Living in the real world is a lot more confusing than Blue Anders bargained for. While Sam is patient with her, Baird is not – demanding the utmost perfection from his sister before she travels to the O-blood island to destroy the predator. Emotions run high as Blue trains with Sam, Alec and Brody, who insist on fighting the battle with her. With the crowned prince of Europe declared among the missing, the emperor teams up with Blue to bring his son home. Blue doesn’t count on falling in love with Sam, or being taken in by the royal family, but she finds herself clinging to the last moments of the life she always wanted before going off to fight her final battle.
USA Today bestselling author Mary E. Twomey lives in Michigan with her three adorable children. She enjoys reading, writing, vegetarian cooking, and telling her children fantastic stories about wombats.
While she loves writing fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal tales for her readers, Mary also writes romance under the name Tuesday Embers.
The Vemreaux series is based on a dystopian world. A caste system based on blood type was enforced after the 3rd World War. The B blood Vemreaux are the ruling class and had the ability to take on a transformation that extended life by 120 years, changed eyes to a dark black, gave strength and a craving for O blood. A and O blood types are enslaved in a serving class and called Waywards. There's a system for what they are allowed to do for work and how long they can live as a productive part of society.
There's a lot of politics in the books. I'm not sure if they are a reflection of the author based on real world politics but some ideas are interesting to see defined in this alternative world. There's a prophecy that gives hope and warning of a female Wayward that will end the tyranny. Except, the only danger to the Vemreaux has been fought and there is no hint of another danger or is there?
At first, I thought Baird would not make an appearance in the Truth, but he comes back and the story becomes more lively for it. There's a mystery about Blue and Baird that is hard to describe. You're shown a lot about the two of them as the stories progress but certain things are not really explained. I have a growing fear that the things I really want to know about may not be answered by the end of the trilogy. I'm almost done with the last book and my fears may be realized.
Blue was wounded at the end of the Way. Here, she struggles with her inner demons, tries to learn how to interact in a world vastly different from what she grew up in and gains answers about her past and present. At heart, the stories that really speak to me are about the relationships the characters have with each other. Each of them define the way they are and how others mean to them. I love the base meaning of these interactions and emotions but I'm having a hard time reading similar descriptions for actions between those that are done by lovers and siblings. I'm totally cheering for Baird to find love with Suzette but I think it's a little strange for cousins to be involved. It's also interesting how age differences are skimmed over in the series. Same is at least 2 times, if not three, years older than Blue. Experience of life does imprint on a person. Why does it seem like all of these characters fall in the same experience range? That's rather odd.
If the reason why the way Liam and Killian interact with Blue is due to their misunderstanding of what it means to have a close female friend that they can open up to, I guess I can kind of get that. People tend to think that being close emotionally and physically means that there must be sex involved. That's not true. Yet, Twomay describes sexually heated interactions with similar writing as those that aren't.
There's too much. The ideas are well done and the characters are great but some of the things that happen are too similar and too much of it happen. It takes away from the story. It makes me question if the character is the way they are defined or the opposite of what we are suppose to see.
Most of the story is presented in a very straight forward manner and I've gotten used to figuring out how the pieces will come together. So, it's weird when something that doesn't really fit with the world happens.
Back on the relationships. I'm at war. I really do love some of the characters and I want them to be happy. I can't help it. I am more of a romantic for fictional characters. Though, I'm a hardy cynic in real life. Then again, it's more real in the story if there isn't a happily ever after for everyone. But, happily ever after?!?! See? I'm at war.
The Truth is a journey that gives insights into the caste system, politics and the inner the demons that each character battles within. In many ways, this book is much better than the Way. I totally grew to love the world and people that Twomey has created. I'm kinda afraid to see how it'll all wrap up. I should just go ahead and finish book three. That's going to happen soon.
I FORGOT. FRANCIS HELP ME, I FORGOT HOW INTENSE THIS SERIES IS. And now I stop breathing every time I think of the book. Twomey is a master of "show not tell." I literally felt every emotion of her characters, from the debilitating insecurities of Blue to the cold fury of Baird to the burning desire of Sam to the blind terror of the predator—all without her ever directly stating how her characters felt. She described movements and motivations, using body language and deep psyche to communicate emotion. Absolutely stellar. LOVED IT.
This book was just okay. I read the first one and felt the same way but thought I’d give the second one a try to see if I got more sucked in, but I really didn’t. I just don’t like Baird or Blue very much. He’s domineering and emotionally stunted and I just did not like him. I felt like Blue was a walking contradiction where she’s supposed to be inhumanly strong yet she acts like a timid little sissy half the time and then once in a while she’ll take a stand and it doesn’t seem in character for her. I like my heroines to be stronger characters than that. And I honestly feel like I could sum up the majority of what happened in a few sentences (I won’t so I don’t spoil anything) but instead the story was a bit drawn out. The best thing about it was that I felt like there was enough closure at the end of this book that I don’t feel a need to read the next one to see what happens (which has sometimes happened even if I don’t particularly love what I’m reading), I’m good leaving the series at this point and I can’t honestly recommend either this book or the first one unless you really have nothing else interesting to read.
I'm going to always love this author. I just love the way she writes. I believe I have most of her works. This is my second time reading this series and I caught things that I never paid attention to while reading it the first time. So yeah there is one spoiler I'm about to put out there and if you don't want to know what it is then stop reading this review.
😵 Is Baird really attracted to his cousin Suzzete???!! They are related by blood not marriage!!! It's still bad (for me) if the relation is marriage but I can tell myself to read past it and not get stuck. I mean I can't!! That's just not right!! So I'm going to finish up with book three so I can remember because at this point I don't. And it's bugging me and setting off my "that's nasty and creepy" radar!!
So I loved the book, but I am finding a patten. So you start the next chapter in Blue 's and Bairds life, but also the other characters. You learn so much about all of them, but you also learn how much of Blues psych is damaged due to Baird. The pattern is these books start of slow so that you learn about the characters more and then the more exciting stuff is towards the end of the book. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it made me stay up pass my bedtime for a few night's. Also I love Sam, he is awesome!
Ok Blues father. Most rapists would say its consensual but it's not, especially since he spread his "happy seed" every where. Blues mom was B Blood ? B Bloods don't grow up in Wayward so who is she. How did Blue get in there ? AND why didn't her father keep her from beatings or the other kids. Still the writing is awkward but you get used to it. The experience on the island didn't last long, kinda anticlimactic.
I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I have enjoyed these books. First time reading this author. These characters come to life and you feel like you’re right there with them. My heart aches for Blue. There are quite a few humorous moments as well.
Loved the second book in this series—not only did we see some things come to a climax, but we also get to see our characters make adjustments and learn some new secrets that will push us to the next book! And I just borrowed it..
This is a fascinating series full of new discoveries and racial tension. Given real world issues (BLM protests) I found it hard to read. The discoveries made is this book were completely unexpected in regards to the predator and situation.
2nd book is so much shorter than the first. What is the point of doing that? It was a really weird way to end the book too. Honestly poor editing choice.
HATE the cover so much! wouldn't have read this if the first book hadn't hooked me. Also, the low self esteem stuff goes too far and is cringe worthy. That said, it was still pretty good.
I noticed a few more mistakes in grammar, but once again, I did not see any spelling errors. As for the storyline, it continues to impress. One thing I always look for in the books following the first is that the author continues to keep you attracted, and gives you new things to ponder and question. Mary does just that in this book. I thought I knew where it was going and then, BAM! She switched it up on me. I lOVED it!
Oh, I will admit that I began to notice something and it really started to bug me. Instead of saying “If you would like me to…” or just a simple, “If you would like…” it was “You want I should…” One last thing. Horses do NOT eat straw. It makes them sick. They eat alfalfa or grass (like wheat grass). Horses may also eat other grains like oats, but NO STRAW.
Second time around I had to drop the star rating from a 4 to 3. The story is pretty boring for more than half of the book but also, the series never gives you a clear cut image of the world these people are living in or of why things are the way the are. However I will always love this series because these CHARACTERS are some of the best and most intricate I have ever come across in a book or book series.
WORTH sticking with the first book. This book was so good and I really could listen to the whole thing in one setting if I had enough time to do it. Many funny moments with her adjustment. The author really is amazing at writing. It was so easy to picture what was happening. I am a huge fan after this book. I am so ready for the 3rd book.
I am enjoying this series. When Blue went to the O-Blood island, they thought she had fulfilled the prophesy, and lived through it. But now they know that was only part of the prophecy, and the worst may be yet to come.