The Mark and the Match

Struck #2

by Rachel Langley

Struck introduced readers to Laney and Leela, twins who, except for a birthmark, are identical. When the people from their small town disappeared, they traveled to a different dimension—Antonia—to save their friends and family from slavery. Antonia strives to be a perfect society, but beneath the surface, there’s an underground resistance, rumors of a sickness spreading among the people, and a king who is trying to maintain the chaos by breaking an ancient curse. To complete the mission, Leela traded herself for her family’s lives, promising to marry the Antonian king in order to break the curse that is killing the Antonian people.

The Mark and the Match follows the twins as Laney tries to return to Antonia to save her sister and as Leela prepares to marry a man she doesn’t even know. Danger is never far from either of them, and they soon learn that safety is an illusion.

Genres: Young Adult

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2018

Reviews

[Kayla Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

After escaping from Antonia, Laney finds that her sister, Leela, has not come with her. Instead, she opted to stay behind in order to marry the King and break the curse. Except, things are about to go wrong. And both sisters will be caught in the crossfire.

Just like with the first book, Laney and Leela were strong characters. The supporting characters were also well done, and I especially liked the part where we met a few Antonian characters outside of Antonia. There is a major twist in this book on the prophecy that I don’t want to give away, but it added the perfect amount of mounting suspense to an already whirlwind story.

For as relieved as Laney was to return home, it just wasn’t really home without her sister. I thought both quests that the sisters embarked on were noble. They were doing the right thing and in the end, it ended up being enough to get both of them out of harm’s way just in the nick of time.

I can’t wait to see how they handle the revolt in Antonia in the next book. Not to mention I’m still eager to see how exactly they break the Antonia curse. Or if they even can.

Narration was perfect just as it was with the first book.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im so upset.

So I read the first book thinking it was a single book and it totally could have been. But then I see after my review it was book 1 so I bought this read it in one sitting and knew as the end came it wasn't going to be an end!!! I want to know what happens so badly, but she doesn't have e the final book published yet. This is such a good read, I have really grown to love the characters and really want to see where all of this is going! Good read, give it a try. These girls/women are powerful in all they do. I give them props, I so want to know what's coming next!!!

[Ryan H · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great continuation of the series! I like that the focus of the series somehow shifted from the characters to our unknown world, however, still kept the characters in focus and we did learn a lot about them. There is so much going on in this second book that it keeps you guessing the entire way through. There is a cliffhanger ending however, which actually fits perfectly with this book. I am so excited for book number three the series has caught my attention and kept it the entire way through to audiobooks. I can tell that we have not seen the last of some of our forgotten characters through book one and I bet they make a reappearance in book 3. This is just my speculation, but I think we have not seen the end of the series. The author does a fantastic job of introducing some new twists and turns along the way making them different from what I expected after listening to book number one. The narration is flawless yet again! They keep it consistent having the same performer do all of the narration for the series. It is wonderful, she does such a fabulous job of incorporating different tones, voices and emotions throughout the entire book. This is an excellent continuation of the series and sometimes series can suffer from the sophomore slump but this is definitely not one of them. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up! Better yet, try the audiobook because the narration is just so good. On words to book 3!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this second book in the series, though I wanted a little more in some ways. I didn't feel like a whole lot actually happened in this one. I was hoping to better understand some characters, such as the king, Elodie, and Hollister. Elodie in particular is a character that seems to have a lot of potential. It would be great to see a prequel, etc. featuring her some time.

I like how the twins are willing to speak their minds, even when they know what they say won't be well-received. And someone finally thought of hair dye to help in disguising someone. I'd been waiting for that. There was also a very good twist. It was obvious and subtle at the same time, and caught me by surprise.

I might have wanted a little more from this story in some ways, but I still liked it, and still intend to see the series through to the end.

[Chad Carroway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Directly, you will discover with the turn of every page, plot twists and characters that garner the attention of even the most seasoned reader. What a story of human courage and collaboration amidst a vivid and vast setting, yet not so foreign to our everyday lives. Within the chapters of this wonderful trilogy... the orphan and the widow are not as they seem, oppression meets social Justice, the status quo must face a patriotic conscience, the sojourner and the native are challenged to reach beyond themselves for the sake of all humanity, and the balance between personal rights vs. that of law and order is constantly tested. This experience will have you asking...”my security and stability in this community, life, world...is it as it seems?

But what is “it” exactly?

Great job Rachel!

[Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story

This is book 2 in the series. Definitely start with book one. This seems to be one of those too good to be true scenarios...but turns into a tale of mystery and excitement. Looking forward to book 3.

[Jaime Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Dramatic. Good writing if a little simple. Will read the next one.

[Bekah | Bekah’s Bookshelves Hosford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mark and the Match is the second in the Struck series by Rachel Langley. In this sequel, we pick up right where Struck left off. Laney and Leela are dealing with the aftermath of what happened in Antonia and the fallout of Leela's decision. If you have not yet read Struck, proceed with caution. There will be spoilers ahead.

Struck ended with Laney bargaining with the king of Antonia for her family's freedom. For their return to their home, she will let him know who holds the mark--the woman who is to be his bride and end the curse that beleaguers Antonia.  She will give him herself.
In The Mark and the Match, Laney is desperate to return to Antonia and save her sister. Though her worry for Leela consumes her, so does her worry for her boyfriend Hollister who has distanced himself from her. Laney doesn't understand what it was like being a body, a slave to the Antonians and the responsibility Hollister feels to his former barrack-mates. While he wants to save Leela, he also wants to save all who have been enslaved. Together, Curwen, Laney, and Hollister must find a way back to Antonia, find the resistance, and hope that their plans don't go awry, especially when they discover information that means life and death for Leela and all of Antonia.
Meanwhile, Leela has come to terms with her decision. She will marry the king despite the fact that he is in love with someone else and despite the fact there is a rebel faction who wants to kill her, destabilize the government, and take the throne. Is there a way for her to avoid this marriage? Is there another way to find a cure? Only the ancient ones know, and the last ancient was last seen at the science laboratory, the place where the disease is contained and where experimentation on bodies take place.
I really enjoyed the character growth and interactions in this novel, especially Laney's. Laney channels some of Leela's calm and pragmatic manner in order to be less emotional and more productive. She also has to deal with Hollister's change of personality and navigate the new dynamics of their relationship. While each chapter still alternates between the twins' point-of-views, it would be interesting to get a chapter from Hollister or Curwen's POV. I'd like to see more into their minds and their though processes.
Langley's continues to build her world, adding more to its history and its people. I loved meeting exiled Antonians and learning more about the politics of the nation. Through  this world, we also get a commentary on our own. What are things that we see everyday that are wrong, but we don't think twice about it? I liked being able to compare our world with Antonia. It's enlightening.
While I still think there were some parts of the book that seemed stilted, overall, its writing style and tone is more polished and tighter. I greatly enjoyed staying in this world a little longer, and I await the next book with much anticipation.
I would give this book 4/5 stars.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming shortly!

[B.L. Teschner]

I felt like this one was paced slower than the first book in the series, but I’m still interested to see what happens to the characters in the third book. Good storyline.