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Mirrors of Bershan #2
Possession
"I never meant any of this, least of all for you to pay the price of my pride."
After binding themselves to each other through their magic, Faylanna Derrion and Tavis journey back to her ancestral home, Iondis, intent on restoring the estate to its former beauty. From the moment they arrive, they find the secret horrors of the place aren't exhausted yet.
Faylanna finds an old journal of her father's, one that shakes her understanding of her own past. Worse, Faylanna and Tavis are both nearly killed when attacked by one of the men set to guard the Ninth Mirror of Bershan, still residing at Iondis. In the aftermath, he disappears with the newly-found journal. Sure there is more to this event than they know, Faylanna and Tavis return to the capital, Rianza, for help.
More secrets await them there, ones kept for years by people Tavis never suspected. When the truth is revealed, it alters his present and future completely. Can he rise to the challenges this new fate presents him with or will the change be more than he can handle?
The truths each learn about themselves and those they thought they knew will test Faylanna and Tavis' love for each other. Will they be able to endure the pain and chaos they face, or will it tear them apart?
After binding themselves to each other through their magic, Faylanna Derrion and Tavis journey back to her ancestral home, Iondis, intent on restoring the estate to its former beauty. From the moment they arrive, they find the secret horrors of the place aren't exhausted yet.
Faylanna finds an old journal of her father's, one that shakes her understanding of her own past. Worse, Faylanna and Tavis are both nearly killed when attacked by one of the men set to guard the Ninth Mirror of Bershan, still residing at Iondis. In the aftermath, he disappears with the newly-found journal. Sure there is more to this event than they know, Faylanna and Tavis return to the capital, Rianza, for help.
More secrets await them there, ones kept for years by people Tavis never suspected. When the truth is revealed, it alters his present and future completely. Can he rise to the challenges this new fate presents him with or will the change be more than he can handle?
The truths each learn about themselves and those they thought they knew will test Faylanna and Tavis' love for each other. Will they be able to endure the pain and chaos they face, or will it tear them apart?
- GenresFantasy
ebook
First published September 10, 2013
46 people want to read
About the author
J. Elizabeth Hill
7 books56 followersBorn in Toronto, Ontario, Julie Elizabeth Hill exported herself to Vancouver, British Columbia after many years of staring longingly at the map following every snowfall. For as long as she can remember, she's been making up stories, but it wasn't until high school that someone suggested writing them down. Since then, she's been hopelessly in love with story crafting, often forgetting about everything else in the process.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 10, 2013
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this book.
Sequels can be tricky. You need to keep fans interested in characters they've already gotten to know, and you have to keep the story moving forward. Many authors fail to do this.
J Elizabeth Hill does it brilliantly.
I don't usually enjoy reading about what happens after the love interests get together. I usually find the story boring after that. That's not true with this book. The characters didn't just fall in love and suddenly not have any problems anymore. In fact, they seem to have more problems now than they did in the first book, even though they don't love each other any less.
I love Faylanna and Tavis, separately and together. Tavis got a bit annoying with his "I have to protect you" mantra, but for once a book features a protective guy who actually has a reason to be protective, and he's not a jerk about it like so many of the other love interests I've read about lately, so I couldn't really blame him for feeling that way. And Faylanna doesn't just sit there and let the guys take care of her. She's strong and determined to take care of herself. It was nice seeing how they could both be really stubborn but still so supportive and loving at the same time.
I also loved the supporting characters, all of whom have as much depth of personality as the main characters. We learn so much more about the rest of the cast in this novel, and I loved it. Even characters who are no longer physically present are given more depth, which was unexpected but great.
Really, the character development is just fantastic, and these characters are what really drive the plot forward and kept me glued to my Nook. I had to learn more about them. I had to figure out how they would react to certain events. I had to make sure they were all going to be safe.
This book was a lot darker than I was expected, but it definitely fit, and I really enjoyed reading it. There were also several moments where I was laughing out loud. So this book definitely covers a range of emotions, which is awesome.
Also, the writing was fantastic. The writing was great in the first book, too, but I enjoyed it even more in this one. The words flowed so naturally, and the events progressed in a reasonable fashion. I was never stuck wondering what had just happened. We also get to see part of the story from Tavis's point of view this time, which I really loved. It was great being able to see things from both of their points of view.
Really, the only slightly negative thing I have to say about this book is that it didn't have the same sense of urgency that the first book had. Almost from the beginning of the first book, you knew something bad was going to happen, and you had to keep reading to figure out if everything would be okay. There's still a lot of that in this book, but it comes later in the novel. I still really liked it, though, and this wasn't a big negative for me at all, as I tend to prefer character-driven stories anyway.
Sequels can be tricky. You need to keep fans interested in characters they've already gotten to know, and you have to keep the story moving forward. Many authors fail to do this.
J Elizabeth Hill does it brilliantly.
I don't usually enjoy reading about what happens after the love interests get together. I usually find the story boring after that. That's not true with this book. The characters didn't just fall in love and suddenly not have any problems anymore. In fact, they seem to have more problems now than they did in the first book, even though they don't love each other any less.
I love Faylanna and Tavis, separately and together. Tavis got a bit annoying with his "I have to protect you" mantra, but for once a book features a protective guy who actually has a reason to be protective, and he's not a jerk about it like so many of the other love interests I've read about lately, so I couldn't really blame him for feeling that way. And Faylanna doesn't just sit there and let the guys take care of her. She's strong and determined to take care of herself. It was nice seeing how they could both be really stubborn but still so supportive and loving at the same time.
I also loved the supporting characters, all of whom have as much depth of personality as the main characters. We learn so much more about the rest of the cast in this novel, and I loved it. Even characters who are no longer physically present are given more depth, which was unexpected but great.
Really, the character development is just fantastic, and these characters are what really drive the plot forward and kept me glued to my Nook. I had to learn more about them. I had to figure out how they would react to certain events. I had to make sure they were all going to be safe.
This book was a lot darker than I was expected, but it definitely fit, and I really enjoyed reading it. There were also several moments where I was laughing out loud. So this book definitely covers a range of emotions, which is awesome.
Also, the writing was fantastic. The writing was great in the first book, too, but I enjoyed it even more in this one. The words flowed so naturally, and the events progressed in a reasonable fashion. I was never stuck wondering what had just happened. We also get to see part of the story from Tavis's point of view this time, which I really loved. It was great being able to see things from both of their points of view.
Really, the only slightly negative thing I have to say about this book is that it didn't have the same sense of urgency that the first book had. Almost from the beginning of the first book, you knew something bad was going to happen, and you had to keep reading to figure out if everything would be okay. There's still a lot of that in this book, but it comes later in the novel. I still really liked it, though, and this wasn't a big negative for me at all, as I tend to prefer character-driven stories anyway.
August 23, 2013
After the maelstrom of events that concluded Bound, Faylanna wants nothing more than to restore her home and do right by her people as their Viscountess. Iondis is still in the state she left it in, including the presence of the ninth mirror in the maze garden. After exploring her home to assess the damage and nurse her memories, the danger starts again and activates Tavis’s protectiveness of his love and bonded. Though Faylanna feels she should be there for her people, he persuades her to return to Rianza to seek the help of their allies against the troubles that never went away and new ones just making themselves known.
While Bound was told from Faylanna’s perspective, Possession includes narrative from Tavis as well, which is wonderful because Tavis earns his dreaminess in spades. Though they are bound, Faylanna and Tavis still have a lot to discover about one another and their relationship. The bond between them is an active element in the story; like the magic in the series, it is pervasive and ever relevant. What I was most excited to see was how the bond even affected the writing style at times, bringing a new and fantastic element to the story. The love and reliance that Faylanna and Tavis feel for one another spreads into layers of comfort and hindrance pushing toward an understanding between the two—a journey which at times brought tears to my eyes.
Apart from the relationship, the story is driven by a new threat that spares none of the main characters, driving them all to their limits and sometimes even further than any one person can handle alone. Every person faces decisions that will change every aspect of their lives—and considering the social importance of some, the lives of many others. The book is a mystery of the past, future, and the beings and forces that strive to seize control. Hill’s writing is strong, her world complete, and so it was strange when the “You should definitely hate me” monologues popped up because they were unnecessary compared to all the other things she gives. The characters are solid enough to trust without extra stuff being piled on. The conflicts provide a delicious tension; even the victories come with incredible consequences.
As a sequel, Possession does everything it should: picking up the threads left by Bound and introducing new elements, broadening the already diverse society, and giving us things to look forward to in the conclusion. If you’ve read Bound (which is hope you have, especially if you are reading reviews for the second book), you will adore the adventures and discoveries in Possession. Faylanna and Tavis are fantastic on their own; bound, their story has intensified in the best ways possible.
While Bound was told from Faylanna’s perspective, Possession includes narrative from Tavis as well, which is wonderful because Tavis earns his dreaminess in spades. Though they are bound, Faylanna and Tavis still have a lot to discover about one another and their relationship. The bond between them is an active element in the story; like the magic in the series, it is pervasive and ever relevant. What I was most excited to see was how the bond even affected the writing style at times, bringing a new and fantastic element to the story. The love and reliance that Faylanna and Tavis feel for one another spreads into layers of comfort and hindrance pushing toward an understanding between the two—a journey which at times brought tears to my eyes.
Apart from the relationship, the story is driven by a new threat that spares none of the main characters, driving them all to their limits and sometimes even further than any one person can handle alone. Every person faces decisions that will change every aspect of their lives—and considering the social importance of some, the lives of many others. The book is a mystery of the past, future, and the beings and forces that strive to seize control. Hill’s writing is strong, her world complete, and so it was strange when the “You should definitely hate me” monologues popped up because they were unnecessary compared to all the other things she gives. The characters are solid enough to trust without extra stuff being piled on. The conflicts provide a delicious tension; even the victories come with incredible consequences.
As a sequel, Possession does everything it should: picking up the threads left by Bound and introducing new elements, broadening the already diverse society, and giving us things to look forward to in the conclusion. If you’ve read Bound (which is hope you have, especially if you are reading reviews for the second book), you will adore the adventures and discoveries in Possession. Faylanna and Tavis are fantastic on their own; bound, their story has intensified in the best ways possible.
Want to read
May 26, 2015Love the cover! I can't wait for this to be released!
September 28, 2013
It really is such a cute fantasy story. I love Faylanna and Tavis. They are adorable.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews