Fractured

Guards of the Shadowlands #2

by Sarah Fine

In the week since Lela returned to Rhode Island as Captain of the Guard with Malachi as her second in command, local news has been dominated by chilling sightings of human-like creatures running on all fours. Lela knows there’s only one explanation: the Mazikin have arrived in the land of the living.

Needing to maintain the appearance of a normal life for her foster mother, her probation officer, and her classmates, Lela returns to Warwick High along with Malachi. At night they secretly hunt for the Mazikin nest. To assist, two new Guards from very different parts of the Shadowlands are assigned to Lela’s unit, including the bad boy Jim, who repeatedly challenges Lela's authority. Lela struggles to keep all her Guards on the right side of the law, but their mistakes come at a terrible cost.

As one painful revelation follows another and the Mazikin start targeting those closest to her, Lela finds herself more vulnerable than she’s ever been, wanting a future more than she ever has. With an enemy determined to separate soul from body, one question remains: how much is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Angels

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2013

About the author

When I'm not writing, I'm psychologizing (really, I even get a paycheck for it). Sometimes I do both at the same time. The results are unpredictable.

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Reviews

[Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why aren't more people reading this series? It's sooooo underrated! And even though the romance had me rolling my eyes and with the appearance of another character who tries to be part of this love triangle, I still enjoyed it.

Lela has become this fierce warrior in such a short amount of time and I don't blame her one bit. She has to, it's her duty. I liked how she finally realizes that she can have friends whom she can rely on. I kind of wished she explained things to these new characters just so she could have more help but alas I kept reading about every scar and broken bone she had. At least they have archangels on their side.. They're a gift but a curse only because they speak in riddles. I would love to know more about why they're helping her. I also love how the Mazikin are these brutal enemies that have hardly any weaknesses so how would they defeat them if they just keep coming back?

I found this to be just as action-packed as the previous book, but the world is set differently. Other than the annoyances with the lovey dovey romance, I couldn't stop reading this.. Especially with how it all ends.. *wails* THAT ENDING pretty much killed me. I saw it coming but I didn't want it to happen. WHY DON'T I HAVE THE LAST BOOK?

[✨ Helena ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, the middle was rather dull, but the ENDING certainly made up for it!!! WOW I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!!

MY POOR BABY, MALACHI 😭😭😭

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! what a secound book loving this series I'm completely hooked could not put this book down, very well written, new fan of Sarah Fine love ever book I'v read from her so far.

I will say it again, why aren't more people talking about this series great new location in this book absolutely loved it 💖💕

Happy Reading 📚📘📒📓📚📙📔📗📕📚📘📒📚📘📒📕📔📗📙📓📚📒📕📘📚📔📗📙📚📖😍👏🙌

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl could easily sell her soul for one of Malachi's kisses.

Review to come.

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And" is better.

3.75 stars. I'm sure that only a handful of you have seen the car commercials in which the company brags about how they have both "this" AND "that" when it comes to features. They poke fun at the concept of not having enough by showing a couple choosing "bed" instead of "breakfast," or "sour" instead of "sweet" chicken.

In theory, I'd love to read more "and" books, in which an author can figure out how to balance two things without making the elements compete with each other for attention. Sometimes, the balance doesn't work for me because I don't get enough of either element to keep me interested (i.e. most romantic suspense).

I got to have my "and" here. Sarah Fine somehow figures out how to write dark, gritty, and action-packed conflicts, but still manages to play up a romantic tension which works for me. Imagine that.

To be honest, I was a little nervous at the end of book 1. The biggest "oooh" factor about the series starter was the purgatory-like world and the beings who inhabited the place. When a twist happened and our main characters ended up relocated, it made me ponder whether I'd be as interested in what would happen next.

It turns out, I was okay with where things went, even though I missed some of the creepy vibe from the previous installment. I got my elements of danger and conflict, yet still had a few moments along the way to swoon, which is just the way I like it.

There were a few brief sections of the book where my focus started to wander (I wasn't sure if it was me or if the book itself had a couple of slow chapters), but when the big moments hit, I was back in the game. Once we jumped a few hurdles... all I can say is wow.

And now, I'm needing to know what happens next. Book 3, come quick.

This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My review is also on Booklikes

Are you an adult who loves to read and chat about young adult books? Join us over in the Rated YA-MA group!

[Penny Well Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.
Too high-school and very predictable.
Disappointment.

P.S.: Interesting Cover.


Book 1: Sanctum - 3.5 stars.
Book 3: Chaos - 1.5 stars.

[Ash Wednesday · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

The human capacity for self-delusion is limitless.

I think this book will divide this series' fans in more ways than one.

If you loved the first book for the crafty world-building, the imagination of The Dark City and the justifiably swoony and honorable Captain Malachi Sokol, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this might be a mild disappointment.

Fortunately for me, I was this side of apathetic towards Sanctum. As a whole I liked it enough to continue with the series but I had my gripes and issues. Particularly the awkward mesh between the paranormal details that felt too intricate to be solid and the heavy-handedness on the Lelachi diabeetus: they were okay apart, but together they generate toxic doses of saccharine.



Fractured wasn't perfect but I wasn't whining as much as the first trip either.

Given that the story has shifted sharply away from The Dark City with new roles to fulfill, I feel like everyone was given a fresh, clean slate. The Mazikin has escaped from The City and is wreaking havoc in the land of the living and with the help of a new crew, Raphael and Michael, it is up to Captain Lela and the happily-demoted Lieutenant Malachi to stop them while playing by the rules of the human world.

One thing that I did like about Fractured is that there was evident character growth on the part of Lela. Being a loner before she went to chase and save Nadia in Suicide City, it would certainly be counterproductive to the current storyline if she'd barely have any emotional stake at the Mazikin situation. So our little angsty Lela gains some social wings and it comes with rich friends to protect and worry over, a hot jock that competes with Malachi for her affections and since this is high school, PROM! I actually liked most of the new characters - Henry, Jim and Ian were great additions - and that the story, despite taking place in the drama-fueled contemporary high school setting, had more latitude beyond the claustrophobic Lela-Malachi storyline.

However,the use of the most hated trope in YA/NA-Contemporary Romance, i.e.The Bermuda Triangle of Love to move the story along here just felt like an ill-fit to how this series started (and no, John Hughes-ing the storyline isn't an excuse). It's not a deal-breaker for me but there's a way of incorporating this in the story tastefully. And it's certainly not by making the other guy a petty, jealous douchebag who goes into snit-fits that just begs me to hate him.

I'm also not Malachi's biggest fangirl but he was such a disappointment for most of this book. He actually started off well, bringing that unique and harrowing perspective of someone who survived a Nazi concentration camp, trying to blend in as a high school senior. But the way he chose to act after a particular point in the story was just excruciating to read about. I am all for not dating your boss but there's no need to resort to wearing the asshat hat. Also this

"This beats for you. It has for some time. And it always will. No matter what happens now, no matter how you feel, that's how it is for me."

Outside the scene, the line isn't so bad, but within context it makes me cringe.

Certain aspects of the story were definitely predictable but I found it to favor a more focused delivery. I always felt Sanctum's world building to be a bit complex and generated more questions than it gave answers but here, that has been taken out of the equation and I am now looking at the entire series with better clarity. Though I'm still unclear over the origins and motivation of the Mazikin by the end, I am now better invested in where the story will go.

The dialogue was not as organic as I wanted it to be but I felt the crackling energy in most of the scenes better this time. The fight sequences were more gruesome and the losses were abrupt and painfully jarring. You know it's a good book when you feel like you're not reading the pages fast enough.

As I reached the end, I was quite surprised I wanted to pull the breaks and wanted it to last a little while longer. Can it be? Is it true? I feel like a different person all of a sudden. Though I'm fully aware how much I complained in this review when I said there wasn't much whining this time around and still ended up rounding this off to a 4-star read.



I am not quite sure many will share my feelings towards this installment, but for all the punches this book threw at me, some derpy and fewer with perfect grace, I can't deny the few that connected has left me a little bruised.

Also in BookLikes

ARC provided by Amazon Children's Publishing (Skyscape) thru Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Quotes may not appear in the final edition

[shady boots · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Without a doubt, I thought this was a step down from the first. While it ended pretty strongly, I feel like this book suffered from an extremely painful case of Second Book Syndrome. I use "Second Book" loosely, however, because sometimes it's later on in a series. However, "Sequel Syndrome" doesn't have the same ring to it. Sue me.

My definition of this syndrome is when the hero of the book all of a sudden distances himself from the main character for whatever reason, and also ends up finding a new girl to flaunt around in front of the MC's face at all times to make her crazy jealous, until by the end of the book he has a "wtf was I doing" moment and reveals he's loved her all along. You have no idea how many times I've seen this exact storyline in SOOO many sequels of YA books. It gets really aggravating. I can name a few that I've read now, actually:

- Blue Moon
- Shine (this is a third book of a series, but the overall plotline is the same.
- Frostbite (this one isn't as prominent, but it's there)
- Crescendo (also not as in-your-face)
- Beautiful Darkness (in this one's case, of course, the male is the main character while the girl is the one that shifts gears. Was still annoying as hell)
- Queen of the Dead
- As Dead As It Gets (once again, a third book of a series, but it still applies)
- Darkness Falls

I literally just listed all the ones I've read that have this common theme. And these are only the ones I've read, guys. Can you imagine how many others are out there? Heck, maybe you guys could even add to this list yourself. I'm pretty sure as an avid reader of YA you too have stumbled upon this particular trope at least once.

This book particularly left a bad taste in my mouth because I'd pretty much fallen head over heels for Malachi, until he ended up being a major assbiscuit in this one. He redeems himself somewhat in the end, sure, but I just never ever enjoy these types of plots where the guy's always with another girl for like 40% of the book. It really, really grates on me. And for the guy in question to be Malachi? It just sucked even harder cause I was too quick to be taken by him.

That's not to say there wasn't anything to like about this book, of course. I still really liked it, and somewhat enjoyed myself. But that enjoyment was always snuffed out during the parts where we're forced to witness Malachi getting all cozy with some other chick through nearly half of the book. I genuinely thought he was going to be better than that.

*sigh* I really am sick of this trope and wish YA authors would just stop with the whole jealousy competition plotline thing. Sequels always have to have the love interests competing on who can make the other more jealous. Just one giant angst party. In my opinion, it really really bogged down what could have been an amazing book. Here's hoping the finale will be satisfactory.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

It's been a few days since I finished reading Fractured, and I've finally managed to calm myself down enough to write a review. I'm really glad I took some time to absorb and process everything that happened in this book before I started writing it. Because, otherwise, my review would have been totally hysterical and all over the place. That doesn't mean I still won't mention how affected I was at times with certain things in Fractured, but now I'll make sure my thoughts are coherent and toned down enough to make sense.

Fractured is as addicting and captivating as its predecessor Sanctum, which was one of my favorite novels last year. There are some changes in the story such as the setting and the introduction of plenty of new characters, but it still has the same feel as the first book. Dark and terrifying. Emotional and powerful. There's also more kickass action and great character development. And there's even some fascinating revelations about the Mazikin and the Shadowlands that made the mission the characters were assigned much more complex and complicated.

Since I've become so invested in these characters and their journeys, I couldn't help how amped up my emotions were while reading this sequel. It was one of the reasons why I had such strong reactions to anything that happened to them, especially Lela and Malachi. They have already gone through so much in their lives and continue to go through a whole lot more. While there were moments scattered throughout that had me dying of happiness, other moments had me feeling a whole lot of frustration, anger, and sadness. Some moments just made everything seem hopeless and left me wondering why things couldn't be all sunshine and rainbows for them. I almost cried a couple times because it was overwhelming. But it's hard not to admire and love these characters for having the strength and passion to get through all these hardships.

For Lela and Malachi, they also have their own personal issues and issues with each other they have to sort out. They dream of having a future, and they wonder whether they'll ever have a chance to live a normal life without feeling like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. Add in having to adjust quickly to their new life and surroundings, and it really causes a strain on their relationship. There were lots of misunderstandings and complications because of a lack of communication between them. It was painful to read, and I couldn't decide whether I wanted to hug or smack a certain someone. Thankfully, there were enough highs that had me melting and swooning (seriously, I was like *PASSES OUT* *HEART EXPLODES* during some parts) to balance out all the heartbreaking lows. And both Lela and Malachi at least got a chance to experience a little normalcy, even if it meant not experiencing it together.

I wish I could say that you shouldn't be nervous or scared, but then I would lying through my teeth. The great thing, though, is that Fractured kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was exhilarating and exciting, even when I was starting to feel panicked and stressed. I love everything about the world and the characters found in this series, and I desperately can't wait to know what Sarah Fine plans next for book three after Fractured's killer ending. I highly recommend this amazing series!

[Jasprit · Rating 5 out of 5]

My last 5 star rating for a book was way back in September, I know that doesn’t seem that long ago, but I was in dire need for something to wow me. My reading slump was getting really bad (the occasional 4 stars were keeping me going) but I was seriously considering taking a break from reading (something which I haven’t done in like two years) but then Fractured came along and simply put I was blown away.

Sanctum was a book I picked up one weekend on a whim, I wanted to see what all the hype was about and I was basically sucked into this truly unbelievable world, for my three reading days. So when Fractured came around, I was excited to dive back in, but lately a lot of the follow up books I had been reading had been leaving me disappointing, so honestly I went into Fractured with my expectations in check. And let me tell you for these four days when I read this book, all I did was read, breath, and smell it. You know when you have to make every reading second count that was me. And I couldn’t have picked up Fractured at a worse time, work was crazy, my sister was on my case about staying up to date with New Girl and my other sister was on half term break so was constantly bored and wanted to do something as soon I was home. So I found myself squeezing reading every page whenever I could, honestly if I could have read and walked to work I would have done that.

Fractured was a book which ripped my heart to shreds, Fine was clever in providing us with occasional glimmers of hope, but only to snatch them away from you in a blink of an eye. With Malachi and Lela in the real world you would think that things would have been easier for them, but no Mazikin were on the loose once more and to me they seemed clever than ever. Lela as Captain of the Guard was given two members to her team; Jim and Henry. Lela thought she was fighting a losing battle, Jim didn’t even know what a Mazikin was and how did Lela expect to be Captain and keep everyone in check when she had the most knowledgeable individual who would have done a much greater job than her; Malachi as her lieutenant? I really appreciated Fine’s change of scenery, compared to the dark and foreboding surroundings of the dark city; it was fun watching Lela and Malachi have to cope with making friends and high school alongside battling with Mazikin. Also after having lost her closest friend in Nadia, I enjoyed Lela getting to know other people from her school. By the end of this book I had become firmly attached to this group of friends, it was great how Lela could put her differences aside and make the time and effort to let these people into her life.

With the way things went down, I was left really conflicted at times, as how I wanted thins to go. I always firmly believed that Malachi would hold a strong place in my heart, but at times I was nearly swayed to another *shock horror*. Malachi once more was a formidable force to be reckoned with, he was loyal to his Captain Lela, he was fitting in well at school (of course he had all of the girls a flutter over him). But because of the decision he made, his relationship with Lela really changed and honestly I didn’t like the direction it went at all. It was clear that both Malachi and Lela were hurting from Malachi’s decision to only be her Lieutenant and nothing more, my heart was breaking too, and just watching them act like they were happy with the decision when they clearly weren’t was too much for me. So that was one of the reasons I let Ian in, like Lela I needed someone to comfort me over the heartache I had been suffering. And Ian, he was the perfect temporary replacement, he was considerate, super sweet; how he ate so much food when he was nervous and he defended Lela against the Mazikin when he didn’t know what was going on. Ian grew on me so much, that I knew Lela would have to choose one person and I knew in my heart who that person would be, but I couldn’t bear for one of these fantastic characters to get hurt .

Fine was just brilliant of toying with my heart; on top of that I had to experience several heart palpitations over the numerous tense scenes. We never knew when the Mazikin were planning an attack or what they were up to. It’s like being in this completely different world didn’t make them afraid of anything. It was scary not knowing who they could change when they wanted to. So my poor heart had it all to deal with in Fractured.

For some reason I actually assumed that this series was a duology, so there was me all expecting this series to be wrapped up nicely, you know me I don’t always appreciate my happily ever after’s, but never have I ever wanted a happily ever after as much as I did with Fractured. So you can imagine how I was feeling when at 95% it didn’t look like things were going to wrap up nicely and the dread in my stomach started to get worse. The ending to Fractured was just something I didn’t expect at all; the wait for the final book will just be a killer.

Fractured by far is one of the best follow up books I have read this year. If like me you’re looking for something to knock your socks off, then this is the book to give a go. Fine introduces a wonderful set of secondary characters which will leave you clutching your heart, a great mix of nonstop action which left my nails bitten to the core and some poignant scenes which will just rip away at that tiny piece of heart you have left. This is one series not to be missed.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 90%... but yes, I still kind of enjoyed it.

Holy F, this audiobook was loooong and dull! I, for one, did not love the second book in the creative "Guards of the Shadowlands" series.

What happens if you take a really cool urban fantasy book about teens in the afterlife fighting some body-snatching evil dudes and plop them in a modern day high school? You get love triangles and drama, of course!

When I picked up this audiobook, I wanted to read a fast-paced book about kicking butt and taking names, and possibly a little hanky-panky between Lela and Malachi. Instead, there is a ton of teenage angst and lots of sexual repression happening.

For my tastes, I thought that this book could have been tightened up a lot more. There are tons of boring, repetitive patrolling scenes and watching each other in the cafeteria. It was less exciting and more nonsensical than I was hoping it would be.

Why couldn't Lela have more guards? It seemed totally ridiculous paired with what she was up against. Also, to make her captain when Malachi has 70+ years of training on her was bananas.

I still found the world-building to be a strong part of the story. I love the concept of Mazikin and the different realms of the afterlife. I am excited to see where the next story takes me (though I'll have to play catch up because I'm not wasting any more time with this audiobook), and I hope it is less boring teenager-ville and more action.

[Kitty (I solemnly swear that I am up to no good) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing is for sure, Sarah Fine knows what she is doing. (Contains spoilers for 'Sanctum'.)


This book is more badass than this gif.

This is book gritty, authentic and creepy BUT still manages to convey a very convincing romance, great character/relationship development and pull off the high school world (far trickier than a circle of hell in my mind) with perfect balance.
Lela is back at high school, this time with Malachi at her side, but now they not only have to fight Mazakin but also manage social dictates of high-school...but this time Lela is in charge and she's all like:



The first book Sanctum really made me sit up and pay attention, it was horrifying in it's portrayal of Lela's life as an abused child in 'the system'. Fine did not hold back, however rather than creating a tasteless book in an inappropriate genre, she managed to pull it off perfectly. Maybe it is because she is a psychologist when she isn't writing??? However I also really loved the world she created and was nervous that 'Fractured' would not manage to pull off Lela and Malachi in the "real" world:

I thought it would turn into another teen drama.

But it didn't (well not too much anyway).

I was worried Malachi's character would not be believable in school.

But he was (and some).

I figured it would loose the creepy appeal of 'Sanctum' and the Mazikin wouldn't be such a threat.

It didn't and they were.


Really, truly I can not high light how much I loved this book and think it will be one of the best UF series around. However there were a few very small things that nargled me, (and do not click on this if you haven't read it as it will ruin it all for you!!!):

In Fractured Malachi and Lela go back to high school and although they still have to fight Mazikin they almost get to be normal again. This is really nice and, god, those two sure as hell deserve to be happy.

But half way through Malachi kills a boy by accident, thinking he was a mazakin threatening Lela, and due to this he decides they have to stop seeing each other.
This goddamn trope has been over done so many times it is unreal...'Like babe, I really truly love you but our relationship is impossible so I am going to end it and hurt you irrevocably...blaaah blah blah.'
In this case his reasoning is steadfast, he did kill a boy for her, however I am sure there is a better way of working it out??
I mean Lela has so many issues with men, Malachi! You are the first man she has ever trusted and now you are going to dump her and start dating some random ditz without even trying to make it work with Lela! Asshole. I felt like their love was stronger than that.

And then at the end, after he hurts her, makes her jealous, mind fucks her and makes her feel ten times more worthless than she already was he changes his mind AND SHE FORGIVES HIM WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT.
I was like, nooo sister, make him work for it....we get why he did it, but he really fucking hurt you.
And that kiss at the end, I had been waiting for it for soooo long and when they finally kissed it was such a massive goddamn anti climax.
However when I really sit and think about it Lela does feel worthless around men, her bad-assness does not cover that unfortunately, and I guess this is exactly how she would act. It wasn't out of character, it was just disappointing, so for that I forgive Sarah Fine.


After all this shit something even more shit occurred, if that is even possible for Malachi and Lela, but I prophesize that once again Lela shall kick ass like the mother fucking hero that she is! I, for one, caaaan noooot waaaaiiit for book three!


Basically if you wanna read this book prepare yourself for one long:

[Jilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book syndrome. It's got that.

Why????


did we have to leave the awesome dead-world to go to high school? Talk about ruining a good thing!

So, yeah, we went from this:


To this:


Not exactly what I was looking for.

And, the Malachi/Lela story got totally ridiculous. It was so contrived.

The only thing that kept me reading was the mazakin story and the fact that I already know that the third book gets better from other friends.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so scared of reading Fractured. I just knew something was going to happen to one of my favorite characters ever. My gut told me I should be afraid, or Alexa from Colletctions just scared the hell out of me. It can go either way. I was so terrified I couldn’t touch the book for almost a month. Then I got over my fears a jumped in. I didn’t have to be afraid because WOW, Sarah Fine knows what she’s doing. I was so impressed with her writing and how it sucked me in. Once you start reading Fractured you won’t be able to stop.

One of the things I liked the most about Fractured were the new characters. Some I adored and some I wanted to strangle with my bare hands. I think that’s what Sarah wanted me to feel. Because OMG. In one scene, I wanted to kill someone. AH! I was so mad! I wanted to get inside the book and slap some sense into that character! I love when I feel strong feeling toward characters. It doesn’t matter if it's in a positive way or negative way. I just love that I feel that they are real.

I feel that Fractured was a bit scarier than the first book. The Mazikin were bolder and terrifying than in Sanctum also. Every time one of them was mentioned in the book my hair stood on end. With everything that was happening in the book I never saw the twist involving one Mazikin coming. It was kind of a WTF moment actually. It just broke my heart. I can’t forget to mention one of my favorite fictional couples, Lila and Malachi. Sigh… Malachi is such an amazing character. Lela is also amazing and strong. We don’t see main characters like Lila in books that often. That makes me love her even more.

Fractured was amazing! The ending was perfect, and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in the next book! Too bad we have to wait. But I’ll wait as long as I have to. If you haven’t read Sanctum you need to ASAP!!! You don't want to miss out on a great series!

Me reading the last page:

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0

*My Thoughts*

Fractured is the second installment in the Guards of the Shadowlands series by author Sarah Fine. Fine has moved her story from the darkness of the Shadowlands, to the human world where things are about ready to get pretty damn interesting. One thing remains the same; Fine's world is dark, dangerous, gritty, action-packed, and at times, heartbreaking. I'll keep this as spoiler free as I can, but I will say that I would recommend that you pick up this book knowing that anything can happen to anyone and nobody is immune from being brutalized by Ms. Fine.

*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

Published October 29th 2013 by Skyscape

[Alicia Batista (Addicted Readers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

OMG, the pain, I can't take the pain in my heart, it's too hard to bare!! It's tearing me up inside!!! I want to tare my room to shreds and SCREAM!!!!!



I just need to know one thing



But still, after all that pain and suffering I still LOVED THIS BOOK SO FREAKING MUCH!!!




-----EDITED-----


Sarah Fine has done it again in this thrilling, heart pounding, darkly dangerous, but oh so amazing adventure, that took me on a ride of ups and downs. FRACTURED was brilliant, absolutely brilliant!!!! Though, I did find myself screaming at some points of the book, saying "NO, what is wrong with you" on more then one occasion. But overall, it was exhilarating.

I absolutely loved being back into this world with the awesome characters that I fell madly in love with in book one, SANCTUM. I quickly got back into the motion and became addicted all over again. Every free chance I had, I was reading FRACTURED. And every time I wasn't, I was thinking about it. I just wanted to get lost within the story, and relive this terrifyingly amazing adventure until the very end.

The writing, as always is smooth and detailed. The world building was dark and developed. The characters were strong and determined. Though I did have some qualms about some of the issues between Lela and Malachi. But by the end, I made my peace with it and thought it was actually a healthy stresser for their relationship. I won't say what or why, but it was HUGE, and had me distraught for a good part of the book! No spoiler here! ;)


THE PLOT


The Mazikin, the animal-like monsters have been locked in their hellish realm for as long as anyone can remember. But for decades, they've found their way into the Dark Suicide City. But now they've taken the next step, and walk among the living!! They've manged to break through the barrier between the living and dead, and are possessing the bodies of humans and sending their souls forever to be cursed in their hellish realm for all eternity. But that's not all, humans are missing, humans are dying, humans are changing, and the Mazikin are determined not to stop until every last human body is claimed, and their souls sent to be cursed in their hellish realm, and they're just getting started...

Lela has returned from her time in the Dark City, she has sacrificed many things for the ones she loves, and now she is paying her debut. In exchange for freeing her best friends soul into a peaceful afterlife, Lela has sold her soul to the devil. As part of the agreement, Lela is now captain of the guard that will run the mission in the land of the living to locate and eliminate the Mazikin before they get out of control. But with Malachi, her trusty, and crazy sexy lenient by her sided, how could things go wrong?? Well Lela is just about to find out how wrong things can really get.

Under strict orders, Lela is to resume her life before she died. That means going back to the high school where all her memories and heartache lies. But Lela is determined to find the Mazikin and complete her mission before it's to late. The deeper she gets, the more she realizes that her and Malachi have their work cut out for them. But then two other guards are sent to assist with the Mazikin removal, but one of them seems to be more trouble then he's really worth. But with the Mazikin getting closer, and more bolder with every passing day, they're going to need all the help they can get.

All the death and stress has taken it's toll on both Lela and Malachi, and they're relationship is on thin ice. And the Mazikin's numbers are growing, and they're getting smarter, and are starting to toy with them. But that only adds more strain on an already fragile relationship. With all the anguish and distress, Lela and Malachi will have to determine what is really worth fighting for, and what is better if let go...

It's all coming to a head, and Lela, Malachi, and the rest of their team will have to put they're differences aside and work together if they have any chance of surviving and saving the land of the living from the deadly monsters. Because the Mazikin are closer then ever to completely breaking through the barrier of their realm, and claiming the land of the living as they're own. But Lela and Malachi are willing to do whatever it takes to stop the Mazikin once and for all. Even if they must sacrifice themselves to do it.

I really enjoyed this second installment of the Guards of the Shadowlands series. I loved getting back into this terrifying, yet addicting world. But I did not however, love it as much as the first book. The first book blew my out of the water. This one, not so much so. But I think that had a lot to do with the ongoing conflict between Lela and Malachi. I love them both so much, but to watch them struggle and be so cold and distant towards each other was just heartbreaking, and totally not what I wanted in this book. But, after long hours of thought, I now think in a way, it was a positive thing for their relationship, and it helped them grow on their own to see what they both really wanted out of life.

Overall, FRACTURED was a great follow up to SANCTUM. Besides the struggle I had with Lela and Malachi's relationship, it was AMAZING, just as I predicted it would be. I've been debating on finally reading the last book, CHAOS, but I've been putting it off because I'm not ready for this series to end yet. Through it's KILLING me not to read it. Especially with that killer ending that shattered my heart to pieces!! ;)

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, Fractured had middle book syndrome. It started really good and ended devastatingly fantastic but the middle of the book seemed more like a holding pattern.

Lela is now the captain but she has no clue how to be a captain. Malachi is trying to not be overpowering and give her space to come into her own but it is hard to have been in charge for so long and then start taking orders instead of giving them. Malachi also has an overwhelming need to protect Lela from everything and that seems to be getting in the way of him doing his job. After a very tragic mistake he overreacts and believes that it would be better if he didn’t care about her.

“We all make mistakes. And some of them are really bad,” I said in a husky voice, hearing the shower switch off upstairs. “But that doesn’t mean we’re allowed to use those mistakes as excuses. In fact, doing that makes them even worse.”


This is where the High School drama and angst begins. The things I really loved about Sanctum were:
1) No freaking love triangle thanks god and
2) The setting in a purgatory of Hell

While I can recognize that leaving the Suicide City to go to High School in the real world is a funny comparison, because I for one hated High School with a passion and it really could have been one of the rings of hell. It wasn’t even close to as cool for the setting as the previous book. I missed the other worldliness that was so fascinating in the first book. Instead of apartments with umbilical corded t.v.’s that play reruns of your guilty pleasures we get Prom. Everything in this book just seemed mundane by comparison.

But it really wasn’t all bad. Lela did a pretty good job of growing into the captain role and became a stronger person for it. The relationship between Lela and Malachi might be stronger in the long run because of the middle angst and dealing with what will make them stronger people overall. They did after all have an insta love thing happen in Sanctum and now they have been through a few trails together to have a stronger relationship. I liked the addition of a few new characters especially Henry who is soft spoken, but deadly. I also liked how part of what really happens to the souls sent to the Mazakin realm came out. Because as soon as I learned that I had very high hopes for where the final book would take us.

The human capacity for self-delusion is limitless

I loved the ending, while I was pretty sure where the book was going, where it had to go, the ending is intense. The Mazakin are brutal and organized now becoming much more of a threat. I’m so excited to see the new realm that Lela has to go to in the next book. I hope that it recaptures the feel that I loved in the first book.

[Eunice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Sarah, you could have spared me one more heavy make out scene before you set everthing into chaos. Sigh. Poor Lela. Poor Malachi. Poor Me. (Lol!)

Someone hand me the next book, please?

[Tandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why? Why you do this to me Sarah Fine?

She punched me in the heart. My guts are leaking out all over the place. First, she makes me fall in love with Lieutenant Malachi Sokol. This is not just a crush. It's full on Demetri/Raffe love, so I have guilt for cheating on my main squeezes to deal with on top of everything else. How am I supposed to wait until March 2014 to find out if he's okay or not? Second, she totally cliffhangered me. At the end of Sanctum, I was singing, "I'm walkin' on sunshine...yeahhh-ahhh!" The end of Fractured has left me with no more music in my soul. I love this series, it's wonderful & torturous. I'm so confused. I totally picked the wrong red-shirt, a different character got killed.

How is it that more people haven't read this author? World building (mostly in the first book)? Awesome. Characters? Win. Storytelling? Score. Ability to give me the feels, ranging from elation to devastation? CHA-CHING! I'm so glad that World After by Susan Ee comes out tomorrow. I'll take comfort in Raffe's arms until I can get me some more Malachi. I know, I should be ashamed. I'm a faithless harlot. March is just so very far away.

[starryeyedjen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy evil cliffhanger, Batman!  Why you make my heart hurt so much, Sarah?  Whhhhhhhyyyyyy???

I was late to the Sanctum party last year, but once I did discover the book, I was head-over-heels for the story...and Malachi.  Not only is the romance in this series swoon-worthy, but the world-building is absolutely phenomenal.  It is so easy to immerse myself in this world and let reality fade away, and that's really saying something considering the awful things waiting for me in these books.  But this world and the characters...there's just something addicting about them.

This sequel started off exactly where I was hoping it would:  with Malachi and Lela deeply entrenched in their love for each other, preparing to seek out the Mazakin who had escaped the Shadowlands.  And then things get complicated.  To say that the romance took a frustrating turn is putting it mildly.  Malachi, being the capable, duty-bound guy that he is, decides that his job must come first and thus begins pushing Lela away. I'm usually not a fan of this approach, as it's usually for the protagonist's "own good".  But in this case, Malachi is making the decision to turn off his feelings for Lela for the good of humanity and the safety of the other guards on this mission.

Naturally, this is hard on Lela, who cannot understand his decision.  She's been rejected and felt unloved her entire life, and for the one person who'd admitted he loves her to push her away, too....it's almost more than she can handle.  But the more desperate the situation gets with the Mazakin, the more Lela realizes that maybe their relationship was distracting them.  It's almost painful to read, but she and Malachi each seek comfort elsewhere, though the dreaded love quadrangle doesn't really feel solid.  Although we don't know Malachi's heart, it's easy to see in his actions and mannerisms that he very much still cares about Lela, and we know Lela is having a hard time overcoming her feelings for Malachi.

But they have responsibilities.  Both guards have a duty here on Earth, and with Lela as Captain, they seek to destroy the Mazakin who are running amuck.  Even if Lela wasn't sure she deserved the title of Captain, she really proved herself worthy.  She is even more lethal, more dangerous, more fierce in this second book than she ever endeavored to be in Sanctum.  But that's probably because there's even more riding on the line this time around.  She's not fighting for the future of just one friend but all the new friends she's made, plus the whole of humanity.  Besides the formidable Malachi, she's got backup from Jim and Henry, both of whom are from different sectors of the afterlife.  It was easy to empathize with each of the guards and their backstories, and it made it that much more difficult to watch the hard decisions Lela was forced to make on their behalf.

In addition to her guards, there are others who help Lela...maybe not in the same way, but they give her a little dose of normalcy in her otherwise chaotic life, and she soaks it up.  I appreciated that this novel highlighted some of the social stigmas that Lela was facing and focused on her overcoming some of them.  It was also nice to see Lela reflecting on her typecasting of Nadia's old group and coming to realize that not everything or everyone is black-and-white.

All of the story in this sequel occurs in our world, away from the dark and terrifying Hell we witnessed in the first book. But that doesn't mean this book is any less intense.  This story was fraught with danger and high emotions, and those were reflected in every aspect of the setting and characters, from the would-be crack den Lela finds herself trailing a Mazakin to, to the homeless ex-nun swinging a baseball bat at Lela in the midst of a Mazakin attack.  The situation seems hopeless, but I guess that's one of the reasons I find myself so invested in this series:  no matter how dire everything seems, these characters never stop trying.

That being said, even *I* wanted to give up hope when I got to that ending.  There are cliffhangers and then there are "just toss me over the cliff because there's no way we're ever coming back from this" cliffhangers. The ending in Fractured was the latter.  I want to remain hopeful, but in the face of all of this devastation, I'm not sure that's possible.

A sequel should leave you balancing on a precipice, begging for more while fearing the worst.  And that's exactly what Fractured did.  This book is full of twists and turns, some you see coming and some that completely blindside you.  It's raw and exhilarating and everything I hoped it would be after such an impressive start to this series.  I wish the next book wasn't another year or so away, but I have no doubt it'll be well worth the wait.  This sequel definitely was.

Thanks to Amazon Children's Publishing/Skyscape for the ARC for review.

This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I wouldn't have anything to say about this book but my review ended up being sooooo long lol

Every time I start a second book in series my biggest concern is whether it will have the dreaded “middle book syndrome” where the author isn’t sure what to do so the characters flounder about and barely any headway is made in the actual plot. I think there were times when Fractured teetered on having it, but I enjoyed the story overall and it was a solid installment to the series.

One of the biggest things that contributed to my enjoyment was the fact that I found myself feeling much more connected to the characters than I had during the first book, Sanctum. I had liked the characters quite a bit, especially our protagonist Lela, but it wasn’t until this book that I really felt like I knew them. It is obviously to me that the author loves this story and her characters, and as a writer myself I really appreciate that.

That being said, I had praised Sanctum for not falling into the typical YA tropes, but I found some tropes here that were pretty prominent in this one. While they did not bother me much, I feel obligated to mention them.

Even though it’s obvious who the love interest is there’s a large amount of what I call “typical meaningless relationship drama” (making each other jealous, pretending they don’t actually like each other for stupid reasons, etc). We know everything will be fine by the end, so it just seemed pointless to me.

We also had the trope of “random second love interest with no actual chance thrown in for drama”. Ian was said guy, and he had that typical sweet personality but we all know he has exactly zero chance of ending up with Lela.

Going back to some positives, we meet a new cast of characters as well as developing a few old ones. I liked all of them. Tegan, who could have so easily been the typical mean girl cardboard cutout, is developed into a likable and complex character. Jim, a new character, has quite bit of depth as well. Ian’s alright, but that’s not to say I haven’t seen characters just like him in 100 other books. Malachi is still a good character but was being kinda whiny for my tastes, and Raphael needs more development.

We no longer have a fantastical setting in Fractured, which I was glad for since having a plot set in the real world just makes things easier for me to visualize. I also liked how a large chunk of the story took place or centered around school. I’ve always enjoy stories with schools or boarding schools in them.

While there isn’t quite as much action as the first, I think it had just the right amount to progress the plot while leaving a lot of material for the final book. I’m still a little skeptical about our main villains, as they’re a little too blatantly evil.

Even though I may seem negative my complaints are really more of nitpicks, as I honestly had a ton of fun reading this! Planning to go straight into the finale, Chaos. Fingers crossed it’s as good as I’m hoping!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews

2.5 Stars

I'm sad to say that Fractured has so many typical elements of a second book in a series. The plot isn't that fast moving, I found myself very unsure of where it was headed, and there were problems with the once awesome romance. In Fractured it's all about patrolling the area for Mazikin, but it feels like they just patrol day after day without any results. That makes the plot feel quite slow at times. And, most frustratingly, there are relationship problems.

One of the reasons why I fell in love with Sanctum so much was because of the romance, but it barely existed in Fractured. Lela and Malachi take some "time apart" so for most of the book their relationship is awkward and tense, since they're not really "together". He starts hanging out with another girl and Lela starts hanging out with another guy, and there's a bit of jealousy there... it was just disappointing. Throwing an unnecessary wrench into the romance is so typical in second books and I was a little heartbroken to see it happen in Fractured .

There were some interesting new characters in Fractured and the ending was pretty crazy/intense/unexpected, but it wasn't really enough for me to be able to say I loved (or even really liked) the book. Fractured wasn't horrible, I just felt very little for it. Sanctum made me feel ALL THE FEELS, but I felt like there were very little feels in Fractured . Even when devastating things happened, I didn't feel them. I was kind of indifferent the entire time.

So overall I'm pretty bummed. Part of me is honestly wondering if my lack of love for this book is because I wasn't that in the mood for a supernatural/demon/paranormal book.. but at the same time, I think I can pretty objectively say that there were a lot of unenjoyable elements in the book that are so common in disappointing second books (particularly the problem with the romance). But Fractured did end on an interesting note and I am really curious to see how the third book plays out!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Fractured by Sarah Fine
Book Two of the Guards of the Shadowlands series
Publisher: Skyscape
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Rating: 5 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the week since Lela returned to Rhode Island as Captain of the Guard with Malachi as her second in command, local news has been dominated by chilling sightings of human-like creatures running on all fours. Lela knows there’s only one explanation: the Mazikin have arrived in the land of the living.

Needing to maintain the appearance of a normal life for her foster mother, her probation officer, and her classmates, Lela returns to Warwick High along with Malachi. At night they secretly hunt for the Mazikin nest. To assist, two new Guards from very different parts of the Shadowlands are assigned to Lela’s unit, including the bad boy Jim, who repeatedly challenges Lela's authority. Lela struggles to keep all her Guards on the right side of the law, but their mistakes come at a terrible cost.

As one painful revelation follows another and the Mazikin start targeting those closest to her, Lela finds herself more vulnerable than she’s ever been, wanting a future more than she ever has. With an enemy determined to separate soul from body, one question remains: how much is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?

What I Liked:

I literally just finished this book and OH MY GOODNESS WOW WOW WOW! *insert flailing*

I mean, I knew that Fractured would have to be QUITE the book, in order to live up to my expectations and standards set by Sanctum. Because Sanctum was one of those books for me that I saw once, kept walking, saw again, was sure I would hate, picked it up anyway, read it, loved it. Like, I love love LOVE that book. I read it in January or February of this year, and could not believe I passed it so many times in the library, and didn't want to pick it up.

Well. I'm glad I did. Because not only did I love Sanctum, but I loved Fractured. Good use of my decision-making skills! I am so scared of sequels, and starting this one was hard for me, but once I started, I couldn't put it down. Sarah Fine went beyond my expectations with this book.

Lela is back from the Shadowlands - back home in Rhode Island, but with a new problem in her life: she is captain of the Guards, and she has the Guards to lead, in order to find and eradicate the Mazikin population. All while going to school, keeping up the farce with her foster mother and the law, and holding on to Malachi.

Easy? No.

There are so many bumps and holes in Lela's road. I think one of the reasons why I fell in love with Sanctum is because of Lela's fierce attitude towards almost everything. I don't know how Sarah does it, but she captures Lela so amazingly - Lela is so realistic, so authentic, so teen-like, but she is hardcore and resilient, brave and fearless. Like, she is by no means perfect, nor is she flawless, but she is flipping awesome, you guys!

Or maybe that's just how I see Lela. I feel like we would be really good friends. From one teenage girl to another, I totally get her.

The first book was all about getting Nadia out. This book is about finding and containing the Mazikin. I love the continuous action that fills the plot. I feel like Lela, Malachi, and the other two Guards, Henry and Jim, never catch a break. Sarah Fine throws obstacle after obstacle at the Guards, and as the book goes on, it gets trickier and trickier to fight.

The romance in this book is complex. The first book includes the budding relationship between Lela and Malachi. In this book, we know that Lela and Malachi are a thing. So, as in all sequels, they must solidify their relationship, and work through trials together. We get a good look at their relationship throughout this book, on many different levels. I won't be any more specific than that, because if I go farther, I'm liable to spoil things, and I don't want to spoil anything.

The climax and ending of this - craziness! A good kind of crazy. The problem with the Mazikin isn't completely resolved - as with all trilogies, that must happen in the final book. And I totally saw the ending coming - maybe it was just me, but the ending totally fits. It makes sense in this series. I feel like a lot of sequels in YA lit end this way. But do not despair! There is more to come!

But seriously, you all, how often do I rate book one AND book two with five stars? HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN?! Never, really.

Book three, yes? Yes. I NEED IT!

What I Did Not Like:

The only thing that I didn't necessarily like was this one decision by Malachi (you'll know which one). I hate when one of the protagonists does that to the other! It's so frustrating, because it's like, DUH, that decision IS NOT the better, more selfless one for you and the other person. But of course, it takes the entire book for them to see this. ONLY IN SEQUELS does this happen. I mean, look at New Moon...

Anyway. Whatever. You'd think I'd be more fussed about the ending. But no - I totally saw the ending coming. I think it's a fitting ending, because it just makes sense with this series.

Would I Recommend It:

OHMYGOSHYES! There is no doubt in my mind that readers of book one will LOVE book two. And if they don't, then it's probably because they're really hung up on the ending. DON'T BE! Read between the lines. This is a fantastic sequel, and I encourage people who haven't read the first book to DEFINITELY read Sanctum AND Fractured, because Fractured lives up to expectations, and goes beyond! You don't want to miss this series, believe me!

Rating:

5 stars. Sarah Fine definitely knows how to build a thrilling story, rip out your heart, and leave you begging for more, right until the last word! Book three, please!

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little bit worried about reading Fractured because after reading Sanctum it had some huge shoes to fill. So, I decided to wait until the final book came out to spare myself the heartbreak that was bound to happen. I'm both annoyed at myself and happy that I decided to wait to read Fractured because the cliffhanger in this one was horrible and basically ripped my heart out.

Another source of worry for me was the shift in the surroundings. Lela and Malachi are back in the human world in Fractured and I was a little nervous that there wouldn't be more world building. Obviously I was wrong. If you don't know this already, Sarah Fine is one talented author and she knows what she is doing. Even though we were in the real world, we still got to learn a lot more about the afterlife. Most of the anxiety and the tension in the book arose from the arrival of the Mazikin, the hellish creatures into the human world. The plot started off slow for certain, but there was this slow build up and once the action started, it was non-stop. Sarah Fine knows how to write some vivid and stunning action scenes. You can't help but be completely lost in the scenes when they happen. What's even better is that you feel like you are there, right next to Lela and Malachi, which is truly a rare feat in YA books. Of course, since I was feeling everything that these characters were going through, my emotional response was glaringly strong. Fine took me through an emotional rollercoaster with all the twists, revelations and sad moments in this. I thought I could finally breathe free at the end until she decided to destroy all my hopes (in a good way of course). The cliffhanger was definitely a brutal one for me and hit me right in the feels. That's how invested I am in this series.

Then there are the characters. Man, I loved how even though they were very well-developed in the first book, they continued to grow as individuals in this sequel. Lela has matured so much throughout and I loved seeing how fierce and badass she had become. Her role as Captain in Fractured gave her the confidence that she really needed. No longer is she that destroyed girl she was at the beginning of Sanctum. She faced her obstacles and even though she fell down a lot, she rose from every failure even stronger than before. Malachi continued to remain as swoony as he was in the first book. He did make me want to berate him for breaking his and Lela's heart in the book, but I understood where he was coming from and that boy was just too darn loveable to really be angry at. Even though there was a lot of heartbreak in Fractured when it came to the romance, the depth of Malachi and Lela's feelings for each other was crystal clear. It broke my heart to see my babies suffer, but I think this "mini-separation", made them fall harder for each other and of course I'm not complaining about that. Even with them not being a couple, the romance was filled with tenderness and really made me swoon. Theirs is a truly beautiful relationship.

Remember what I said about being worried before reading Fractured? It was all for nothing as you can probably tell. I mentioned in my review for Sanctum that it was one of the strongest debuts I had ever read and now here in my review of Fractured I'll confirm that this is one of the best series out there and yes, that obviously means you HAVE to read it if you haven't yet.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Absolutely fabulous and perfect for this time of year!! Full review to come soon!*

I adore this series. I wasn't too sure about it at first, if I am being completely honest Sanctum had to win me over, but win me over it completely did. I couldn't help but not fall in love with the dark gritty world she created and the characters, equally desolate and equally as wonderful as well.

I mean, I dare anyone not to fall in love with Malachi. With his loyalty, his strength, his selflessness, his honor and his gentleness. I think it would be virtually impossible not to at least feel something for the tall dark and handsome man that won Lela over, heart and soul.

Fine created a world so rich in detail and utterly fascinating that it was hard not to get caught up in it. To not feel like you where there with them as a part of the dark and bleak world she created. A world that was filled with little hope and no love at all, at least until Lela and Malachi met and together made it better, together became better. Together became whole.

Needless to say, I was excited to start Fractured, to know what was in store for them and to get thrown back into their world and their new life and come on, isn't the cover on this gorgeous?

While this isn't as dark as Sanctum, nor as depressing, it isn't a happy sunshine and rainbows type of read either. In fact, I think I may have felt more while reading this than I did the first. I didn't want any obstacles to be in the way for Lela and Malachi and really, I should have known better. How could such a dark read turn into something light? Turns out, it can't and it doesn't.

There are struggles and trials and hardships and lots of them. For Lela, for Malachi and for their new guard and friends. No one is safe and no one is exempt from the harshness that has become Lela's new job and world.

Lela had become so strong, so fierce and I loved watching her grow in every way possible.

I would be lying if I said parts of this didn't make me mad, didn't break my heart and even make me a little sad. Ms. Fine threw in curves and twists I really had anticipated and she almost made me want to throw my book against the wall like a toddler throwing a fit because the book wasn't going the way I wanted it to. Where was the happiness I wanted? Why in the world did it have to end the way it did? It was cruel and unkind and..and..I just can not wait for the next book to be out. In fact, I am going to have a really hard time picking up anything else because I can already tell the whole book will be running through my mind for the next few days.


Ms. Fine, once again you have shown me what an incredibly great storyteller you are, no matter how upset I am at you right now for that horrific ending, I can not deny that you have talent and know how to draw me into your world and hold me captive.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd book in the Guard of the Shadowlands trilogy.

The Mazikin, evil human like creatures from hell have escaped hell and are running lose in the land of the living. What do they want? Human souls. As if things couldn't get worse. Lela and Malachi hunt for the nasty beasts.
Between trying to have a normal life and going to high school and fighting Mazikin at night, Lela and Malachi have their work cut out for them. Especially since word is the Mazikin want Lela as their queen. The Mazikin will stop at nothing to get ahold of Lela.
The world hangs in the balance as good verses evil fight for the human souls.

4 stars. Not as good as the 1st book but still a awesome sequel. Looking forward to the last book in this amazing trilogy.

[Story of a Book Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I lost all interest for this series. I don't care for any of the characters nor do I care to see where this story is going. I should've stopped reading this series at the first book, since it ended well enough.
I guess the high school setting and all that drama just wasn't for me. Even the romance in this book annoyed me like hell. Actually, there were too many things that annoyed me. Everything felt flat. The story. The characters. I don't know, maybe it's me. This is probably one of those "it's not you, it's me" cases. But I just couldn't enjoy this book. DNF: 80% (more or less, at 50% I started skimming)

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

eh. character development, war comes to earth, tough girl gotta be tough and tough guy gotta be soft.

[Michele (Reading Lark/CanadianTwiMom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can also be found on Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.ca/2013/0...

4.5 Stars

Another cliffhanger?!! Really?! I seem to be on a roll with these lately. But that doesn’t change the fact that I still loved this ‘middle book’. And typical of middle books in a trilogy…Fractured was no different from many of our favourites as it was full to the brim with angst. But again, that didn’t change the fact that I had a hard time putting this book down.

There will be some spoilers from the previous book…and I will keep spoilers for Fractured as vague as possible…but if you haven’t read Sanctum yet…I caution you about reading further…and just GO READ THE BOOK...LIKE NOW!!

At the end of Sanctum, Lela and Malachi were expelled from the Shadowlands by the Judge and sent back to the land of the living where Lela is supposed to pick up where she left off...meaning return to school and her foster mother, Diane (and pretend like nothing happened), grieve the loss of her best friend Nadia (although it’s a bit easier knowing she negotiated for her to be in a better place) and command a very small army to track and eliminate the Mazikin who escaped the Shadowlands…(breath)…all the while attempting to explore her new relationship with Malachi, who happens to now be HER lieutenant. Perhaps, a bit of a tall-order for one almost-18-year-old-former-street-kid? Yep!

But still, I was pleasantly surprised by how much Lela took her job seriously…and that was something, among many things, that I loved about this story. I was really kind of worried about Lela being in command. We get it that the Judge has a plan for her, and I think I understand what that plan might mean to hers and Malachi’s futures. Still, she was professional while being honest with herself and her feelings about commanding someone who had much more experience than her and who she has very strong feelings for. I mean, she still felt insecure in her abilities, and she made some mistakes, as would be expected, but she didn’t gripe and moan too much…which was refreshing.

I loved how Lela embraced learning to fight and perfect her combat techniques…turning her into quite the bad-ass! Underneath her tough exterior was a girl who just wanted a simple life…and we all know her life has been anything but so far. But she has grown quite a lot from the angry, tough, street-wise teen we briefly met at the beginning of Sanctum to the girl taking her responsibilities very seriously and appreciating the few good things she has in her life--things she worked very hard for--and actually having goals (that, of course, include Malachi)...despite the tenuous grip she has on all of them.

And Malachi continued to make me swoon in this installment as much as I also wanted to throttle him at times. I could see—plain as day—his plan concerning Lela would not work but he DID give it his best shot at sticking to his convictions. Even still…his dark and deadly–and sexy–way about him continued to win me over. The electricity between Malachi and Lela continued to steam up my Kindle and had me eagerly looking forward to whenever they were in close proximity to each other.

Some new characters were added, as well as some key players returned. Tegan was a bit of a surprise…I ADORED Ian…and was really fond of Jim and Henry. Still undecided about Raphael…there were times when I was just as frustrated with him as Lela was, but being the resident healing archangel softened his position somewhat as did his brilliantly described smile. The Mazikin continued to terrorize and wreak havoc…now on the earthly plane...with a few evil and dirty tricks up their sleeves.

There was plenty of action…plenty of romance…and as I mentioned…plenty of angst. I know a lot of people find it overdone and predictable…but, to me, if it is well-written…I’m on board with it…and Fractured definitely falls into this category for me.

Theories, perceptions and decisions were tested. With victories and losses on both sides…there was no clear winner in this installment. But it is all part of the journey that is indeed building up to a tumultuous ending.

And as I also mentioned before, there is a nasty cliffhanger, which has me salivating for the next book. I’m hoping it comes out sooner than later with any luck.

I’d like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this installment prior to its release.

[Nereyda (Nick & Nereyda's Infinite Booklist) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even before I was even finished with Sanctum, I bought the audiobook for books 2 and 3 because I knew I had to listen to them next. With Fractured being set in the human world, I was nervous as to how the new surroundings and the shift in Lela’s position (her being in charge of the mission and having rank over Malachi). I think these changes ended up making the book more enjoyable for me. Lela may be back home, but everything is different now. She’s in charge of this dangerous mission, she has to keep up appearances with her adoptive mom and her friends, and she has to figure out just exactly what this thing between her and Malachi is, all the while still attending school like a normal teen.

I really liked seeing Malachi adjusting to the human world, those little moments always added some lightness to the situation which was a nice change sometimes. The chemistry and attraction between Lela and Malichi is so much stronger now, but they have bigger things to worry about, like stopping the Mazikin who have invaded the human world and are going after kids from her high school. As far as villains go, Fractured (and the series) had a really good one. Someone you can really hate 100%. The plot for Fractured was non-stop action and revelations, most of which I was NOT expecting! All I wanted to do was have my earphones on, just so I could keep listening. The characters were amazing, I really loved for all these secondary characters and my heart broke for them as well as Lela and Malachi.

I know this wasn’t the favorite book of the series for some people, and I get why. But I actually think it was my favorite of the series. It did have the ‘we shouldn’t be together’ issue that is common in books like this, but in this case it didn’t bother me at all. The reason was because with what Malachi did, and his beliefs, I believe his decision really fit his character. It added some good tension to the story, without it going overboard in the drama department. I loved everything about this book, even that terrible cliffhanger ending. Word of advice: make sure you have the next book handy by the time you finish reading this one because you’ll be diving right in! One of the benefits of reading a series once all the books are out. :)

Audiobook Comments: I’m so glad that they stuck with Amy McFadden for this book. You would think that would be a no-brainer since it’s part of a series, but you would be surprised to find out how many audiobook series change narrators mid-series. Vampire Academy series has 3 different narrators and Chicagoland Vampires has two different narrators throughout the series. It’s kind of annoying, but in the end it ends up working out because the last narrator always turns out to be the best fit. In this case, I don’t think anybody could have done a better job than Amy. She only got better with her characters and I loved that I was able to tell who was speaking right away, based on the different tones she used.

4.5 out of 5 stars!

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Read full review & more of my favorite quotes at Mostly YA Book Obsessed


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