, and made him understand better. i also understand that Selene didn't want to be pitied but i still was waiting for that scene between them, they had one, but i wanted more, because like i said i am sick, seriously i have problems. Anyways back to Selene, she is more than her icy exterior, she has a heart of gold (maybe i should have said Neil Young for the song...*snickers* if you don't get that then damn i am old). Anyways she really is a great character and i loved her!!! Though she maybe broken on the inside she remains strong on the outside, and i love her just as she is but i love even more that she grows!
Griffin: Like i mentioned up in the plot that he came off a little bit like an ass to be me because we weren't getting much of how he was feeling. And i wanted more of his thoughts, again to give me that whole rounded feeling that we got from the first book. He was absent a lot and when he was around he was distant, that is why i think more of following him would have given the reader a better chance to connect to him because i loved Selene cause i connected to her character but Griffin i wanted so badly to connect to him and there were moments that i did, that i wanted to just jump in the book and kiss him myself because damn! DAMN that boy is coy, and sexy as hell. Oh and there was a scene in the book had to be my favorite scene, the dancing scene, OH jeez....talk about hot...um...okay this just got a little awkward didn't it? Well moving on...so last thoughts on Grif? more please!
Lila: She came out a little more in this book than the first book and i have the understanding of where this book left us off at she will be the third book's focus which let me tell you i am excited for and Abigail HURRY PLEASE!! But i liked Lila and i liked that she got more time in this book but i keep remembering what we learned about her in the first book, i thought she was suppose to be a little more closed off? In this i felt a mix about her character, a little more compassionate than what i was expecting - that isn't a bad thing - also she eavesdropped so i was also expecting her to be a bit more playful? no um prank-ister-y? yeah like that...
Ramsey: i thought he might have a little crushy-crush on Selene but the book doesn't throw him into the love interest light, thank goodness. But i will admit i have loved him since we met him in the first book and again he comes out a little more in this book as well.
So Ellie is still there and she is still bubbly. Alex is there still all manly. Other family members are also present. And we meet some other new peoples as well. No real reason to go in depth about them though.
So last thoughts? Well there is that nasty spoiler thing i have deal with soo this is a bit revealing and if you don't want to know don't read it
So so for real last thoughts now: There were a lot of new mysteries set up at the ending of this book that will getting you itching for the next one, but honestly i think that this series is worth it. I like the idea of the new paranormal races that we were introduced to before that are now expanding into so much more. The first book we get a lot about one race, and this book we get the other so i am eagerly going to wait for the next one to see what it holds in store for us. My parting advice go pick this up and read it kids.
So this will appear on that little thing i call a blog. And i hope that i entertained you enough for you want to stop by and find your next read after this one while you wait for the third one in this series because i like finding indie authors they write some awesome stuff. But if you didn't like my review, well then :( sad face but there is nothing i can do about that. So anyways i will give you the link check us - me and my friend do reviews - out and hopefully you will find something that sparks your fancy. http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp... we appreciate you!
July 12, 2024
2.5 Stars
The writing wasn’t so good in this book- I actually caught a few grammatical errors which is surprising because I tend to skim these types of books.
Our MMC is Griffin and it was nice to follow his story with Ellie finding her soul mate now. We actually saw Ellie and Alex marry and I appreciate how they were still important side characters.
Selena ends up being Griffin’s soul mate which goes against everything Griffin believes in since Selena and her wolf pack killed his family. But since Selena’s evil twin brother was killed in the first book by the hands of Ellie’s dragon form, we see that Selena was actually a victim of being used and manipulated against her own will. She then becomes leader of her wolf pack council and everything is right in the world… and everyone is in love as well lol.
The writing wasn’t so good in this book- I actually caught a few grammatical errors which is surprising because I tend to skim these types of books.
Our MMC is Griffin and it was nice to follow his story with Ellie finding her soul mate now. We actually saw Ellie and Alex marry and I appreciate how they were still important side characters.
Selena ends up being Griffin’s soul mate which goes against everything Griffin believes in since Selena and her wolf pack killed his family. But since Selena’s evil twin brother was killed in the first book by the hands of Ellie’s dragon form, we see that Selena was actually a victim of being used and manipulated against her own will. She then becomes leader of her wolf pack council and everything is right in the world… and everyone is in love as well lol.
August 30, 2021
The plot was the stronger part of the book, the introduction of new clans and the fight between the clans was interesting although it was hard to keep up with all the new characters and powers. I also liked Selene’s strong will and how the other characters were willing to help her.
The romance however, was why I didn’t give this book more stars, Selene and Griffin’s relationship was handled poorly, there was potential but all that happened was Griffin constantly leaving, mostly treating Selene like crap, and giving her mixed signals. He suddenly changed his mind at the end and they just got together? It was unsatisfying and didn’t feel earned, Selene deserved better.
The romance however, was why I didn’t give this book more stars, Selene and Griffin’s relationship was handled poorly, there was potential but all that happened was Griffin constantly leaving, mostly treating Selene like crap, and giving her mixed signals. He suddenly changed his mind at the end and they just got together? It was unsatisfying and didn’t feel earned, Selene deserved better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2013
[FOR MORE REVIEW, CHECK OUT : http://mnkbooklife.blogspot.com/]
[A PDF ARC file was provided by the author for review purpose. Thanks Abigail!]
"You were tied too closely to the worst moment of my life, and I wouldn't let myself get past that."
—Griffin
What was more surprising than finding your name written on a book? None.
When I first opened this, it truly had shocked me that my name, as well as a few lines from my review for Blue Violet was written under the "What people are saying about Blue Violet!". It truly is an honor, Abigail!
Ever since I finished reading Blue Violet in one sitting, a question had been haunting me since. How would Selene and Griffin worked out together as Vyusher and Svatura? And in this book, Abigail Owen had finally answered it in such an unpredictable way, I found it to be really satisfying and amazing.
Hyacinth took place one year after Blue Violet finished, with Selene taking over her brother throne as a Vyusher Queen, and Allie and Griffin continued their life with their new-founded family. But things never ran smoothly in life, and just as soon as Selene began to settle into her new royal status, she was once again forced to take action when a constant nightmares about her killing innocent people plagued her sleep, and her Vyusher people doubted her as Gideon's sister. Moving out to Estes Park where Ellie's and Griffin's Svatura family resided in hope to get away from the nightmares, Selene soon came into realization that her dream wasn't just a mere dream. When an unexpected enemies came and her throne was in danger, what would she do to keep her clan and her new friend safe? And if keeping them safe means she would have to bend all the rule, what would she choose?
I was pretty much in love with this book even since it's first chapter. The way it opened with Selene's nightmare, how her urge to kill someone controlled her, and the helplessness she was feeling, it was all very interesting and believable, and it did instantly pull me into the story.
The pacing of this book was great also, with less sagging—although there were still some minor sagging here and there—and a fast-paced, intertwined events that would keep us flipping the book for more, while still provided us with enough detail.
In this book, I found that the character were slightly more developed than the first one. At first, the Svatura—except for Ellie and Griffin—was pretty much two-dimensional and flat. As the story went on, their personality was slowly developing and became believable, especially Adelaide and Lila. Hugh and Lucy, however, still showed the same flatness from the previous book.
Selene, as our main character, was probably the most interesting character from this series so far. I really love how her personality stood out from the other, and how she seemed to be someone who was not even her at all. At first, she was portrayed as a tough and cold girl, rarely showing any emotion at all. But then we got a glimpse at her true character and how she truly felt inside, and how her emotion and what she said constantly conflicted with each other. It was very refreshing to read from her perspective, and although she was quite reserved for a main character—the one we should know inside out—she was really intriguing and very believable.
Griffin Aubrey, our other main character as well as Selene's counterpart, was showing some development here as well, and I love how he showed a lot more emotion than before. His life was not devoted solely to Ellie anymore, and when he had a problem and life on his own, it actually opened his character up. When Selene first arrived at Estes Park, he didn't trust her even one bit, and I think it really showed his personality—and his flaw—of being a hard-headed and guy who held grudge toward other. Sure, it wasn't really nice to read, but he had a real and visible flaw, and that was what made it easy to relate with him, because he seemed flesh and bone, and moreover, human.
But although this book was quite great and interesting on overall, that was not really the case with the ending. Not that the ending was boring or what, I thought that it was just to flat and typical, way too common and not really surprising. I actually love how it was all solved in quite an unpredictable way, but when it actually come to the real ending, it felt a little bit anti-climatic. The reason why the ending headed down that way (And I can't really write it down here, since it would be all spoiler) didn't feel really strong and solid as well, more like way too coincidental and a little bit too forced.
Overall, if you love to read about a refreshing urban-fantasy with a great character, great plot, and the story line that would keep you reading page after page, you should definitely give this one a try.
[A PDF ARC file was provided by the author for review purpose. Thanks Abigail!]
"You were tied too closely to the worst moment of my life, and I wouldn't let myself get past that."
—Griffin
What was more surprising than finding your name written on a book? None.
When I first opened this, it truly had shocked me that my name, as well as a few lines from my review for Blue Violet was written under the "What people are saying about Blue Violet!". It truly is an honor, Abigail!
Ever since I finished reading Blue Violet in one sitting, a question had been haunting me since. How would Selene and Griffin worked out together as Vyusher and Svatura? And in this book, Abigail Owen had finally answered it in such an unpredictable way, I found it to be really satisfying and amazing.
Hyacinth took place one year after Blue Violet finished, with Selene taking over her brother throne as a Vyusher Queen, and Allie and Griffin continued their life with their new-founded family. But things never ran smoothly in life, and just as soon as Selene began to settle into her new royal status, she was once again forced to take action when a constant nightmares about her killing innocent people plagued her sleep, and her Vyusher people doubted her as Gideon's sister. Moving out to Estes Park where Ellie's and Griffin's Svatura family resided in hope to get away from the nightmares, Selene soon came into realization that her dream wasn't just a mere dream. When an unexpected enemies came and her throne was in danger, what would she do to keep her clan and her new friend safe? And if keeping them safe means she would have to bend all the rule, what would she choose?
I was pretty much in love with this book even since it's first chapter. The way it opened with Selene's nightmare, how her urge to kill someone controlled her, and the helplessness she was feeling, it was all very interesting and believable, and it did instantly pull me into the story.
The pacing of this book was great also, with less sagging—although there were still some minor sagging here and there—and a fast-paced, intertwined events that would keep us flipping the book for more, while still provided us with enough detail.
In this book, I found that the character were slightly more developed than the first one. At first, the Svatura—except for Ellie and Griffin—was pretty much two-dimensional and flat. As the story went on, their personality was slowly developing and became believable, especially Adelaide and Lila. Hugh and Lucy, however, still showed the same flatness from the previous book.
Selene, as our main character, was probably the most interesting character from this series so far. I really love how her personality stood out from the other, and how she seemed to be someone who was not even her at all. At first, she was portrayed as a tough and cold girl, rarely showing any emotion at all. But then we got a glimpse at her true character and how she truly felt inside, and how her emotion and what she said constantly conflicted with each other. It was very refreshing to read from her perspective, and although she was quite reserved for a main character—the one we should know inside out—she was really intriguing and very believable.
Griffin Aubrey, our other main character as well as Selene's counterpart, was showing some development here as well, and I love how he showed a lot more emotion than before. His life was not devoted solely to Ellie anymore, and when he had a problem and life on his own, it actually opened his character up. When Selene first arrived at Estes Park, he didn't trust her even one bit, and I think it really showed his personality—and his flaw—of being a hard-headed and guy who held grudge toward other. Sure, it wasn't really nice to read, but he had a real and visible flaw, and that was what made it easy to relate with him, because he seemed flesh and bone, and moreover, human.
But although this book was quite great and interesting on overall, that was not really the case with the ending. Not that the ending was boring or what, I thought that it was just to flat and typical, way too common and not really surprising. I actually love how it was all solved in quite an unpredictable way, but when it actually come to the real ending, it felt a little bit anti-climatic. The reason why the ending headed down that way (And I can't really write it down here, since it would be all spoiler) didn't feel really strong and solid as well, more like way too coincidental and a little bit too forced.
Overall, if you love to read about a refreshing urban-fantasy with a great character, great plot, and the story line that would keep you reading page after page, you should definitely give this one a try.
July 20, 2014
[Full disclosure: I was provided a free ebook copy of this a couple of months during the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
Ellie, the main character of the previous novel only barely features in this one. Although I really did like her, that was fine by me as I got to see way more of Griffin and a whole bunch of Selene. Both of them are fascinating characters in their own right but I’ll talk about Selene first.
She was enslaved by her brother for 150 years, which is long even for a Svatura. More accurately, she had to do what he told her because of his mind control but unlike the rest of the Vyusher tribe she was fully aware of all of the horrible things Gideon had her do. That really just makes it more awful when you think about it. So now Gideon is dead and Selene is having a hard time accepting her role as Queen. Not only that, now she has to cope with the crushing amount of guilt from 150 years of hunting other Svatura.
What I find interesting with the way she copes is that she really doesn’t magically get over everything on her own; for that, she needs more than a little bit of help from the original Svatura group of the first book. One has the power to help heal emotions but even with Ellie’s help in amplifying it Selene will never be totally healed. This is way more realistic than having her completely healed in time for the final showdown. At the same time, even though I wanted to smack Griffin for being indecisive, I do believe it was far more realistic than him loving Selene despite all of their history together. By the end of the novel you’re really in doubt as to whether these two are sure they love each other but I promise you that the ending is a satisfying one.
Just like with the previous book, the plot of Hyacinth is more character-driven than plot-driven. The characters cause many of the events that happen in the end of the novel but this book is far from slow-paced. Abigail Owen managed to balance character development with plot development and I really appreciated that balance. It makes for a much more enjoyable, interesting read. There weren’t really any truly enormous surprise twists for the plot but I did enjoy Hyacinth all the same.
Abigail Owen is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, as you can probably tell by this review. I can’t wait to read the third book in the Svatura series! In the meantime, I’d highly recommend it to pretty much all readers who like a little fantasy in their everyday life. You really can’t go wrong with the Svatura series.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Ellie, the main character of the previous novel only barely features in this one. Although I really did like her, that was fine by me as I got to see way more of Griffin and a whole bunch of Selene. Both of them are fascinating characters in their own right but I’ll talk about Selene first.
She was enslaved by her brother for 150 years, which is long even for a Svatura. More accurately, she had to do what he told her because of his mind control but unlike the rest of the Vyusher tribe she was fully aware of all of the horrible things Gideon had her do. That really just makes it more awful when you think about it. So now Gideon is dead and Selene is having a hard time accepting her role as Queen. Not only that, now she has to cope with the crushing amount of guilt from 150 years of hunting other Svatura.
What I find interesting with the way she copes is that she really doesn’t magically get over everything on her own; for that, she needs more than a little bit of help from the original Svatura group of the first book. One has the power to help heal emotions but even with Ellie’s help in amplifying it Selene will never be totally healed. This is way more realistic than having her completely healed in time for the final showdown. At the same time, even though I wanted to smack Griffin for being indecisive, I do believe it was far more realistic than him loving Selene despite all of their history together. By the end of the novel you’re really in doubt as to whether these two are sure they love each other but I promise you that the ending is a satisfying one.
Just like with the previous book, the plot of Hyacinth is more character-driven than plot-driven. The characters cause many of the events that happen in the end of the novel but this book is far from slow-paced. Abigail Owen managed to balance character development with plot development and I really appreciated that balance. It makes for a much more enjoyable, interesting read. There weren’t really any truly enormous surprise twists for the plot but I did enjoy Hyacinth all the same.
Abigail Owen is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, as you can probably tell by this review. I can’t wait to read the third book in the Svatura series! In the meantime, I’d highly recommend it to pretty much all readers who like a little fantasy in their everyday life. You really can’t go wrong with the Svatura series.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
February 17, 2013
Abigail Owen's ‘Blue Violet’ was one of my favourite reads of 2012 so when she offered me the opportunity to receive an ARC of the sequel, Hyacinth, of course I accepted!
‘Hyacinth’ has the same core characters, although I had to accept that Alex was not going to have a starring role (*sigh*), and in essence ‘Hyacinth’ has a similar atmosphere to ‘Blue Violet’, but in my opinion Abigail Owen has intensified her writing style and from the beginning of the book it is obvious that the story is going to be fast paced. In fact, many of the characters reintroductions are quickly bypassed amidst all the action taking place.
As implied at the close of ‘Blue Violet’ ‘Hyacinth’ opens with Selene. She is struggling to control the Vyusher council and her own mind, which is plagued with nightmares. Selene makes a courageous decision and decides to move nearer to the only Svatura family that she knows.
Ellie and Griffin are still living with the Jenner’s and Pierces’, Ellie planning her wedding to Alex and Griffin now attending university. Ellie’s character in ‘Hyacinth’ is very similar although the reader sees less of her; she is still as outspoken, sunny and protective of her family.
Ironically, Griffin is now withdrawn, emotional and the one made most uncomfortable by Selene’s appearance. Griffin has made the transition from the protective elder brother in Blue Violet to an emotionally maturing man in ‘Hyacinth’. Abigail Owen allows her reader to see this softer side of Griffin whilst he is caring for the members of his family and protecting Selene.
Selene is a multi-faceted character and in my opinion she is the one which Abigail Owen works hardest to gain our empathy for. Despite her very difficult upbringing, which is revealed in ‘Hyacinth’, Selene has very deep human emotions of grief, loss and love. The sexual and romantic tension which builds between Selene and Griffin means the scenes between them are hot and full of petty arguments, but as usual our author knows how to make me cry!
Abigail Owen has ensured that in this sequel the reader becomes more familiar with Ramsey, Lila and Adelaide. I wonder if this is any clue towards what to expect from book 3?
The plot of ‘Hyacinth’ takes its reader from the heights of engaging with our favourite characters again to apprehension and fear to anticipation and then more fear and then highs and happiness and then back down with a bump!
Abigail Owen makes reading, even reviewing, such a happy chore!
‘Hyacinth’ has the same core characters, although I had to accept that Alex was not going to have a starring role (*sigh*), and in essence ‘Hyacinth’ has a similar atmosphere to ‘Blue Violet’, but in my opinion Abigail Owen has intensified her writing style and from the beginning of the book it is obvious that the story is going to be fast paced. In fact, many of the characters reintroductions are quickly bypassed amidst all the action taking place.
As implied at the close of ‘Blue Violet’ ‘Hyacinth’ opens with Selene. She is struggling to control the Vyusher council and her own mind, which is plagued with nightmares. Selene makes a courageous decision and decides to move nearer to the only Svatura family that she knows.
Ellie and Griffin are still living with the Jenner’s and Pierces’, Ellie planning her wedding to Alex and Griffin now attending university. Ellie’s character in ‘Hyacinth’ is very similar although the reader sees less of her; she is still as outspoken, sunny and protective of her family.
Ironically, Griffin is now withdrawn, emotional and the one made most uncomfortable by Selene’s appearance. Griffin has made the transition from the protective elder brother in Blue Violet to an emotionally maturing man in ‘Hyacinth’. Abigail Owen allows her reader to see this softer side of Griffin whilst he is caring for the members of his family and protecting Selene.
Selene is a multi-faceted character and in my opinion she is the one which Abigail Owen works hardest to gain our empathy for. Despite her very difficult upbringing, which is revealed in ‘Hyacinth’, Selene has very deep human emotions of grief, loss and love. The sexual and romantic tension which builds between Selene and Griffin means the scenes between them are hot and full of petty arguments, but as usual our author knows how to make me cry!
Abigail Owen has ensured that in this sequel the reader becomes more familiar with Ramsey, Lila and Adelaide. I wonder if this is any clue towards what to expect from book 3?
The plot of ‘Hyacinth’ takes its reader from the heights of engaging with our favourite characters again to apprehension and fear to anticipation and then more fear and then highs and happiness and then back down with a bump!
Abigail Owen makes reading, even reviewing, such a happy chore!
April 8, 2014
Great sequel
This writer knows how to tell a fantastic story. In Hyacinth, the second Svatura book, we get to know so much more about the characters we came to care about in the series.premier, but with much more depth. The authors style of mixing the past and present while maintaining a mostly linear style shows the reader a complete picture of what we want to see. The style is fluid and fast paced, and makes the reader want to get from cover to cover in one sitting.
Mundane life, villains, heroes, shapeshifters, supernatural powers. This book has it all. Oh, and don't forget the sprinkles of both expected and surprising romance as well. There was enough conflict to provide a reason for this sequel, and the character depth from old favorites to new and surprising influences were detailed and interesting. It ends without a desperate need for the next book to know what's coming, but leaves.the read err with a desire to know because they are actually interested in s read. a subtle difference, but extremely important- and how you can see good writing allow a book to stand on it's own feet.
This second book in the Svatura series did NOT disappoint. It was well written and well edited. BOTH extremely important to readers. A fun, interesting, and DEFINITELY enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the next one! Paranormal with some romance- not just mush- and plenty of action. Something for everyone.
This writer knows how to tell a fantastic story. In Hyacinth, the second Svatura book, we get to know so much more about the characters we came to care about in the series.premier, but with much more depth. The authors style of mixing the past and present while maintaining a mostly linear style shows the reader a complete picture of what we want to see. The style is fluid and fast paced, and makes the reader want to get from cover to cover in one sitting.
Mundane life, villains, heroes, shapeshifters, supernatural powers. This book has it all. Oh, and don't forget the sprinkles of both expected and surprising romance as well. There was enough conflict to provide a reason for this sequel, and the character depth from old favorites to new and surprising influences were detailed and interesting. It ends without a desperate need for the next book to know what's coming, but leaves.the read err with a desire to know because they are actually interested in s read. a subtle difference, but extremely important- and how you can see good writing allow a book to stand on it's own feet.
This second book in the Svatura series did NOT disappoint. It was well written and well edited. BOTH extremely important to readers. A fun, interesting, and DEFINITELY enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the next one! Paranormal with some romance- not just mush- and plenty of action. Something for everyone.
January 17, 2017
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
While reading the first book in this series, I found Griffin to be one of my favorite characters. However, he has been surpassed by Selene. It was almost as if the tables had been just completely turned, flipped over, and maybe even thrown around. Because, instead of liking Griffin as I did in the first one, I found myself having a love-hate relationship with him.
Griffin complained about how stubborn Ellie is, but I'm starting to see that this is more of a family trait. He is super stubborn! But, he only thinks he is doing what is best, and you still can't help but love him.
Not only are you introduced to Griffin's stubbornness, but Hyacinth, also introduces you to Selene. And trust me, you will absolutely love her too! She has been through so much in her long life and has endured a lot of pain and heartache, which has made her extremely closed off. So, when that shell starts to crack and break you can finally see the true Selene. After all she has been through, she has managed to be a kind and gentle person, which is truly amazing!
All the other characters you came to care for in Blue Violet also have roles in Hyacinth. So, don't worry you will still get to see Ellie, Alex, and company!
While reading the first book in this series, I found Griffin to be one of my favorite characters. However, he has been surpassed by Selene. It was almost as if the tables had been just completely turned, flipped over, and maybe even thrown around. Because, instead of liking Griffin as I did in the first one, I found myself having a love-hate relationship with him.
Griffin complained about how stubborn Ellie is, but I'm starting to see that this is more of a family trait. He is super stubborn! But, he only thinks he is doing what is best, and you still can't help but love him.
Not only are you introduced to Griffin's stubbornness, but Hyacinth, also introduces you to Selene. And trust me, you will absolutely love her too! She has been through so much in her long life and has endured a lot of pain and heartache, which has made her extremely closed off. So, when that shell starts to crack and break you can finally see the true Selene. After all she has been through, she has managed to be a kind and gentle person, which is truly amazing!
All the other characters you came to care for in Blue Violet also have roles in Hyacinth. So, don't worry you will still get to see Ellie, Alex, and company!
September 6, 2016
I really enjoyed this. Selene and Griffin are fantastic characters in Blue Violet and it was great to read thier story in this second installment of the Svatura series. Lots of creativity to enjoy with the characters abilities/special powers. Loads of relationships going on, in varying stages etc. Then there's the threat of power hungry enemies with grudges to bear, looming over the characters. All too often in this genre I find that there is just too much going on and the clarity of the story line gets lost amonst too many details, overcomplicated world building, etc. Abigail Owen maintains a clear, well managed story line. I generally find her stuff good fun to read.
March 28, 2013
Absolutely loved this book. I'm glad Griffin & Selene finally admitted there love for one another. I am also glad the Ellie & Alex got married. I can't wait for the 3rd book to come out to find out what happend to Lila and that Ramsey saves her.
March 1, 2013
This book was good, though not as good as the first in my opinion. I still can't wait for the next though.
Want to read
June 7, 2013I would love to read this book as I enjoyed the first one. But cannot download it, can anyone help.
Thank you
Ricky
Thank you
Ricky
May 3, 2013
This is great book, it has me wanting to read the next one....uhg I have to wait till Summer 2013 ;(
August 21, 2013
I love the world set up in this series. The characters have powers, but nothing seems too over the top and their struggles are meaningful. I can't sit to see how the series plays out.
January 1, 2015
New Favorite Series :D
May 30, 2013
Not as good as the first, but still a good read :) Looking forward to the next one!
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