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Nevermore #2
Enshadowed
True love takes a twisted turn in the second book of this modern Gothic romance trilogy channeling the dark brilliance of Edgar Allan Poe.While Varen remains a prisoner in a perilous dream world where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life, Isobel travels to Baltimore to confront the dark figure known throughout the world as the Poe Toaster. This man, the same man who once appeared to Isobel in her dreams and abandoned her in Varen’s nightmare world, holds the key to saving Varen.
But when Isobel discovers a way to return to this dream world, she finds herself swept up in a realm that not only holds remnants of Edgar Allan Poe’s presence, but has also now taken on the characteristics of Varen’s innermost self. It is a dark world of fear, terror, and anger.
When Isobel once more encounters Varen, she finds him changed. And now Isobel must face a new adversary—one who also happens to be her greatest love.
But when Isobel discovers a way to return to this dream world, she finds herself swept up in a realm that not only holds remnants of Edgar Allan Poe’s presence, but has also now taken on the characteristics of Varen’s innermost self. It is a dark world of fear, terror, and anger.
When Isobel once more encounters Varen, she finds him changed. And now Isobel must face a new adversary—one who also happens to be her greatest love.
429 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2012
157 people are currently reading
12355 people want to read
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September 12, 2016
This is how I felt before reading this book:
"How am I expected to wait that long?? FML, someone should change the date to this year NOW. Not to sound crazy, but I Need My Varen!!! >.<"
...And this is how I feel now:
I almost feel like crying. This doesn't seem fair, that the sequel to such a great debut should fall so flat; I almost don't know what to feel, it's all a mess of disappointment, sadness and confusion. What do you do when something you've waited for with such high anticipation and delight just leaves you hollow?
The Review
Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh strikes me as being an utterly absurd book. In some cases, it brings new meaning to the word, "filler," solidifying my idea that there really is such a thing as "curse of the second" in terms of book series and their sequels.
The book, following the preface, begins with a dream. Isobel, being in the middle of practising for Nationals with her cheer squad, is interrupted when none other than Mr. Nethers appears. They go off together, only to have a strange interaction, and before Varen leaves, he imparts a very eerie message, one I will NOT spoil. As the dream closes to an end, Isobel wakes to...life without Varen. Christmas is around the corner, we even have snowbut where I'm from, that white stuff is all annual, and it is revealed that nothing much has happened since we last left off. Like nothing. I use the word very literally because aside from inheriting the Dark One's moodiness, Isobel really isn't on a set path to finding Varen, let alone bringing him home. She has an idea of what could happen, providing that her very concerned parents do not lock her up in asylum before said plans materialize. Still, she isn't 100% on the exact details for Operation:Bust Varen from Clutches of Evil Demoness. Nope, we're still working out the bugs on that one.
Now, if I was Varen - or anyone trapped with Lilith, for that matter - I would be more than a little pissed. Maybe it was the overall pacing or the fact that the word "development" wasn't relative to Enshadowed's story-line at all. Isobel looked like a pouty, angsty, teenager; whining, but doing nothing about the problems in terms of solving them.
Yeah...
Listen up, I get that you miss Varen,I've missed him more probably these past months, but...can you LIVE a little?! Seriously, Isobel has a loving family, the most adorable little brother, and while they'd all give the world for her; she just cuts them out of her life completely.
Isobel : "Ah, life is so meaningless without Varen!
Very Confused Readers of Nevermore and now Enshadowed : *blinks* Were you always this annoying? Tell me you weren't always this annoying.
Yep, the death of one of my favourite characters just happened!
Her dad and mom kept trying for her to connect. Danny tried. Isobel wouldn't budge. And while I used to adore this coupling, hers and Varen, their relationship started to look a lot like every other PRN/YA out there where the lead heroine loses the love of her pubescent life, consequently slipping into manic depression. I couldn't stand this happening, not with Isobel and certainly not because of Varen. Because they were both better than this, or at least I thought so.
The only thing this book gets points for are its side-characters, Brad (believe it or not), Danny, Gwen, and Isobel's mom and her dad. The writing was pretty, but ultimately didn't take the reader anywhere. I could handle reading about a depressed protagonist if being inside her head did not make me feel depressed also. The only thing that got our little cheerleader acting lively was Varen, any mention or memory of him and she gained about a zap's worth of energy. Not that she did anything useful with this energy, mind you.
And as you can imagine, this source of restoration got old pretty fast. Isobel's perception of Varen suddenly took a turn for the worse; he became the 'tortured artist' and 'misunderstood,' giving the whole thing an awkward hero-worship quality. I became sceptical of him, disliking Varen to an extent when ordinarily I wouldn't have. The whole mess with Lilith...it was his fault.
Varen failed to connect appropriately with humanity, and hence, he sought the understanding companionship of a soul-sucking banshee. Go figure! The problem here is not that he is being made to face the consequences of his actions, but rather that Isobel seems utterly blind to him being at fault at all. She wants to stop Lilith from hurting anyone ever again, but what if they, like Varen, want her summoned? What then!?
Isobel : "Varen was tricked, and Lilith, she corrupted him!"
Every Reader, and I, who read Enshadowed and head-desked on a grand scale post-and during-the read. : "Sure, sweetheart. Hey, show me that pretty somersault of yours. Yes?"
This was absolutely unbelievable. That my intelligent, witty, Isobel would put aside rational thought, reason, to defend the Great Varen Nethers; there was just no point to it, like none at all. Whichever way you look at it, he is responsible for whatever's happening to him. Her denial of his involvement, more than anything, made her look stupid. You cannot seek to resolve anything by hiding or avoiding the truth; someone should have told Isobel.
Now...to his Darkship: what the hell happened to you?? Frick, man, you were on a roll; people loved you, America's ovaries were in your favour!! And then you went and ruined it. I don't know/care if the tool committing that heinous act at the end of this book was you or just a Noc, but, that my friend was absolutely unacceptable. NO OVARIES FOR YOU. I am kind of royally ticked off about this, Kelly Creagh would have been better off never writing you (Varen) into this sequel and just sticking with the endless - and somehow elegant - prose of description.
Listen up Varen, you should file a character-complaint or something in the underworld's court of justice - that is, if Lilith will allow you - because you, my friend, have officially been victim to a total massacre. It will take a lot to win back this reader, I feel let down by this series. Maybe I should have just stuck to re-reading Nevermore and foregone Enshadowed, I would have been happier.
Major Problems
- The writing was endless, almost 430 pages worth, but there wasn't an actual story, nor substance.
- Somebody mentioned that Gwen almost became a plot device, but luckily I stopped reading before then. At first she was my Batman, saving the world/reading experience of this book for the masses, until I realized that Isobel's role was being greatly overshadowed by Gwen. Isobel is the main protagonist, and while she is there, her presence failed to accomplish anything by me.
- A chunk of pages at the beginning should have been sacrificed, if only to start the book off rightly, preferably when the action begins in Baltimore.
Final Thoughts
I leave Enshadowed thinking badly of both Isobel and Varen, even considering if the final instalment in this series will be worth the anticipation wasted on this second novel. This was a hard review to write, but if the next book is anything like this one, I'm thinking that maybe placing a hold for it at the library instead of pre-ordering a copy might be a better decision. I am safely disappointed, and I have said it before, but I'll say it again, this was not the sequel I waited almost a year for.
1.5/5 stars
"How am I expected to wait that long?? FML, someone should change the date to this year NOW. Not to sound crazy, but I Need My Varen!!! >.<"
...And this is how I feel now:
I almost feel like crying. This doesn't seem fair, that the sequel to such a great debut should fall so flat; I almost don't know what to feel, it's all a mess of disappointment, sadness and confusion. What do you do when something you've waited for with such high anticipation and delight just leaves you hollow?
Goodreads Summary
True love takes a twisted turn in the second book of this modern gothic romance trilogy channeling the dark brilliance of Edgar Allan Poe.While Varen remains a prisoner in a perilous dream world where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life, Isobel travels to Baltimore to confront the dark figure known throughout the world as the Poe Toaster. This man, the same man who once appeared to Isobel in her dreams and abandoned her in Varen’s nightmare world, holds the key to saving Varen.
But when Isobel discovers a way to return to this dream world, she finds herself swept up in a realm that not only holds remnants of Edgar Allan Poe’s presence, but has also now taken on the characteristics of Varen’s innermost self. It is a dark world of fear, terror, and anger.
When Isobel once more encounters Varen, she finds him changed. And now Isobel must face a new adversary—one who also happens to be her greatest love.
The Review
Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh strikes me as being an utterly absurd book. In some cases, it brings new meaning to the word, "filler," solidifying my idea that there really is such a thing as "curse of the second" in terms of book series and their sequels.
The book, following the preface, begins with a dream. Isobel, being in the middle of practising for Nationals with her cheer squad, is interrupted when none other than Mr. Nethers appears. They go off together, only to have a strange interaction, and before Varen leaves, he imparts a very eerie message, one I will NOT spoil. As the dream closes to an end, Isobel wakes to...life without Varen. Christmas is around the corner, we even have snow
Now, if I was Varen - or anyone trapped with Lilith, for that matter - I would be more than a little pissed. Maybe it was the overall pacing or the fact that the word "development" wasn't relative to Enshadowed's story-line at all. Isobel looked like a pouty, angsty, teenager; whining, but doing nothing about the problems in terms of solving them.
Yeah...
Listen up, I get that you miss Varen,
Isobel : "Ah, life is so meaningless without Varen!
Very Confused Readers of Nevermore and now Enshadowed : *blinks* Were you always this annoying? Tell me you weren't always this annoying.
Yep, the death of one of my favourite characters just happened!
Her dad and mom kept trying for her to connect. Danny tried. Isobel wouldn't budge. And while I used to adore this coupling, hers and Varen, their relationship started to look a lot like every other PRN/YA out there where the lead heroine loses the love of her pubescent life, consequently slipping into manic depression. I couldn't stand this happening, not with Isobel and certainly not because of Varen. Because they were both better than this, or at least I thought so.
The only thing this book gets points for are its side-characters, Brad (believe it or not), Danny, Gwen, and Isobel's mom and her dad. The writing was pretty, but ultimately didn't take the reader anywhere. I could handle reading about a depressed protagonist if being inside her head did not make me feel depressed also. The only thing that got our little cheerleader acting lively was Varen, any mention or memory of him and she gained about a zap's worth of energy. Not that she did anything useful with this energy, mind you.
And as you can imagine, this source of restoration got old pretty fast. Isobel's perception of Varen suddenly took a turn for the worse; he became the 'tortured artist' and 'misunderstood,' giving the whole thing an awkward hero-worship quality. I became sceptical of him, disliking Varen to an extent when ordinarily I wouldn't have. The whole mess with Lilith...it was his fault.
Varen failed to connect appropriately with humanity, and hence, he sought the understanding companionship of a soul-sucking banshee. Go figure! The problem here is not that he is being made to face the consequences of his actions, but rather that Isobel seems utterly blind to him being at fault at all. She wants to stop Lilith from hurting anyone ever again, but what if they, like Varen, want her summoned? What then!?
Isobel : "Varen was tricked, and Lilith, she corrupted him!"
Every Reader, and I, who read Enshadowed and head-desked on a grand scale post-and during-the read. : "Sure, sweetheart. Hey, show me that pretty somersault of yours. Yes?"
This was absolutely unbelievable. That my intelligent, witty, Isobel would put aside rational thought, reason, to defend the Great Varen Nethers; there was just no point to it, like none at all. Whichever way you look at it, he is responsible for whatever's happening to him. Her denial of his involvement, more than anything, made her look stupid. You cannot seek to resolve anything by hiding or avoiding the truth; someone should have told Isobel.
Now...to his Darkship: what the hell happened to you?? Frick, man, you were on a roll; people loved you, America's ovaries were in your favour!! And then you went and ruined it. I don't know/care if the tool committing that heinous act at the end of this book was you or just a Noc, but, that my friend was absolutely unacceptable. NO OVARIES FOR YOU. I am kind of royally ticked off about this, Kelly Creagh would have been better off never writing you (Varen) into this sequel and just sticking with the endless - and somehow elegant - prose of description.
Listen up Varen, you should file a character-complaint or something in the underworld's court of justice - that is, if Lilith will allow you - because you, my friend, have officially been victim to a total massacre. It will take a lot to win back this reader, I feel let down by this series. Maybe I should have just stuck to re-reading Nevermore and foregone Enshadowed, I would have been happier.
Major Problems
- The writing was endless, almost 430 pages worth, but there wasn't an actual story, nor substance.
- Somebody mentioned that Gwen almost became a plot device, but luckily I stopped reading before then. At first she was my Batman, saving the world/reading experience of this book for the masses, until I realized that Isobel's role was being greatly overshadowed by Gwen. Isobel is the main protagonist, and while she is there, her presence failed to accomplish anything by me.
- A chunk of pages at the beginning should have been sacrificed, if only to start the book off rightly, preferably when the action begins in Baltimore.
Final Thoughts
I leave Enshadowed thinking badly of both Isobel and Varen, even considering if the final instalment in this series will be worth the anticipation wasted on this second novel. This was a hard review to write, but if the next book is anything like this one, I'm thinking that maybe placing a hold for it at the library instead of pre-ordering a copy might be a better decision. I am safely disappointed, and I have said it before, but I'll say it again, this was not the sequel I waited almost a year for.
1.5/5 stars
Want to read
April 1, 2011OH NO! D:
until 2012?!?!?!?!?!?!
whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!
T___________T
Dude, it's TOO LONG.
I want to know what happens to Varen NOW.
And it better be GOOD.
He deserves some HAPPINESS.
go, Varen!
_______________________
March 28, 2011:
seems like book #2 has a title!!
and a BEAUTIFLY AWESOME cover,
and a summary: Varen goes to THE DARK SIDE?!!?!?!
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDD:
I can't wait any longerrrrrrrrr *locks herself in mental sanatorium*
until 2012?!?!?!?!?!?!
whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!
T___________T
Dude, it's TOO LONG.
I want to know what happens to Varen NOW.
And it better be GOOD.
He deserves some HAPPINESS.
go, Varen!
_______________________
March 28, 2011:
seems like book #2 has a title!!
and a BEAUTIFLY AWESOME cover,
and a summary: Varen goes to THE DARK SIDE?!!?!?!
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDD:
I can't wait any longerrrrrrrrr *locks herself in mental sanatorium*
June 14, 2012
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Maybe it's a little early to post my review for this, but I couldn't help it because this kind of love needs to be shared! Enshadowed isn't just about Varen and Isobel being together; it's about them being apart and fighting all the shadows — literally — to reunite. It's less about school life, more about the haunting dreamworld we only got a glimpse of in book one. In short: I loved Nevermore, but this installment just blew me away!
Some people may not be satisfied since Varen is mostly stuck in his dreamworld, struggling to return to Isobel, but I thought it was PERFECT. It shows, rather than tells, how much Isobel is willing to go through for him. The things she endures — like being tormented by dream monsters as well as real ones — all broke my heart like a recorded accident replaying over and over again on the news.
Isobel is my HERO. I love her so much! She's more than the beautiful blond cheerleader stereotype she was growing out of in Nevermore. She's sent tumbling into Varen's literal nightmare head first — with its horrifying shadows and monsters — but she still manages to right herself before she hits that harsh impact of a climax. Isobel is strong and determined and brave and so, so brilliantly written. Aching for her is mandatory, not an option!
But even though Varen isn't as present in Isobel's real life, he's still in her mind, her heart, her dreams, and her mirrors. They still make up one of my all-time favourite couples — not just because they trump the whole cheerleader-and-goth stereotype, but because their heart-wrenching and twisted journey proves how much they belong together.
Izzy's hilarious friend Gwen is back with all of her gothic quirkiness. And her dad also plays an important role in this book, as do her mother and adorable little brother Danny. You can see how much her family cares about her, and that's what makes watching Isobel claw through shadows so much harder.
With the beautifully dark storyline and Kelly Creagh's hauntingly dream-like writing, Enshadowed makes my favourites shelf right next to Nevermore! The ending just about broke me, unhinged me, and waiting for the next one is going to be torture — but I've already decided that waiting for anything that Kelly Creagh writes is well darn worth it!
BUY or BORROW?: Sometimes I wonder why I even ask this question. Buy for sure, please! ;)
-Mimi
So you can witness firsthand how beautiful the writing is, here's one of my favourite quotes! :)
(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)
Maybe it's a little early to post my review for this, but I couldn't help it because this kind of love needs to be shared! Enshadowed isn't just about Varen and Isobel being together; it's about them being apart and fighting all the shadows — literally — to reunite. It's less about school life, more about the haunting dreamworld we only got a glimpse of in book one. In short: I loved Nevermore, but this installment just blew me away!
Some people may not be satisfied since Varen is mostly stuck in his dreamworld, struggling to return to Isobel, but I thought it was PERFECT. It shows, rather than tells, how much Isobel is willing to go through for him. The things she endures — like being tormented by dream monsters as well as real ones — all broke my heart like a recorded accident replaying over and over again on the news.
Isobel is my HERO. I love her so much! She's more than the beautiful blond cheerleader stereotype she was growing out of in Nevermore. She's sent tumbling into Varen's literal nightmare head first — with its horrifying shadows and monsters — but she still manages to right herself before she hits that harsh impact of a climax. Isobel is strong and determined and brave and so, so brilliantly written. Aching for her is mandatory, not an option!
But even though Varen isn't as present in Isobel's real life, he's still in her mind, her heart, her dreams, and her mirrors. They still make up one of my all-time favourite couples — not just because they trump the whole cheerleader-and-goth stereotype, but because their heart-wrenching and twisted journey proves how much they belong together.
Unable to resist, Isobel hugged the jacket close, rewarded with a scent that seized her heart like a clenched fist.
It smelled like him. God. It still smelled like him. (page 319 in the ARC)
Izzy's hilarious friend Gwen is back with all of her gothic quirkiness. And her dad also plays an important role in this book, as do her mother and adorable little brother Danny. You can see how much her family cares about her, and that's what makes watching Isobel claw through shadows so much harder.
With the beautifully dark storyline and Kelly Creagh's hauntingly dream-like writing, Enshadowed makes my favourites shelf right next to Nevermore! The ending just about broke me, unhinged me, and waiting for the next one is going to be torture — but I've already decided that waiting for anything that Kelly Creagh writes is well darn worth it!
BUY or BORROW?: Sometimes I wonder why I even ask this question. Buy for sure, please! ;)
-Mimi
So you can witness firsthand how beautiful the writing is, here's one of my favourite quotes! :)
"Is — is any of this real?" she asked. "Are you real?"
He lifted a hand to her cheek, his fingers brushing her jaw.
"Even if this is a dream," he whispered, "I'm not."
Isobel's eyes widened, recognizing those words as her own, the same ones she had once uttered to him. She reached for him, her arms twining around his neck, drawing him closer so his scent poured over her, that combination of incense, citrus, and dried leaves overriding the funeral funeral smell of the crowding flowers.
"Don't leave," she breathed.
"I'm here," he whispered. "Right here. Waiting." (page 16 in the ARC)
(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)
March 20, 2015
This book was beautifully confusing and frustrating.
FULL REVIEW:
Enshadowed is one of those stories that can simply leave you breathless and exhausted from so much beauty.
I kept turning pages furiously inhaling every word and, even in the moments when there was no actual action, my elevated heart-rate made me feel like I was reading the most exhilarating of the books. In a way I was… because this story is awesomely intriguing and confusing, even though also terribly frustrating.
Now I need to think. I need to understand. If Kelly wanted to leave us in that insurmountable darkness that she wrote about… well she pretty much succeeded.
I am in some sort of state of awe. I have now even more questions than before and I am stuck not knowing what might come next.
To put it simple:
The story is beautiful and it reveals so many wonderful details about Varen, his dream world, Poe, Reynolds and so much more. Isobel’s searching for a way to bring Varen back, her dreams, her struggle all these were so.. palpable. I love it when I can feel a story, when it gets to the bottom of my heart, when I can connect with the characters, when I get to care for them. Yes, I needed more interaction with Varen, but even in his absence I could savor this story as much as I did with the first one. The book is more descriptive compared to Nevermore, but still there was a lot happening, keeping me on the edge from the first page to the very last one.
Note that the synopsis is a bit deceiving; it leaves you thinking that their encounter will be the major conflict in this story, but somehow that is not really the case, as it was all too quick, quite painful and pretty much confusing - all at once.
The Writing:
I love Kelly’s beautiful prose, the entertaining dialogue, the wonderful descriptions, the humorous scenes; also her sassiness and wittiness and the darkness of the dream world... Not to mention how well crafted the characters are (Kelly can make you care even for the bad guys... imagine that!).
Not having the romance in the middle of the story we could concentrate more on the beautiful details of this vivid dream world (which is not as confusing as before, but still just as mysterious). Its darkness and fuzziness makes you dizzy, you search for connections between the elements hidden inside it, you try to remember if you've read about them in the previous book, all the pieces seem to fit, but you still can't see the whole picture… It's crazy how you keep running in circles, enjoying the ride even when you realize it. It's crazy how dreams can keep mixing with reality until you have a hard time distinguishing one from the other
You know, I wonder if at night, after writing this book, Kelly ever looked into the mirror and expected to see someone else next to her own reflection.
The characters:
Kelly knows how to make you feel part of a family, because finally (in a paranormal story) family is not dysfunctional: they care for each other, they give advices, and they try to help.
Isobel's parents were full of concern, trying so hard to understand her even though she kept so many secrets. Her little brother was as sweet as I remembered him. There were some funny family moments and even some that involved Isobel’s best friend Gwen, who is the best friend in the world (also witty, caring, funny, and what’s most important – always there for Isobel).
I have some questions about some characters (Brad, Gwen’s grandparents, the teacher, Varen’s parents, Reynolds… and if I keep thinking, probably about all the others too, so I’ll end the list here). We’ve discovered some things, but there are many others hidden from view and I can only hope to unravel them in the next book.
Last page impression:
There is one word that could describe my feelings: shock!
Reading the last chapters I couldn't stop wondering 'what the hell just happened?'
The ending is as open as the clear blue sky and I simply don't know where this all is headed. It seems as all the doors have been closed and I am not sure how this story will unfold.
Somehow it made no sense, but maybe that’s the beauty of this story – this mystery that followed us until the end.
Let's talk some more:
This should be some conclusion of some sort, but I am still confused and I don't even know where I want to go with this review. It feels incomplete, but maybe that’s OK because the story is like that as well.
I feel the need to tell you that I loved this story to pieces. I really did.
As hopelessly frustrated as I am now, I embrace this feeling because it also feels good.
I do realize that I have more questions now than when I finished Nevermore. It's like we took a few steps back rather than forward, but …
Did I enjoy it?
Did I love it?
Do I keep thinking about it?
Does it make me want to read the next book really, really badly?
Yes, yes, yes..Yes!
Favorite quotes:
✎ “I’m here,” he whispered. “Right here. Waiting.”
✎ "Dreaming aside," he went on, "how can you be so sure your world is the real one?"
PS: I forgot to mention what a great movie this story would make. I saw it all playing in my head while reading the book, it would have wonderful effects (the dream world in this series is fascinating) and it would be creepily beautiful.
Happy midnight reading and.. Sweet Nightmares!
* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
____________________________________________
Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________
Notes from 29 aug 2012
__________________________________
Notes from before reading:
FULL REVIEW:
Enshadowed is one of those stories that can simply leave you breathless and exhausted from so much beauty.
I kept turning pages furiously inhaling every word and, even in the moments when there was no actual action, my elevated heart-rate made me feel like I was reading the most exhilarating of the books. In a way I was… because this story is awesomely intriguing and confusing, even though also terribly frustrating.
Now I need to think. I need to understand. If Kelly wanted to leave us in that insurmountable darkness that she wrote about… well she pretty much succeeded.
I am in some sort of state of awe. I have now even more questions than before and I am stuck not knowing what might come next.
To put it simple:
The story is beautiful and it reveals so many wonderful details about Varen, his dream world, Poe, Reynolds and so much more. Isobel’s searching for a way to bring Varen back, her dreams, her struggle all these were so.. palpable. I love it when I can feel a story, when it gets to the bottom of my heart, when I can connect with the characters, when I get to care for them. Yes, I needed more interaction with Varen, but even in his absence I could savor this story as much as I did with the first one. The book is more descriptive compared to Nevermore, but still there was a lot happening, keeping me on the edge from the first page to the very last one.
Note that the synopsis is a bit deceiving; it leaves you thinking that their encounter will be the major conflict in this story, but somehow that is not really the case, as it was all too quick, quite painful and pretty much confusing - all at once.
The Writing:
I love Kelly’s beautiful prose, the entertaining dialogue, the wonderful descriptions, the humorous scenes; also her sassiness and wittiness and the darkness of the dream world... Not to mention how well crafted the characters are (Kelly can make you care even for the bad guys... imagine that!).
Not having the romance in the middle of the story we could concentrate more on the beautiful details of this vivid dream world (which is not as confusing as before, but still just as mysterious). Its darkness and fuzziness makes you dizzy, you search for connections between the elements hidden inside it, you try to remember if you've read about them in the previous book, all the pieces seem to fit, but you still can't see the whole picture… It's crazy how you keep running in circles, enjoying the ride even when you realize it. It's crazy how dreams can keep mixing with reality until you have a hard time distinguishing one from the other
You know, I wonder if at night, after writing this book, Kelly ever looked into the mirror and expected to see someone else next to her own reflection.
The characters:
Kelly knows how to make you feel part of a family, because finally (in a paranormal story) family is not dysfunctional: they care for each other, they give advices, and they try to help.
Isobel's parents were full of concern, trying so hard to understand her even though she kept so many secrets. Her little brother was as sweet as I remembered him. There were some funny family moments and even some that involved Isobel’s best friend Gwen, who is the best friend in the world (also witty, caring, funny, and what’s most important – always there for Isobel).
I have some questions about some characters (Brad, Gwen’s grandparents, the teacher, Varen’s parents, Reynolds… and if I keep thinking, probably about all the others too, so I’ll end the list here). We’ve discovered some things, but there are many others hidden from view and I can only hope to unravel them in the next book.
Last page impression:
There is one word that could describe my feelings: shock!
Reading the last chapters I couldn't stop wondering 'what the hell just happened?'
The ending is as open as the clear blue sky and I simply don't know where this all is headed. It seems as all the doors have been closed and I am not sure how this story will unfold.
Somehow it made no sense, but maybe that’s the beauty of this story – this mystery that followed us until the end.
Let's talk some more:
This should be some conclusion of some sort, but I am still confused and I don't even know where I want to go with this review. It feels incomplete, but maybe that’s OK because the story is like that as well.
I feel the need to tell you that I loved this story to pieces. I really did.
As hopelessly frustrated as I am now, I embrace this feeling because it also feels good.
I do realize that I have more questions now than when I finished Nevermore. It's like we took a few steps back rather than forward, but …
Did I enjoy it?
Did I love it?
Do I keep thinking about it?
Does it make me want to read the next book really, really badly?
Yes, yes, yes..Yes!
Favorite quotes:
✎ “I’m here,” he whispered. “Right here. Waiting.”
✎ "Dreaming aside," he went on, "how can you be so sure your world is the real one?"
PS: I forgot to mention what a great movie this story would make. I saw it all playing in my head while reading the book, it would have wonderful effects (the dream world in this series is fascinating) and it would be creepily beautiful.
Happy midnight reading and.. Sweet Nightmares!
* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
____________________________________________
Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________
Notes from 29 aug 2012
I need to think, to bang my head against the wall and see what's that I've missed and then come back with a proper review. And if you wonder, yes, the image from the beginning of the review describes a scene from the story (not a spoiler as I think it can be found at the very beginning). Dreams will never be the same again.
__________________________________
Notes from before reading:
I CAN'T WAIT for this book!!!
Another later edit:
Some more waiting?!
Later Edit:
Well, 24th Jan isn't that bad either, it's close enough :))
I love the cover and I still can't wait for it to get out
First edit:
2012? ... Pff, but I want to read it now :|
Make it Jan 19 2012 and that's the perfect date :D
January 22, 2013
Enshadowed is a disaster; pure, terrifying, earth-shattering literary disaster, hurling your way at velocities too fast to imagine. Ever since I finished Nevermore, I've been dutifully stalking Kelly Creagh's website for any mention of a sequel; a release date, a cover, a summary. Thus, on August 28th when I finally held Enshadowed in my hands, I was breathless, shaking, and oh-so-very excited. Well, talk about a slap back into reality because it took me nearly five months to read Enshadowed. Yes, you read that right - five months.
If you look up "frustrating" "slow" "dull" "meaningless" or just "Middle Book Syndrome" in the dictionary, this will be the book cover next to those words. In the future, if I ever say a novel suffered from MBS, slap me and direct me to this review, because there is not even one book in the world that suffers from it as much as this one does. Not. One. What I'm trying to say here is that nothing happens in Enshadowed. Absolutely. Nothing.
Creagh's sophomore novel picks up directly where her debut left off, which is possibly its first flaw. You see, this series is not meant to be a trilogy - there isn't enough material for that. Instead, it's really just a duo, but Creagh has a talent for writing long, beautiful and languid phrases, rich with description and detail - so much so that it takes up this entire novel. For 70% of the story we are treated to Isobel as she sees visions, wanders through life shell-shocked from the events of the past Halloween and grieves Varen. In the last 30%, we are treated to a sudden shift into action, into what we think is answers but we learn is just a solid dose of confusion. In fact, I can't even summon up enough emotion to feel irritated by yet another cliffhanger ending - I think I'm just too happy I finally finished this.
You see, the problem with Enshadowed is that there is too much of the wrong thing and too little of the right thing. Over half of this novel is dedicated to character development, gradually building Isobel's relationship with her parents and charting its changes as Varen's disappearance is prolonged. Out of all the people in the world, I am most probably one of the strongest supporters for character development, but character development without plot is a tragic flaw. Isobel simply pushes aside her parents well-wishes, she does exactly what she wants and makes no effort to conceal her new sense of insanity from those around her. If I could have, I would gone in and just strangled Isobel. Not only was she extremely disappointing as a character, but nothing happened! If Enshadowed had started out from Isobel reaching Baltimore, as she vowed in the end of Nevermore, and giving us flashbacks, building up the familial relationships that Creagh so obviously found important, perhaps then this would have been a better novel. Perhaps.
If all of that didn't sound bad enough - no plot, frustrating characters, too much character development, confusing visions that did nothing for the story - then it all just gets worse with Isobel constantly moping. Nevermore perfectly captured the tense, tender, and enriching relationship that Isobel and Varen shared, but Enshadowed reduces that into an Isabella-Swan-eque pining. I kid you not. Sure, perhaps Isobel isn't running out to dive from cliffs to see visions of Varen, but she's not doing anything a whole lot safer either.
Now, looking back, I can fully admit that the only reason this novel is getting two stars and not one - or zero - is because of Gwen, Isobel's best friend, Danny, Isobel's brother, and Isobel's parents herself. Considering that character development ruined this story, at least those characters shone and I enjoyed some parts of this tale, particularly Isobel's relationship with her parents, brother, and friend. While I do firmly believe that this could have all been condensed, at least into a novella if not just a final installment, at least Enshadowed has strong characters and beautiful writing to offer it some type of absolution.
I will, without a doubt, be reading the last novel. It is, after all, the last book; the one with all the answers that I wish this one had; the one where something will actually happen and not just drag on like a filler. Nevertheless, I won't be making the same mistake twice. I won't be checking Creagh's website anytime soon, I won't be pre-ordering the last novel, and I will keep my expectations so ridiculously low that there is no possible way I can be disappointed. If you haven't read Enshadowed yet, take my advice and skip to Chapter 25. Everything that is worth knowing about this book happens in the last ten chapters and if you want to know everything else, just go back and start from the beginning; it's too much of an effort to read this all the way through. Trust me, I know - I did, after all, struggle with this for five months.
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
If you look up "frustrating" "slow" "dull" "meaningless" or just "Middle Book Syndrome" in the dictionary, this will be the book cover next to those words. In the future, if I ever say a novel suffered from MBS, slap me and direct me to this review, because there is not even one book in the world that suffers from it as much as this one does. Not. One. What I'm trying to say here is that nothing happens in Enshadowed. Absolutely. Nothing.
Creagh's sophomore novel picks up directly where her debut left off, which is possibly its first flaw. You see, this series is not meant to be a trilogy - there isn't enough material for that. Instead, it's really just a duo, but Creagh has a talent for writing long, beautiful and languid phrases, rich with description and detail - so much so that it takes up this entire novel. For 70% of the story we are treated to Isobel as she sees visions, wanders through life shell-shocked from the events of the past Halloween and grieves Varen. In the last 30%, we are treated to a sudden shift into action, into what we think is answers but we learn is just a solid dose of confusion. In fact, I can't even summon up enough emotion to feel irritated by yet another cliffhanger ending - I think I'm just too happy I finally finished this.
You see, the problem with Enshadowed is that there is too much of the wrong thing and too little of the right thing. Over half of this novel is dedicated to character development, gradually building Isobel's relationship with her parents and charting its changes as Varen's disappearance is prolonged. Out of all the people in the world, I am most probably one of the strongest supporters for character development, but character development without plot is a tragic flaw. Isobel simply pushes aside her parents well-wishes, she does exactly what she wants and makes no effort to conceal her new sense of insanity from those around her. If I could have, I would gone in and just strangled Isobel. Not only was she extremely disappointing as a character, but nothing happened! If Enshadowed had started out from Isobel reaching Baltimore, as she vowed in the end of Nevermore, and giving us flashbacks, building up the familial relationships that Creagh so obviously found important, perhaps then this would have been a better novel. Perhaps.
If all of that didn't sound bad enough - no plot, frustrating characters, too much character development, confusing visions that did nothing for the story - then it all just gets worse with Isobel constantly moping. Nevermore perfectly captured the tense, tender, and enriching relationship that Isobel and Varen shared, but Enshadowed reduces that into an Isabella-Swan-eque pining. I kid you not. Sure, perhaps Isobel isn't running out to dive from cliffs to see visions of Varen, but she's not doing anything a whole lot safer either.
Now, looking back, I can fully admit that the only reason this novel is getting two stars and not one - or zero - is because of Gwen, Isobel's best friend, Danny, Isobel's brother, and Isobel's parents herself. Considering that character development ruined this story, at least those characters shone and I enjoyed some parts of this tale, particularly Isobel's relationship with her parents, brother, and friend. While I do firmly believe that this could have all been condensed, at least into a novella if not just a final installment, at least Enshadowed has strong characters and beautiful writing to offer it some type of absolution.
I will, without a doubt, be reading the last novel. It is, after all, the last book; the one with all the answers that I wish this one had; the one where something will actually happen and not just drag on like a filler. Nevertheless, I won't be making the same mistake twice. I won't be checking Creagh's website anytime soon, I won't be pre-ordering the last novel, and I will keep my expectations so ridiculously low that there is no possible way I can be disappointed. If you haven't read Enshadowed yet, take my advice and skip to Chapter 25. Everything that is worth knowing about this book happens in the last ten chapters and if you want to know everything else, just go back and start from the beginning; it's too much of an effort to read this all the way through. Trust me, I know - I did, after all, struggle with this for five months.
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
September 8, 2012
"Side by side we'll fight the tide
That sweeps in to take us down
Hand in hand we'll both withstand
Even as we drown."
I have this desire to want to dust off some Edgar Allan Poe and get lost for a little while after reading this second installment in the Nevermore series.
This was better than the first book because it didn't feel like the story was divided into two halves - the "before dreamworld" (realistic romantic fiction) and "after dreamworld" (paranormal horror) segments. Enshadowed felt more like one cohesive book, which made me appreciate it that much more. The funny thing is, even though so much of this book didn't have much going for the story other than Isobel being on one big search to find someone, there was never a moment where it felt overworked or tedious, the way I'd felt the first book to be in parts (or a completely unnecessary effort like the second book in the Beautiful Creatures series was).
The beauty of Enshadowed was that there happened to be an effortless blending of the past and present, of the paranormal and the normal. I adored the greater addition of Poe's character into the story. I appreciated that the author brought into the story some of the mystery surrounding the real "grave visitor" who dedicated himself to Poe's memory every year.
If you are into this series, do a little digging online and see what you find. There's some interesting theorycrafting out there.
It's not often that you'll find a tale about a couple striving to be together which doesn't get bogged down in the telling of the romance. The spooky vibe of the story and eerie feeling of the atmosphere makes this an intriguing way of delivering the paranormal genre to an audience who isn't looking for yet another sappy love story. The characters are about as unique (and sometimes scary) as you'll find, and the lore is absolutely riveting.
After waiting two years for the chance to finally get to read part 2, I now get to wait impatiently for part 3. Boo for the wait, yay for another book!
March 9, 2016
Ahhhhhh this author is killing meeeee!! Why why whyyyyy do these things keep ending this way??? And the dreams...so damn terrifying. Though, I can't help but to love every minute of this mix of dream and reality, never knowing where Isobel is and what she needs to do to save Varen.
And Varen...what a lost, poor, tortured soul-His story is a sad and desperate one. One where no matter how hard Isobel tries, he sinks lower and lower, slipping farther from her grasp. I am so beyond invested in this story that it's sickening.
Consuming my every thought on vacation, including on the beach, I am lost within this story just as Varen and Isobel are. Lord help me. I don't think I can handle this lol.
*WILL BE ADDING QUOTES TO EACH VACATION REVIEW WHEN I CAN, SO EXPECT EDITS*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
March 17, 2013
Some thoughts (in place of a review for now): Enshadowed is a suitable sequel with some delightfully creepy moments, but while I was reading it I honestly felt it could have been more. This is not a story about a girl saving a boy or even about two lovers trying to save each other: this is the story of a girl's mental, emotional, and physical undoing as her sanity is stretched beyond ordinary bounds in her attempts to rescue the boy she loves. In the face of the current YA market (where almost everything profitable seems to be a glorified love story on some level), Enshadowed is bold for what it does and doesn't do -- but is it satisfying? I'm still not sure. Also curious is how Creagh will tie all the loose ends in just one more book. Can she do it? I'm looking forward to seeing if she can.
October 4, 2012
2012?
2012????!!!!
I feel sick.
(2012!)
Edit:Oh!A cover! :titters:
Errrrrrrm....why is this guy more ugly then the one on the first book? :/
Edit No.2:
Yeah. I don’t really remember book one any more. And if there is book 3…gosh, what will be first? The end of the trilogy or the end of the world?
This will sound harsh, but, who needs two years to write and edit a book who’s backbone you had to already have (seeing as how you sold the idea to a publisher)?
I mean, it’s not like you are writing a Russian classic. It’s just a silly YA book. It could be glam, but it the end, it’s mostly a shallow teen bed time story with a bit of Edgar Alan Po thrown in.
2012????!!!!
I feel sick.
(2012!)
Edit:Oh!A cover! :titters:
Errrrrrrm....why is this guy more ugly then the one on the first book? :/
Edit No.2:
Yeah. I don’t really remember book one any more. And if there is book 3…gosh, what will be first? The end of the trilogy or the end of the world?
This will sound harsh, but, who needs two years to write and edit a book who’s backbone you had to already have (seeing as how you sold the idea to a publisher)?
I mean, it’s not like you are writing a Russian classic. It’s just a silly YA book. It could be glam, but it the end, it’s mostly a shallow teen bed time story with a bit of Edgar Alan Po thrown in.
abandoned
February 21, 2016I have to admit that my excitement to read this has been dampened considerately by the long wait and the reviews I've read so far ... but lets see.
September 10, 2016
Two years ago I read a book that really made me happy - Nevermore by Kelly Creagh. I enjoyed the world that Creagh constructed, the conflict and the characters. I waited... Book 2, entitled Enshadowed, was announced. I waited... Time went by and more people found this book. We waited...
Last week an ARC of the sequel was sent to my home by the fine folks at Simon and Schuster. I squealed aloud. And I might have danced a little. The wait was over.
I knew that immediately leaping into book two would be a terrible idea. It had been far too long since I read the first book. I had forgotten many of the details and I have had a lot of trouble with sequels for that exact reason lately. Nevermore lost little of it's polish the second read through. The Dream World still confuses and irritates me but the rest of the book is so flawless I can still overlook that. For that reason I was hoping that Creagh didn't ground book two in the Dream World... and, thankfully, she did not!
Enshadowed picks up shortly after the climax of Nevermore. Things haven't been the same for Isobel since she discovered the existence of the Dream World - or of the Nocs. Now, with Varen lost to them both she must pull out all of the stops to retrieve him. With Reynolds absent and Pinfeathers dogging her every move Isobel puts her hope in the hands of the mysterious Poe Toaster, a once a year phenomenon of mythic proportions. She suspects that Varen is connected to him and she wants to confront him in order to find her lost love.
This book had more flow than the first one. I attribute this to the fact that Creagh spent less time in the Dream World than book one. I am so grateful for this change in plot. I love the inclusion of the Nocs and the mythos surrounding them. However, it makes for a jarring read that is hard to follow if it's not done precisely. In this book those transitions were much better. Besides that Creagh added a new plot element to this one that was simply epic. And I can't tell you what it is without spoiling the whole damn book for you. And you would be mad at me if I did that.
As with book one there was a good chunk of buildup to the big dramatic moment in this book. Before that is Isobel adjusting to her new life without Varen. I found this to be very well done on Creagh's part. Isobel is far more fleshed out in this one. She allowed her character to explore the stages of grief and hopelessness and fear. I even liked the fact that Isobel's eating habits alter so severely because of her sorrow. It really helps to lend gravity to the situation at hand. You can really feel and see what is happening to her.
The ending of this book... wow... the ending. Can I have book 3 now please?
4.5 out of 5 stars. I hope book 3 does not take as long to release.
- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com
September 13, 2012
*****FINAL RATING: 4.30 STARS*****
CATCHALL
I loved Nevermore. Most of you probably know that. I though it was a seriously awesome book with one of the most original plot concepts I'd ever seen. Plus, I happen to be something of an Edgar Allan Poe addict—I have the complete collection to prove it. Anything Poe, I probably have an answer for. But oh! Moving on. I don't think I enjoyed Enshadowed as much as I did Nevermore mostly because I missed Varen. Even so, I definitely loved this book.
THE HEROINE
ISOBEL
In the first book, I was with the group who thought Isobel was singularly brainless. She was always making dumb choices when she really should've known better, and missed a lot of obvious things. But I do think she improves somewhat in Enshadowed. She's still not a genius, but she's definitely steeping up. Isobel has a lot of determination and she always holds onto her hope. Even when things look difficult, she still wants to find a way. And though she dwells on the past often, I think we all would, and the emotion that's captured there is very potent.
THE LOVE INTEREST
VAREN
Oh, Varen. I missed him so much in this book! We hardly see any of him, and most of what we do see of him is twisted and wrong. He's ins't like that, or he shouldn't be. But that's how he is now. Harder. Cruel. But we do see that he still has feelings, and as far as I'm concerned it's clear that he loves Isobel.
THE BEST FRIEND
GWEN
Gwen is a really, really good friend in this book, just like in the first one. She has a little bit of a freak-out where she will abandon Isobel for a bit, but the important part is that he goes back. She's such a good friend that she'll even almost go against what she believes in just to help her. Gwen is a really awesome character in that way, even though she frequently annoys me.
THE PLOT
So now we come to the plot! Probably the best part about this plot is that it is original. I've read so many dystopians and historical fictions and even PNRs that are Exactly. The. Same. So of course it was refreshing to get a continuation to this series, finally, after two years.
Isobel will do anything to reach Varen, even if it means lying to her parents and disobeying the rules. She's desperate, and she needs to keep her promise to him for both of them. I love the dedication that's there.
And it's not an easy journey. Isobel tries to do her best, but we're all human. Along the way, she messes a few things up. And some of the things that she says come back to haunt her, whether or not she really meant them.
It wasn't what I'd call fast-paced, but it also wasn't dragged out for ridiculous amounts of time, which I was grateful for. The pacing was overall satisfying although there were one or two parts that I felt could ahve been cut. Still, overall, wonderful.
Enshadowed had me hooked from page one and left me unable to put the book down. It was too intriguing and too amazing!
THE ROMANCE
There's not a whole lot of romance in this book, since Isobel and Varen are basically separated for the majority of the book. And what I like the most it's that it's easy to see that they love each other. That's especially clear in what Isobel is willing to do for Varen. Varen is difficult to figure out because of his being changed, but there's a very defining moment in his epilogue that really makes everything clear. And if I hadn't been tearing up, I might've swooned.
THE WRITING
Kelly has seriously some of the most gorgeous writing ever. The third person is done artfully and it's easy to feel connected to Isobel, especially since she now has a brain. It's awesome. Her description is peerless. Really. And it's everywhere. She describes things completely thoroughly and so vividly that it's impossible not to be able to picture it. Furthermore, her usage of Poe is less in this book than in the first one, but it's still done very clearly and gorgeously.
THE ENDING
Ah, the ending. I mean, the plot itself is in a similar place at the end as in the beginning, but it's also very different because of what occurred. Isobel took a lot of risks and made a lot of sacrifices to find Varen, and I'm sure that the choices he made will change what she does next. And Varen…well, Varen is going through some serious conflict and self-loathing at the end of the book. A lot happened in these pages.
WRAPUP
I absolutely without a doubt loved this book, and if you loved Nevermore, I suggest that you pick this one up ASAP! It's an awesome continuation of Isobel and Varen's story and it's chock-full of some major emotional moments. I love all the Poe allusions and the concept is definitely one of the more original I've come across. I'll definitely be picking up the third and last book in this trilogy eagerly!
FINE.
Find more of my reviews on Sparkles and Lightning!
-
I want this book now, and oh, the cover is so gorgeous!
I'm gonna have a drama queen moment right now, just so you know.
WHY DOES THE RELEASE DATE OF THIS BOOK KEEP GETTING PUSHED BACK?!?!?!? WHHHYYYYYY?!?!? WHY DOES EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAPPEN TO MEEEEEEEEEE???????????? IT'S NOT FAAAAIIIIIIRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
But in all seriousness, why does the date keep getting pushed back?
CATCHALL
I loved Nevermore. Most of you probably know that. I though it was a seriously awesome book with one of the most original plot concepts I'd ever seen. Plus, I happen to be something of an Edgar Allan Poe addict—I have the complete collection to prove it. Anything Poe, I probably have an answer for. But oh! Moving on. I don't think I enjoyed Enshadowed as much as I did Nevermore mostly because I missed Varen. Even so, I definitely loved this book.
THE HEROINE
ISOBEL
In the first book, I was with the group who thought Isobel was singularly brainless. She was always making dumb choices when she really should've known better, and missed a lot of obvious things. But I do think she improves somewhat in Enshadowed. She's still not a genius, but she's definitely steeping up. Isobel has a lot of determination and she always holds onto her hope. Even when things look difficult, she still wants to find a way. And though she dwells on the past often, I think we all would, and the emotion that's captured there is very potent.
THE LOVE INTEREST
VAREN
Oh, Varen. I missed him so much in this book! We hardly see any of him, and most of what we do see of him is twisted and wrong. He's ins't like that, or he shouldn't be. But that's how he is now. Harder. Cruel. But we do see that he still has feelings, and as far as I'm concerned it's clear that he loves Isobel.
THE BEST FRIEND
GWEN
Gwen is a really, really good friend in this book, just like in the first one. She has a little bit of a freak-out where she will abandon Isobel for a bit, but the important part is that he goes back. She's such a good friend that she'll even almost go against what she believes in just to help her. Gwen is a really awesome character in that way, even though she frequently annoys me.
THE PLOT
So now we come to the plot! Probably the best part about this plot is that it is original. I've read so many dystopians and historical fictions and even PNRs that are Exactly. The. Same. So of course it was refreshing to get a continuation to this series, finally, after two years.
Isobel will do anything to reach Varen, even if it means lying to her parents and disobeying the rules. She's desperate, and she needs to keep her promise to him for both of them. I love the dedication that's there.
And it's not an easy journey. Isobel tries to do her best, but we're all human. Along the way, she messes a few things up. And some of the things that she says come back to haunt her, whether or not she really meant them.
It wasn't what I'd call fast-paced, but it also wasn't dragged out for ridiculous amounts of time, which I was grateful for. The pacing was overall satisfying although there were one or two parts that I felt could ahve been cut. Still, overall, wonderful.
Enshadowed had me hooked from page one and left me unable to put the book down. It was too intriguing and too amazing!
THE ROMANCE
There's not a whole lot of romance in this book, since Isobel and Varen are basically separated for the majority of the book. And what I like the most it's that it's easy to see that they love each other. That's especially clear in what Isobel is willing to do for Varen. Varen is difficult to figure out because of his being changed, but there's a very defining moment in his epilogue that really makes everything clear. And if I hadn't been tearing up, I might've swooned.
THE WRITING
Kelly has seriously some of the most gorgeous writing ever. The third person is done artfully and it's easy to feel connected to Isobel, especially since she now has a brain. It's awesome. Her description is peerless. Really. And it's everywhere. She describes things completely thoroughly and so vividly that it's impossible not to be able to picture it. Furthermore, her usage of Poe is less in this book than in the first one, but it's still done very clearly and gorgeously.
THE ENDING
Ah, the ending. I mean, the plot itself is in a similar place at the end as in the beginning, but it's also very different because of what occurred. Isobel took a lot of risks and made a lot of sacrifices to find Varen, and I'm sure that the choices he made will change what she does next. And Varen…well, Varen is going through some serious conflict and self-loathing at the end of the book. A lot happened in these pages.
WRAPUP
I absolutely without a doubt loved this book, and if you loved Nevermore, I suggest that you pick this one up ASAP! It's an awesome continuation of Isobel and Varen's story and it's chock-full of some major emotional moments. I love all the Poe allusions and the concept is definitely one of the more original I've come across. I'll definitely be picking up the third and last book in this trilogy eagerly!
FINE.
Find more of my reviews on Sparkles and Lightning!
-
I want this book now, and oh, the cover is so gorgeous!
I'm gonna have a drama queen moment right now, just so you know.
WHY DOES THE RELEASE DATE OF THIS BOOK KEEP GETTING PUSHED BACK?!?!?!? WHHHYYYYYY?!?!? WHY DOES EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAPPEN TO MEEEEEEEEEE???????????? IT'S NOT FAAAAIIIIIIRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
But in all seriousness, why does the date keep getting pushed back?
October 4, 2015
Despite everything Isobel is determined to bring Varen back. Despite the fact that those around her turn their backs on her, despite the horror and the danger she is willed to risk everything.
Her family eyes her with suspicion, her old friends mock her, her new found friend is horrified by the dark and ancient creature Varen awoke and Isobel herself does often not know whether what happens is real or nothing but a dream.
She finds herself between the worlds. She finds herself on the edge of sanity. And step by step she reveals more and more of Varen's inner world.
“That a single kiss from a boy who knew how to walk through dreams, who himself now seemed to be a dream, hadn't irrevocably altered her.”
I thought that the first book was dark, but it was nothing compared to this one.
Isobel had to deal with a lot in Enshadowed. Firstly, there was her father whom I honestly found unbearable with his obsession. He did not understand Isobel at all so it was just natural that she refused being honest with him. Her mother wasn't any better so the only light in her family was Danny who again saved Isobel several times and acted in an adorable way far more mature than Isobel herself sometimes.
Secondly, there was the school and squad problems. Isobel messed things seriously up.
She was depressed and lost and confused and sometimes even a little bit insane, but it wasn't an excuse. She wasn't thinking and she payed for it. And the price was high, probably a bit too high.
And last but not least, there was the dream problem. I honestly did not know when she was asleep and when she was awake myself.
It was disturbing, it was dark and frightening.
The demons, the haunting song that send shivers down my spine and then of course Pinfeathers.
I was confused. I both loved and hated him, until the turning point. One of many, actually. Then something in my head clicked and my heart stopped. Just like that. The revelation was...shattering.
I loved how Isobel proved her love for Varen over and over.
I loved just how far she was ready to go for him, it was so true and it was indeed so much more then just love. It was moving and real and bittersweet.
The things about him she discovered were sad and beautiful and often I found myself with tears in the eyes. Varen is an incredibly deep character. Much deeper than any other YA-book character.
“I keep telling myself
That you’re
just a girl.
Another leaf blown across my path
Destined to pass on
And shrivel into yourself
Like all the others.
Yet despite my venom
You refuse to wither
Or fade.
You remain golden throughout,
And in your gaze I am left to wonder if it is me alone
Who feels the fall.”
He is lost. In all the ways. Isobel is his light. A light that did everything to get him back in this book, but the punch in the end was hard and it left me breathless. I don't know how I will survive until the release of the third book.
And if it...oh my...I don't even want to think about the third book and the ending of it.
I loved the haunting and dark write style, it really reminded me on Poe's stories. The same mysterious and tensed atmosphere.
I loved the characters and their relationships, their dialogues. Every single gaze, every single thought was important. It was connected, everything was.
This book mirrored the deep loneliness of Varen and the closeness to the edge of Isobel. It was heart-breaking and intoxicating. Everything about it and in some ways I love this book even more than Nevermore.
It is definitely worth reading and even re-reading despite all the darkness and pain in it.
November 27, 2024
Okay. Okay. Okay.
Firstly, and most importantly... What the hell was that ending. I just. I'm. What.
I HAVE VERY VERY MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK OKAY LET'S RUN THIS DOWN
GOOD
- I loved Isobel's family, and the relationships she had with them. tbh they're what salvaged the book for me. They were so... blissfully normal. Her dad really came around in this book too! And
- Danny! He was adoooorable and too sweet. I wanted to crush him in my arms abububububu
- Gwen. Such a sassbucket. I loved her in Nevermore too, but I couldn't ignore how painfully apparent it was that she was just a convenient character to help Isobel do and get away with things, and I felt like Iz didn't even really care for her. Well, she still is pretty convenient in this one, but much less so. I actually felt like they were friends in this one. And Gwen was hilariously witty. I knew she was one of my favorite characters for a reason.
- The prose was just as enchanting and delicious as it was in the first book, but it was also still too excessive. Some descriptions just draaagged and I swear like two pages was Gwen opening a book and flipping to a certain page like omg just cut to the chase, Creagh. BUT the dreamworld scenes were very richly detailed and creepy and it was pretty ballin'. But save the words for times like that.
- CREEPY. Much more so than the first book imo. Again, the descriptions of the dreamworld and its creatures were top-tier. I thought Isobel's dream at the bookstore was one of the best scenes.
- Also, the real world and the dreamworld were mixed so much better in this one than in Nevermore. In that I felt like the dreamworld came at me in random, choppy chunks and it was just odd, but in this one they were a perfect blend.
NOT SO GOOD
- Some stuff was dragged out way too much. Isobel didn't meet Reynolds until like 79% in. 79% IN. What is that like, 300 pages?? Out of what, 448 pages? FFFFFFFFFFFF. And before that? Honestly, there was so much unnecessary stuff that this felt like a filler book, like one of those arcs in the Bleach anime that aren't based on the manga at all. By the end, I really felt like nothing was even really accomplished. It was slow, and the only reason why I tore through it so fast was because I wanted to know wtf happened (and ended up not really even finding out wtf happened...).
- Speaking of, the ending was frustrating as hell. I feel like despite everything that happened in all 448 pages of this book, we're back to square one. I'm pretty much just as confused at the end of this as I was at the end of Nevermore, if not more. Damn cliffhangers... Hey, geddit? Cliffhanger!
- Varen. butbutBUT (might as well set yourself up for disappointment in this area) only because he was in like ten pages, and like... those pages don't even count. Also, the more Isobel found out about him in this, the more I wished the first book would've been told from his point of view instead of hers. He's just SO interesting!
- Isobel? Meh, she kind of gets her own section in between, honestly. I enjoyed her quite a bit in the first book. But here, she was pretty much depressed the entire time, and it was sad, but this is a long book and it got old. Granted she had her moments, but those were seldom, especially compared to all the mope. But hey, she didn't completely tune out from the world and become an empty husk like some heroines (I think we all know who I'm talking about!)... She still did stuff and I still enjoyed her, but yeah, my enjoyment was dampened by the angst :/
So, yeah. Basically:
I think I have finally decided on three out of five stars.
Firstly, and most importantly... What the hell was that ending. I just. I'm. What.
I HAVE VERY VERY MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK OKAY LET'S RUN THIS DOWN
GOOD
- I loved Isobel's family, and the relationships she had with them. tbh they're what salvaged the book for me. They were so... blissfully normal. Her dad really came around in this book too! And
- Danny! He was adoooorable and too sweet. I wanted to crush him in my arms abububububu
- Gwen. Such a sassbucket. I loved her in Nevermore too, but I couldn't ignore how painfully apparent it was that she was just a convenient character to help Isobel do and get away with things, and I felt like Iz didn't even really care for her. Well, she still is pretty convenient in this one, but much less so. I actually felt like they were friends in this one. And Gwen was hilariously witty. I knew she was one of my favorite characters for a reason.
- The prose was just as enchanting and delicious as it was in the first book, but it was also still too excessive. Some descriptions just draaagged and I swear like two pages was Gwen opening a book and flipping to a certain page like omg just cut to the chase, Creagh. BUT the dreamworld scenes were very richly detailed and creepy and it was pretty ballin'. But save the words for times like that.
- CREEPY. Much more so than the first book imo. Again, the descriptions of the dreamworld and its creatures were top-tier. I thought Isobel's dream at the bookstore was one of the best scenes.
- Also, the real world and the dreamworld were mixed so much better in this one than in Nevermore. In that I felt like the dreamworld came at me in random, choppy chunks and it was just odd, but in this one they were a perfect blend.
NOT SO GOOD
- Some stuff was dragged out way too much. Isobel didn't meet Reynolds until like 79% in. 79% IN. What is that like, 300 pages?? Out of what, 448 pages? FFFFFFFFFFFF. And before that? Honestly, there was so much unnecessary stuff that this felt like a filler book, like one of those arcs in the Bleach anime that aren't based on the manga at all. By the end, I really felt like nothing was even really accomplished. It was slow, and the only reason why I tore through it so fast was because I wanted to know wtf happened (and ended up not really even finding out wtf happened...).
- Speaking of, the ending was frustrating as hell. I feel like despite everything that happened in all 448 pages of this book, we're back to square one. I'm pretty much just as confused at the end of this as I was at the end of Nevermore, if not more. Damn cliffhangers... Hey, geddit? Cliffhanger!
- Varen. butbutBUT (might as well set yourself up for disappointment in this area) only because he was in like ten pages, and like... those pages don't even count. Also, the more Isobel found out about him in this, the more I wished the first book would've been told from his point of view instead of hers. He's just SO interesting!
- Isobel? Meh, she kind of gets her own section in between, honestly. I enjoyed her quite a bit in the first book. But here, she was pretty much depressed the entire time, and it was sad, but this is a long book and it got old. Granted she had her moments, but those were seldom, especially compared to all the mope. But hey, she didn't completely tune out from the world and become an empty husk like some heroines (I think we all know who I'm talking about!)... She still did stuff and I still enjoyed her, but yeah, my enjoyment was dampened by the angst :/
So, yeah. Basically:
I think I have finally decided on three out of five stars.
September 16, 2012
2.5
Oh how I wanted to enjoy this book...
Yes, I am shocked at what I have just read...and I don't even...just, what?!
First of all, I should clarify this book is not getting a low-rating because of anything that has to do with the writing. I think Creagh is a terrific writer, as expressed in both Nevermore and Enshadowed, and she doesn't let a sentence go by without decent explanations. So there.
But that's pretty much the only thing GOOD about this book.
Nevermore was fantastic. It didn't suffer from that "Girl-Meets-Boy-And-Five-Seconds-Later-They-Want-To-Have-Babies" syndrome. It, for me, had a good balance of romance (f you wanna call it that), humor, creepiness, and than, of course, Poe.
However, in this book, all those good qualities I just covered seemed to somehow spontaneously combust.
--(If you haven't read the first book, beyond this point will be detrimental to your reading experience!!)--
The jacket-flap or any description I've read for this book is completely WRONG. Here is a description that should be used instead:
"Isobel, a once decent person, has since returned to being a whiny-bitchy-annoying cheerleader, who spends her days moping around. Occasionally, she'll do something interesting, like talk to her Dad. Which their conversations are always extremely relevent to that of the plot. Also, if we're lucky, she's visited by Gwen, a character who was once very interesting but in this book fills the 'weird-best-friend-who-knows-everything-and-is-basically-a-space-filler' characteristic. After about 400 pages of that, something finally happens, but even when stuff 'finally happens' nothing really happens. And then Isobel finds Varen...1 page later...nothing happens again...and the book than ends leaving you in complete suspense even though the nothingness that had just occured for 430 fucking pages doesn't exactly lead to any sorta of climax that is worthy of being deemed 'suspenseful'."
So yeah, someone send that to the Nevermore-Books-Publishing-People.
No but seriously, that's the best description I can actually give this book. In Nevermore, I felt there was an arch to the story, a bridge, if you will. A path the reader could take behind the story with just the right smattering of everything else enjoyable. This book lacked the one necessary thing to a book: an actual plot. Which is the last thing I would have suspected from Kelly Creagh.
With all the things she could have done...I think, WHY THIS?! The ending of this book is no different from the ending of the 1st, all the characters are basically in the same position as last time (except for Isobel) and to be honest, I don't really care anymore. Isobel got so goddamned annoying, Gwen got so goddamned annoying, there were basically no other characters in this book. You learn virtually nothing more about Reynolds, and the stuff you do find out isn't even explained or useful to the "plot" and then there's Pinfeathers who was a cool character but oops...he ended proving to be an absolutely worthless character. And Varen? Psh. He only appears FOR REAL for roughly the length of a small paragraph...
And the one thing I thought was supposed to pull these books along: Poe, seemed to be completely absent from this book. His importance slimmed down to an absolute minimum, and you learn nothing more about his life or how it relates to the little information the author concocted out of this mess.
Well there.
I did it.
And I feel unhappy with myself...
I will read the 3rd book...but my expectations for it have officially lowered to something embarrassingly low.
Oh how I wanted to enjoy this book...
Yes, I am shocked at what I have just read...and I don't even...just, what?!
First of all, I should clarify this book is not getting a low-rating because of anything that has to do with the writing. I think Creagh is a terrific writer, as expressed in both Nevermore and Enshadowed, and she doesn't let a sentence go by without decent explanations. So there.
But that's pretty much the only thing GOOD about this book.
Nevermore was fantastic. It didn't suffer from that "Girl-Meets-Boy-And-Five-Seconds-Later-They-Want-To-Have-Babies" syndrome. It, for me, had a good balance of romance (f you wanna call it that), humor, creepiness, and than, of course, Poe.
However, in this book, all those good qualities I just covered seemed to somehow spontaneously combust.
--(If you haven't read the first book, beyond this point will be detrimental to your reading experience!!)--
The jacket-flap or any description I've read for this book is completely WRONG. Here is a description that should be used instead:
"Isobel, a once decent person, has since returned to being a whiny-bitchy-annoying cheerleader, who spends her days moping around. Occasionally, she'll do something interesting, like talk to her Dad. Which their conversations are always extremely relevent to that of the plot. Also, if we're lucky, she's visited by Gwen, a character who was once very interesting but in this book fills the 'weird-best-friend-who-knows-everything-and-is-basically-a-space-filler' characteristic. After about 400 pages of that, something finally happens, but even when stuff 'finally happens' nothing really happens. And then Isobel finds Varen...1 page later...nothing happens again...and the book than ends leaving you in complete suspense even though the nothingness that had just occured for 430 fucking pages doesn't exactly lead to any sorta of climax that is worthy of being deemed 'suspenseful'."
So yeah, someone send that to the Nevermore-Books-Publishing-People.
No but seriously, that's the best description I can actually give this book. In Nevermore, I felt there was an arch to the story, a bridge, if you will. A path the reader could take behind the story with just the right smattering of everything else enjoyable. This book lacked the one necessary thing to a book: an actual plot. Which is the last thing I would have suspected from Kelly Creagh.
With all the things she could have done...I think, WHY THIS?! The ending of this book is no different from the ending of the 1st, all the characters are basically in the same position as last time (except for Isobel) and to be honest, I don't really care anymore. Isobel got so goddamned annoying, Gwen got so goddamned annoying, there were basically no other characters in this book. You learn virtually nothing more about Reynolds, and the stuff you do find out isn't even explained or useful to the "plot" and then there's Pinfeathers who was a cool character but oops...he ended proving to be an absolutely worthless character. And Varen? Psh. He only appears FOR REAL for roughly the length of a small paragraph...
And the one thing I thought was supposed to pull these books along: Poe, seemed to be completely absent from this book. His importance slimmed down to an absolute minimum, and you learn nothing more about his life or how it relates to the little information the author concocted out of this mess.
Well there.
I did it.
And I feel unhappy with myself...
I will read the 3rd book...but my expectations for it have officially lowered to something embarrassingly low.
July 17, 2023
The Poe Toaster.
Oh wait, I have an even better one!
Don’t give me that look. I’m sure I‘m not the only one who imagined this.
Starting Enshadowed was a huge mistake. And before you go all berserk on me, no I don’t mean that it’s a bad book. On the contrary, it’s a very good book. What actually made me say this is the ending. That godforsaken ending. Then again, Nevermore had a frustrating ending as well, so I guess I should have seen it coming.
What bothered me about the ending, besides the obvious things - those who have read the book know what things I’m talking about - is the fact that book three will be out in fucking 2013. 2013. What the hell? That seems like a lifetime away.
Why couldn’t I wait until all three books are out, and then start the series? Why? Because Nevermore was too tempting. Now look at me paying the price. Enjoy watching me beg and suffer.
Buy it. Join the suffering.
The reason why I’m not giving it five stars is Varen’s absence. Isobel is great, but not great enough to cover up his absence. The story was also lacking at some points. Too much parenting going on, not enough magic. This got me a bit bored.
And the ending. That fucking ending.
Read #1: 23rd - 25th Nov 2012
Read #2: 30th - 31st Jul 2015
Oh wait, I have an even better one!
Don’t give me that look. I’m sure I‘m not the only one who imagined this.
Starting Enshadowed was a huge mistake. And before you go all berserk on me, no I don’t mean that it’s a bad book. On the contrary, it’s a very good book. What actually made me say this is the ending. That godforsaken ending. Then again, Nevermore had a frustrating ending as well, so I guess I should have seen it coming.
What bothered me about the ending, besides the obvious things - those who have read the book know what things I’m talking about - is the fact that book three will be out in fucking 2013. 2013. What the hell? That seems like a lifetime away.
Why couldn’t I wait until all three books are out, and then start the series? Why? Because Nevermore was too tempting. Now look at me paying the price. Enjoy watching me beg and suffer.
Buy it. Join the suffering.
The reason why I’m not giving it five stars is Varen’s absence. Isobel is great, but not great enough to cover up his absence. The story was also lacking at some points. Too much parenting going on, not enough magic. This got me a bit bored.
And the ending. That fucking ending.
Read #1: 23rd - 25th Nov 2012
Read #2: 30th - 31st Jul 2015
February 15, 2016
Memories. They are the cobwebs of the mind.
Not quite as good as the first book because it was very slow-paced in comparison, but I still enjoyed it a lot. The story world Creagh created is simply brilliant. I'm such a huge fan of Poe's stories and poems, and the way she brought them to life in this book is amazing.
"Sleep now a little while
Till within our dreams we wake
Unfolding our Forever
If only for Never's sake."
I love everything about the Nevermore series, from the characters to the writing and the world building. I'm especially fond of Pinfeathers and Reynolds because they are those kinds of characters where you never quite know where they stand, what they fight for, and whose side they're on. Mysterious and multi-layered, exactly how I like my characters.
And Varen! Granted, there wasn't nearly enough of him in this installment, which is definitely one of the reasons I didn't give 5 stars, but when he did show up - wow. I missed him so much and what happened to him broke my heart. Can we get book 1 version of him back, please??
A twilight version of reality
I would love to write a detailed review, gushing about the descriptiveness of the dreamworld, the gothic elements, the way you never quite know if what's happening is real or dream, but I'm honestly too impatient and need to start book 3, Oblivion, right now.
Give this series a try if you fancy <3
Not quite as good as the first book because it was very slow-paced in comparison, but I still enjoyed it a lot. The story world Creagh created is simply brilliant. I'm such a huge fan of Poe's stories and poems, and the way she brought them to life in this book is amazing.
"Sleep now a little while
Till within our dreams we wake
Unfolding our Forever
If only for Never's sake."
I love everything about the Nevermore series, from the characters to the writing and the world building. I'm especially fond of Pinfeathers and Reynolds because they are those kinds of characters where you never quite know where they stand, what they fight for, and whose side they're on. Mysterious and multi-layered, exactly how I like my characters.
And Varen! Granted, there wasn't nearly enough of him in this installment, which is definitely one of the reasons I didn't give 5 stars, but when he did show up - wow. I missed him so much and what happened to him broke my heart. Can we get book 1 version of him back, please??
A twilight version of reality
I would love to write a detailed review, gushing about the descriptiveness of the dreamworld, the gothic elements, the way you never quite know if what's happening is real or dream, but I'm honestly too impatient and need to start book 3, Oblivion, right now.
Give this series a try if you fancy <3
September 19, 2012
Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers
It has been an agonizing few months since Varen Nethers has disappeared - the rest of the world thinks that he, a misfit and outsider, has simply run away. But Isobel Lanley knows the truth - that Varen is trapped in the Dreamworld, tricked by creatures called Nocs and a beautiful, cruel demon named Lilith that reigns with deception and fear. Ever since losing Varen to the Dreamworld on Halloween, Isobel has grappled with her guilt and broken heart, and is a shadow of her former bubbly, carefree self. Plagued by nightmares and waking dreams in which she is haunted by Nocs, by Lilith, and even by Varen himself, Isobel finally musters up a haphazard plan to save the boy she loves. Her last hope is to travel to Baltimore and on the eve of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, to visit Poe's grave and confront Reynolds - the infamous Poe Toaster, and the specter that can bridge the gap between Isobel's world and the realm of dreaming.
I'm gonna put on my sixth grade hat for a second to make this point: If you looked up the definition of "filler" in the dictionary (or on a wiki), you would find Enshadowed listed as a prime example. Creagh's second novel has a major case of Middle Book Syndrome (i.e. The Empire Strikes Back, this ain't).
To be blunt, nothing really happens in Enshadowed.
For the first 200 pages or so, heroine Isobel is (as one chapter title puts it) a 'shade of a shade' - she is an infuriatingly disengaged protagonist caught in a weird state of mental limbo, in which she can no longer function around her family or friends for whatever reason, and instead turns in on herself, giving up any pretense of trying to seem normal. Granted, she did lose her boyfriend and is being haunted by increasingly frequent apparitions, but Isobel's complete lack of effort to keep it together is more than a little...frustrating.
In fact, frustrating is the real key word for Enshadowed. For most of this book, I found myself incredibly frustrated with Isobel. Frustrated with her lack of thinking or planning (there are many moments of unparalleled idiocy in this novel on Isobel's part), frustrated with her tendency to keep secrets, frustrated with her disinterest in at least attempting to cover up her bizarre behavior. Most of all, it really bothered me that Isobel - for all that she feels guilty about putting her parents through hell - wouldn't connect (or even try to engage!) with a family that clearly loves and cares deeply for her. Is this out of character? Probably not, as I'm sure most folks (including myself) were not the best or most communicative teenagers. Still, to read the depths of despair to which Isobel has sank - all because of a boy she barely knows! - is a little grating. Especially considering how effective and compelling the relationship between Isobel and Varen was in Nevermore - the chemistry between the two characters, their differences, and their investment in each other. Unfortunately, this has vanished completely from the second book as Varen is nowhere to be seen. Instead, we have a hollowly disengaged Isabel, and a deluge of descriptive nightmares.
On the positive side, Kelly Creagh does have a way with words and has managed to write a nearly 500 page book that is, essentially, all description. And description of surrealist dreamscapes, no less (complete with spinning clocks and labyrinthine rose gardens and the like)! That's no small feat. She also manages to weave in more of the figure of Poe, his life and death (including the Poe Toaster) into the text, which is also handled deftly.
That said, reaching the end of the book only to discover that nothing has really happened over the course of this narrative makes for a frustrating reading experience. Minimal progress is made in the overarching arc of the trilogy (if any progress is made at all), and I ended the book exasperated with Isobel, confused with the novel's lackadaisical plotting, and sorely disappointed with the book's lack of meat and heart.
I might stick around to give book 3 a shot, but Enshadowed, for me, was a sad miss.
It has been an agonizing few months since Varen Nethers has disappeared - the rest of the world thinks that he, a misfit and outsider, has simply run away. But Isobel Lanley knows the truth - that Varen is trapped in the Dreamworld, tricked by creatures called Nocs and a beautiful, cruel demon named Lilith that reigns with deception and fear. Ever since losing Varen to the Dreamworld on Halloween, Isobel has grappled with her guilt and broken heart, and is a shadow of her former bubbly, carefree self. Plagued by nightmares and waking dreams in which she is haunted by Nocs, by Lilith, and even by Varen himself, Isobel finally musters up a haphazard plan to save the boy she loves. Her last hope is to travel to Baltimore and on the eve of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, to visit Poe's grave and confront Reynolds - the infamous Poe Toaster, and the specter that can bridge the gap between Isobel's world and the realm of dreaming.
I'm gonna put on my sixth grade hat for a second to make this point: If you looked up the definition of "filler" in the dictionary (or on a wiki), you would find Enshadowed listed as a prime example. Creagh's second novel has a major case of Middle Book Syndrome (i.e. The Empire Strikes Back, this ain't).
To be blunt, nothing really happens in Enshadowed.
For the first 200 pages or so, heroine Isobel is (as one chapter title puts it) a 'shade of a shade' - she is an infuriatingly disengaged protagonist caught in a weird state of mental limbo, in which she can no longer function around her family or friends for whatever reason, and instead turns in on herself, giving up any pretense of trying to seem normal. Granted, she did lose her boyfriend and is being haunted by increasingly frequent apparitions, but Isobel's complete lack of effort to keep it together is more than a little...frustrating.
In fact, frustrating is the real key word for Enshadowed. For most of this book, I found myself incredibly frustrated with Isobel. Frustrated with her lack of thinking or planning (there are many moments of unparalleled idiocy in this novel on Isobel's part), frustrated with her tendency to keep secrets, frustrated with her disinterest in at least attempting to cover up her bizarre behavior. Most of all, it really bothered me that Isobel - for all that she feels guilty about putting her parents through hell - wouldn't connect (or even try to engage!) with a family that clearly loves and cares deeply for her. Is this out of character? Probably not, as I'm sure most folks (including myself) were not the best or most communicative teenagers. Still, to read the depths of despair to which Isobel has sank - all because of a boy she barely knows! - is a little grating. Especially considering how effective and compelling the relationship between Isobel and Varen was in Nevermore - the chemistry between the two characters, their differences, and their investment in each other. Unfortunately, this has vanished completely from the second book as Varen is nowhere to be seen. Instead, we have a hollowly disengaged Isabel, and a deluge of descriptive nightmares.
On the positive side, Kelly Creagh does have a way with words and has managed to write a nearly 500 page book that is, essentially, all description. And description of surrealist dreamscapes, no less (complete with spinning clocks and labyrinthine rose gardens and the like)! That's no small feat. She also manages to weave in more of the figure of Poe, his life and death (including the Poe Toaster) into the text, which is also handled deftly.
That said, reaching the end of the book only to discover that nothing has really happened over the course of this narrative makes for a frustrating reading experience. Minimal progress is made in the overarching arc of the trilogy (if any progress is made at all), and I ended the book exasperated with Isobel, confused with the novel's lackadaisical plotting, and sorely disappointed with the book's lack of meat and heart.
I might stick around to give book 3 a shot, but Enshadowed, for me, was a sad miss.
looks-promising
March 19, 2011
I really want this book.
July 22, 2017
4.5 Stars but I round up on Goodreads.
First off... that freaking cliffhanger!? I can't even... I could not imagine having read this the year it came out and then waiting for the third to come out. That is full on torture! That is why I dock this half a star.
Now moving on, most of this novel is spent with Isobel trying to find a way to get to the Poe Toaster. She is also coming to terms with everything that had happened in the first book. She's dealing with the loss of Varen. She's dealing with this new strained relationship with her parents. She also gets closer to her best friend. Whom I adore by the way.
Through all this Lilith is poisoning Varen's mind, making him think that Isobel lied to him, that she is never coming back for him. That she isn't who Varen thought.
She never gives up though, working through ways to get back into the world where Varen is, she will stop at nothing to get him back. She loves him so much. So when she finally gets back into the world, it's not what she expected to find...
I love this series so much. What I love more than anything about it, is the tone. It's dark and inviting and sometimes a little creepy. It's prefect! I've never read a book that has this kind of atmosphere and I wish more books did! It's simply glorious. There is also the way that the author took Poe's works and made them fit into this world so seamlessly. It's truly flawless.
I could go on praising this book and this series forever but I will end this by saying, this is worth your time and money. Go out and get it now if you haven't. You don't know what you are missing!
First off... that freaking cliffhanger!? I can't even... I could not imagine having read this the year it came out and then waiting for the third to come out. That is full on torture! That is why I dock this half a star.
Now moving on, most of this novel is spent with Isobel trying to find a way to get to the Poe Toaster. She is also coming to terms with everything that had happened in the first book. She's dealing with the loss of Varen. She's dealing with this new strained relationship with her parents. She also gets closer to her best friend. Whom I adore by the way.
Through all this Lilith is poisoning Varen's mind, making him think that Isobel lied to him, that she is never coming back for him. That she isn't who Varen thought.
She never gives up though, working through ways to get back into the world where Varen is, she will stop at nothing to get him back. She loves him so much. So when she finally gets back into the world, it's not what she expected to find...
I love this series so much. What I love more than anything about it, is the tone. It's dark and inviting and sometimes a little creepy. It's prefect! I've never read a book that has this kind of atmosphere and I wish more books did! It's simply glorious. There is also the way that the author took Poe's works and made them fit into this world so seamlessly. It's truly flawless.
I could go on praising this book and this series forever but I will end this by saying, this is worth your time and money. Go out and get it now if you haven't. You don't know what you are missing!
December 15, 2016
For book 1 Nevermore, see my review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Edited@17/09/2016: thoughts after re-reading:
I have been re-reading this trilogy, and after this round of re-reading, I can appreciate Ms. Creagh's imaginary even more than before. Although some parts of the story and some of the MC's action are still frustrating to me, yet I now find a new favorite character: Pinfeather! He is such a sweetheart! ^_^
And I just can't resist pimping my fanart a little:
Edited@18/10/2013
Today I finished a fanart for Enshdowed:
I had just turned the last page...and right now I'm feeling a lot of things at once...
I want to scream.
I want to cry out "NO DON'T DO THAT TO ME!"
(Yes, I took this picture from someone else's reviw)
I was amazed by how Ms. Creagh ended her second book.
I love her writing and her plot twists.
I keep wishing I could write like her.
But I also want to wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze for ending the book like THIS.
Enshadowed is not what I have expected, but it isn't like I can't see the ending coming...although it really isn't the ending I would like to see.
(Link: http://vampirekiki.deviantart.com/art...)
No no no no no noooooo!!! Please don't do this, Ms. Creagh!
It has been a long since I'd last became so emotional over a book.
The book isn't without flaws, for most of the time the suspense keeps building up as Isobel being haunted by illusions and her own dreams, but when all these build-ups reach the climax, the book has already reached its end.
Plus, Isobel is still very slow and she is as poorly researched about Poe as she was in book 1. I mean, she is now on a quest to save Varen, but how could she not even bother to look more closely at Poe's works, his life and his mysterious death in order to look for answers!?
To be 100% honest, Isobel's Do Not Do The Research flaw is once again getting into my nerve. Now she realized Varen's fate was tied to Poe and his works, then why didn't Isobel start getting her hands on every Poe-related material already in order to get some answer!? I never see her burying her nose into Poe's novels, I never see her looking up Google or Wiki to look for details of Poe's life and his mysterious death. NOTHING. *sighs*
Through out reading the book, the beautiful, gothic images of my beloved Italian old schooled horror films keep surfacing in my mind...
I love how Ms. Creagh descried the shadowy, ghostly villain Lilith, the scenes with her are as scary as the scene when Anna first showing up in Anna Dressed In Blood.
A scene from Mario Bava's Black Sunday. This actress can very well be Lilith.^^
And in the end Varen became a guy who mourned the death of the lovely girl he loved---just like so many of Poe's male leads.
Now I'm desperately waiting for the next book. What will Isobel do next?!?
Edited@17/09/2016: thoughts after re-reading:
I have been re-reading this trilogy, and after this round of re-reading, I can appreciate Ms. Creagh's imaginary even more than before. Although some parts of the story and some of the MC's action are still frustrating to me, yet I now find a new favorite character: Pinfeather! He is such a sweetheart! ^_^
And I just can't resist pimping my fanart a little:
Edited@18/10/2013
Today I finished a fanart for Enshdowed:
I had just turned the last page...and right now I'm feeling a lot of things at once...
I want to scream.
I want to cry out "NO DON'T DO THAT TO ME!"
(Yes, I took this picture from someone else's reviw)
I was amazed by how Ms. Creagh ended her second book.
I love her writing and her plot twists.
I keep wishing I could write like her.
But I also want to wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze for ending the book like THIS.
Enshadowed is not what I have expected, but it isn't like I can't see the ending coming...although it really isn't the ending I would like to see.
(Link: http://vampirekiki.deviantart.com/art...)
No no no no no noooooo!!! Please don't do this, Ms. Creagh!
It has been a long since I'd last became so emotional over a book.
The book isn't without flaws, for most of the time the suspense keeps building up as Isobel being haunted by illusions and her own dreams, but when all these build-ups reach the climax, the book has already reached its end.
Plus, Isobel is still very slow and she is as poorly researched about Poe as she was in book 1. I mean, she is now on a quest to save Varen, but how could she not even bother to look more closely at Poe's works, his life and his mysterious death in order to look for answers!?
To be 100% honest, Isobel's Do Not Do The Research flaw is once again getting into my nerve. Now she realized Varen's fate was tied to Poe and his works, then why didn't Isobel start getting her hands on every Poe-related material already in order to get some answer!? I never see her burying her nose into Poe's novels, I never see her looking up Google or Wiki to look for details of Poe's life and his mysterious death. NOTHING. *sighs*
Through out reading the book, the beautiful, gothic images of my beloved Italian old schooled horror films keep surfacing in my mind...
I love how Ms. Creagh descried the shadowy, ghostly villain Lilith, the scenes with her are as scary as the scene when Anna first showing up in Anna Dressed In Blood.
A scene from Mario Bava's Black Sunday. This actress can very well be Lilith.^^
And in the end Varen became a guy who mourned the death of the lovely girl he loved---just like so many of Poe's male leads.
Now I'm desperately waiting for the next book. What will Isobel do next?!?
December 13, 2014
This is a really difficult review for me to write. Mostly because I was so, SO excited to read this book. I read (and reviewed) Nevermore last year, and I was desperate for the sequel. So when NC over at Truly Bookish let me borrow her ARC, then Simon & Schuster was kind enough to send me my own, I was basically ecstatic. Unfortunately, Enshadowed just didn't live up to my expectations.
First and foremost, I feel like I need to give the author major props. Kelly Creagh is a great writer! That's very apparent when you read her books; she has a really good handle on her craft, and I think her writing is just easy to read. She does an incredible job at crafting a creepy world of dreams with even creepier characters, and she does NOT hold back on her characters. A lot of authors almost seem scared to hurt their characters, but definitely not Creagh! Isobel and Varen go through so much pain in Enshadowed, it was almost painful for me to read.
I also thought she did an incredible job not falling into cliches and tropes that we see so often in YA. All of her characters are well-rounded and fleshed out. I still love Isobel and her tenacity and good heart. I love that her parents play such a prominent role in the story and that her dad is such a nice guy that cares for her. I love Gwen and her sass, and I love the dreamworld.
What I did NOT love was Varen's absence.
This book is almost 500 pages long, and Varen appears in maybe ten of those pages. This is not an exaggeration. Ten. And I don't know about anyone else, but one of my favorite parts of Nevermore was Varen. He's such a good character, and I wanted to find out more about him. But instead, we have Isobel searching for him the entire book.
Not much actually happens in Enshadowed, plot-wise. It's definitely a character-driven novel. And that's okay. I think Nevermore was pretty character-driven, as well. But the pacing of Enshadowed was just too slow for me. I found myself losing interest a lot, and I couldn't read much at one time.
As much as I enjoyed Isobel, she couldn't carry the entire plot for me.
And she does, for the whole book. We follow her to school, where she's depressed. And then home, where she's depressed. While I understood her depression, it sorta made ME depressed reading about it.
For basically 350 pages, this was a 2-star book for me because I was so sorely missing Varen and everything he brought to the story. Even the creepy glimpses into the dreamworld weren't holding my attention. But, guys, the last 100 or so pages?
Wow.
I went from
TO
TO
I thought Kelly Creagh had ripped open my heart at the end of Nevermore but wow. Enshadowed takes the pain to an entirely different level. This ending is killer, folks. And if she makes us wait another 2 years for the next one, I'm going to break something.
So while I found this book a little slow and definitely not as good as the first, I really respect the choices Kelly Creagh made. She didn't take the easy road with the story. And I think she's set herself up for an INCREDIBLE final book in the trilogy.
So even though I didn't enjoy Enshadowed as much as I was hoping to, I would definitely still recommend it. And let's all pray that we get lots more Varen in book 3!
First and foremost, I feel like I need to give the author major props. Kelly Creagh is a great writer! That's very apparent when you read her books; she has a really good handle on her craft, and I think her writing is just easy to read. She does an incredible job at crafting a creepy world of dreams with even creepier characters, and she does NOT hold back on her characters. A lot of authors almost seem scared to hurt their characters, but definitely not Creagh! Isobel and Varen go through so much pain in Enshadowed, it was almost painful for me to read.
I also thought she did an incredible job not falling into cliches and tropes that we see so often in YA. All of her characters are well-rounded and fleshed out. I still love Isobel and her tenacity and good heart. I love that her parents play such a prominent role in the story and that her dad is such a nice guy that cares for her. I love Gwen and her sass, and I love the dreamworld.
What I did NOT love was Varen's absence.
This book is almost 500 pages long, and Varen appears in maybe ten of those pages. This is not an exaggeration. Ten. And I don't know about anyone else, but one of my favorite parts of Nevermore was Varen. He's such a good character, and I wanted to find out more about him. But instead, we have Isobel searching for him the entire book.
Not much actually happens in Enshadowed, plot-wise. It's definitely a character-driven novel. And that's okay. I think Nevermore was pretty character-driven, as well. But the pacing of Enshadowed was just too slow for me. I found myself losing interest a lot, and I couldn't read much at one time.
As much as I enjoyed Isobel, she couldn't carry the entire plot for me.
And she does, for the whole book. We follow her to school, where she's depressed. And then home, where she's depressed. While I understood her depression, it sorta made ME depressed reading about it.
For basically 350 pages, this was a 2-star book for me because I was so sorely missing Varen and everything he brought to the story. Even the creepy glimpses into the dreamworld weren't holding my attention. But, guys, the last 100 or so pages?
Wow.
I went from
TO
TO
I thought Kelly Creagh had ripped open my heart at the end of Nevermore but wow. Enshadowed takes the pain to an entirely different level. This ending is killer, folks. And if she makes us wait another 2 years for the next one, I'm going to break something.
So while I found this book a little slow and definitely not as good as the first, I really respect the choices Kelly Creagh made. She didn't take the easy road with the story. And I think she's set herself up for an INCREDIBLE final book in the trilogy.
So even though I didn't enjoy Enshadowed as much as I was hoping to, I would definitely still recommend it. And let's all pray that we get lots more Varen in book 3!
August 5, 2016
Spoilers
Isobel is determined to save Varen from the dreamworld, but with no idea as to how to reach him, Isobel must seek out Reynolds - the only person who seems to know anything about the dreamworld. Isobel thinks she can find Reynolds in Baltimore as she believes he is the Poe Toaster - the mysterious man who visits the grave of Edgar Allen Poe every year on the date of his death. Isobel has no choice but to find a way to get to Baltimore and confront Reynolds in order to have any chance of getting Varen back.
-The storyline was none existent, it basically consisted of Isobel finding a way to get to Baltimore. Nothing really happens for most of the book. Isobel moans for the first 80% and then when things finally do kick off, Isobel still manages to achieve nothing. I expected the story to move forward in some way but by the end everything was more or less the same as what it was at the beginning of the book. The whole book was pointless, it definitely suffered from an extreme case of Middle Book syndrome.
-Isobel was far too depressed and emo. Where was the dumb yet likeable heroine from the first book?? This Isobel was awful. I preferred her idiotic but upbeat personality from the first book, I couldn't stand manic depressive Isobel. Isobel's defining characteristic in this book was her obsession with Varen - she no longer cared about school, her family, her friends, her cheerleading or her social life — nope, the only thing that mattered to her was a guy she'd only known for 2 months — and those two months were spent mostly ignoring each other or being at mad at one another. I pretty much hated Isobel - she was such a bore to read about.
-I really didn't get why Isobel was so determined to save Varen - the only reason he was in the dreamworld with Lilith was because that's what he wanted. I don't know why Isobel blamed Lilith for 'seducing' him — he was the one that summoned Lilith in the first place because he was lonely. Varen only had himself to blame for his situation yet Isobel refused to see that and set about saving him when he was only there because he wanted to be.
-Varen was barely in it and when he did bother to show up he just acted like a weirdo. I hated what he did at the end… WTF?! He pushed Isobel of a cliff and basically killed her..seriously?! How am I meant to root for them as a couple now that he's done something so unforgivable and fucked up. I hope Isobel doesn't forgive him — it's obvious she will though, all UF/YA/PNR heroes can do whatever they want, they can rape, kill, beat, lie and betray the heroine and all will be forgiven just because they're attractive and give some lame ass apology.
-I liked that there was no disappearing parent syndrome. Isobel's family actually cared about her and were around for her. I hated the way she treated her dad, he'd done everything for her but she decided to punish him and thought badly of him because he didn't like Varen the first time he saw him. She was such a hypocrite — she never gave Varen the time of day because of the way he dressed and the only reason she did give Varen a chance was because they were forced to work together yet she fails to see her own hypocrisy.
This was a huge waste of time — nothing happened, Isobel was boring, Varen was a fucked up bastard and the whole thing was just so blah. I'm probably still going to read the next book since I kind of want to know how things unfold, but I'll be borrowing it from the library or a friend because it's not worth my money.
Isobel is determined to save Varen from the dreamworld, but with no idea as to how to reach him, Isobel must seek out Reynolds - the only person who seems to know anything about the dreamworld. Isobel thinks she can find Reynolds in Baltimore as she believes he is the Poe Toaster - the mysterious man who visits the grave of Edgar Allen Poe every year on the date of his death. Isobel has no choice but to find a way to get to Baltimore and confront Reynolds in order to have any chance of getting Varen back.
-The storyline was none existent, it basically consisted of Isobel finding a way to get to Baltimore. Nothing really happens for most of the book. Isobel moans for the first 80% and then when things finally do kick off, Isobel still manages to achieve nothing. I expected the story to move forward in some way but by the end everything was more or less the same as what it was at the beginning of the book. The whole book was pointless, it definitely suffered from an extreme case of Middle Book syndrome.
-Isobel was far too depressed and emo. Where was the dumb yet likeable heroine from the first book?? This Isobel was awful. I preferred her idiotic but upbeat personality from the first book, I couldn't stand manic depressive Isobel. Isobel's defining characteristic in this book was her obsession with Varen - she no longer cared about school, her family, her friends, her cheerleading or her social life — nope, the only thing that mattered to her was a guy she'd only known for 2 months — and those two months were spent mostly ignoring each other or being at mad at one another. I pretty much hated Isobel - she was such a bore to read about.
-I really didn't get why Isobel was so determined to save Varen - the only reason he was in the dreamworld with Lilith was because that's what he wanted. I don't know why Isobel blamed Lilith for 'seducing' him — he was the one that summoned Lilith in the first place because he was lonely. Varen only had himself to blame for his situation yet Isobel refused to see that and set about saving him when he was only there because he wanted to be.
-Varen was barely in it and when he did bother to show up he just acted like a weirdo. I hated what he did at the end… WTF?! He pushed Isobel of a cliff and basically killed her..seriously?! How am I meant to root for them as a couple now that he's done something so unforgivable and fucked up. I hope Isobel doesn't forgive him — it's obvious she will though, all UF/YA/PNR heroes can do whatever they want, they can rape, kill, beat, lie and betray the heroine and all will be forgiven just because they're attractive and give some lame ass apology.
-I liked that there was no disappearing parent syndrome. Isobel's family actually cared about her and were around for her. I hated the way she treated her dad, he'd done everything for her but she decided to punish him and thought badly of him because he didn't like Varen the first time he saw him. She was such a hypocrite — she never gave Varen the time of day because of the way he dressed and the only reason she did give Varen a chance was because they were forced to work together yet she fails to see her own hypocrisy.
This was a huge waste of time — nothing happened, Isobel was boring, Varen was a fucked up bastard and the whole thing was just so blah. I'm probably still going to read the next book since I kind of want to know how things unfold, but I'll be borrowing it from the library or a friend because it's not worth my money.
October 4, 2012
So here is my question: have people actually read this book? Or are they just giving it 4-5 stars because they love Varen OH SO MUCH.
Now my friends, I am with you. I, too, am...er, was... on the Nevermore train. I re-read Nevermore yesterday to prepare for Enshadowed and it got me so excited. I've been waiting forever for this book and it's October - perfect time to read it and here I go and
Hey, I'm 80% through the book and all that has happened is one giant review of book 1. Are you kidding?
I feel pretty let down, honestly. I can't even believe that it took 2.5 years to come up with this "book." You will finish this book. You will have learned nothing more about Reynolds, except that he's kind of awesome but still somewhat of a creep. Oh wait, that's what we got out of book 1. Crap.
You will learn that Isobel is awesome. But we knew that already.
You will learn that Varen has a tendency to mope. But wait, that's a review again.
Now granted, Gwen does get a much bigger part in Enshadowed. I'm not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, yes she is funny. But she's also kind of conveniently inserted into plot points. And to be honest, she totally annoys me. I kind of feel like the author is inserting herself into the story as Gwen, and I don't know if that's accurate, but that's how it's come across to me.
I loved the scene with Brad. Loved it. Would have liked more Brad. Would have liked more interaction with Bruce. Would have appreciated a semblance of an interaction between Isobel and anyone outside of her family and Gwen. The parts with Pinfeathers were okay, except that they were all filler and no new information. Again.
I can see pretty clearly where some of the characters are going and it makes me roll my eyes. Where I would have been a little gleeful about it before I'd read Enshadowed - now I'm just nervous and deflated.
I really, really wanted to love this book. But this is not a book. This is not plot driven at all. It's still moody and atmospheric but.
I'm going to go back to pretending this one isn't out yet. Maybe then I won't feel so betrayed. And I may or may not read Book 3... when it's released in 8 years. eye roll.
Now my friends, I am with you. I, too, am...er, was... on the Nevermore train. I re-read Nevermore yesterday to prepare for Enshadowed and it got me so excited. I've been waiting forever for this book and it's October - perfect time to read it and here I go and
Hey, I'm 80% through the book and all that has happened is one giant review of book 1. Are you kidding?
I feel pretty let down, honestly. I can't even believe that it took 2.5 years to come up with this "book." You will finish this book. You will have learned nothing more about Reynolds, except that he's kind of awesome but still somewhat of a creep. Oh wait, that's what we got out of book 1. Crap.
You will learn that Isobel is awesome. But we knew that already.
You will learn that Varen has a tendency to mope. But wait, that's a review again.
Now granted, Gwen does get a much bigger part in Enshadowed. I'm not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, yes she is funny. But she's also kind of conveniently inserted into plot points. And to be honest, she totally annoys me. I kind of feel like the author is inserting herself into the story as Gwen, and I don't know if that's accurate, but that's how it's come across to me.
I loved the scene with Brad. Loved it. Would have liked more Brad. Would have liked more interaction with Bruce. Would have appreciated a semblance of an interaction between Isobel and anyone outside of her family and Gwen. The parts with Pinfeathers were okay, except that they were all filler and no new information. Again.
I can see pretty clearly where some of the characters are going and it makes me roll my eyes. Where I would have been a little gleeful about it before I'd read Enshadowed - now I'm just nervous and deflated.
I really, really wanted to love this book. But this is not a book. This is not plot driven at all. It's still moody and atmospheric but.
I'm going to go back to pretending this one isn't out yet. Maybe then I won't feel so betrayed. And I may or may not read Book 3... when it's released in 8 years. eye roll.
September 8, 2014
Varen, you fucking stupid bastard!!!!! $&?#}^¥Г§¿¡©€%!!!!!!
4,5 Stars
I've been thinking a long time about this book and I think my rating was rather high since a lot of things frustrated me in the story and felt disengaged towards Isobel so yeah I believe 3 stars is a far more appropriate rating. Varen still remains a fucking bastard though!!
I've been thinking a long time about this book and I think my rating was rather high since a lot of things frustrated me in the story and felt disengaged towards Isobel so yeah I believe 3 stars is a far more appropriate rating. Varen still remains a fucking bastard though!!
January 9, 2020
When I started Enshadowed, I reminded myself repeatedly that it wasn't Nevermore. You must understand that I loved Nevermore...which meant I had to prepare myself for the possibility that the sequel would fall short.
So, no...this isn't as good.
The writing style is still attractive. It's dark & descriptive, but with a minimum of excess. The author has a gift for details that make the background vivid; she also takes great care to link small things to the bigger picture (e.g., Varen's obsession with violet ink shows in everything he's created in the dreamworld). The constant sense of duality, reflection, & parallel imagery is one of my favorite tropes; there's nothing more beautifully gothic than the exploration of shadows in the mirror, whether literal or metaphorical.
I also love the family relationships. Many YA heroines are orphans because it's easier to shovel that roadblock to the side (authors will deny it, but c'mon...you know it's true). Unless there's a legit reason for their orphan status (like, say, Harry Potter), it smacks of Disappearing Parent Syndrome solely for the sake of plotting antics. But Isobel doesn't have that luxury...in fact, she grieves over deceiving her family, especially her father. It's a refreshing dose of realism in YA paranormals.
...That said, this book isn't without problems.
Other reviews have pointed out that there's not much plot. This is true. Even when Pinfeathers makes his first appearance & the creepy happenings start to pick up, Isobel still doesn't get to Baltimore until the last quarter of the novel...so if you're waiting for a heady Romeo & Juliet story, you won't find it here. Also frustrating is the way Isobel's personality has deflated into cliché. Typical to YA multi-volume sagas, she's been reduced to a shell of herself & spends a lot of time moping about Varen. I could understand some private mourning, but the way she shuts out her friends & family doesn't hold true to the character established in Book 1. As if that wasn't enough, the close of the book has answered very few questions -- in fact, Isobel is pretty much back where she started. WTF.
...But I still love Pinfeathers. :P
4 stars. Not awesome, but I enjoyed it.**
UPDATE: I've since donated this & book 3 to Goodwill, but I'm leaving the essence of my review intact (aside from correcting a few typos). I just can't do YA anymore & aside from a very small handful of permanent keepers, I'm continuing to weed those that survived the previous cullings.
So, no...this isn't as good.
The writing style is still attractive. It's dark & descriptive, but with a minimum of excess. The author has a gift for details that make the background vivid; she also takes great care to link small things to the bigger picture (e.g., Varen's obsession with violet ink shows in everything he's created in the dreamworld). The constant sense of duality, reflection, & parallel imagery is one of my favorite tropes; there's nothing more beautifully gothic than the exploration of shadows in the mirror, whether literal or metaphorical.
I also love the family relationships. Many YA heroines are orphans because it's easier to shovel that roadblock to the side (authors will deny it, but c'mon...you know it's true). Unless there's a legit reason for their orphan status (like, say, Harry Potter), it smacks of Disappearing Parent Syndrome solely for the sake of plotting antics. But Isobel doesn't have that luxury...in fact, she grieves over deceiving her family, especially her father. It's a refreshing dose of realism in YA paranormals.
...That said, this book isn't without problems.
Other reviews have pointed out that there's not much plot. This is true. Even when Pinfeathers makes his first appearance & the creepy happenings start to pick up, Isobel still doesn't get to Baltimore until the last quarter of the novel...so if you're waiting for a heady Romeo & Juliet story, you won't find it here. Also frustrating is the way Isobel's personality has deflated into cliché. Typical to YA multi-volume sagas, she's been reduced to a shell of herself & spends a lot of time moping about Varen. I could understand some private mourning, but the way she shuts out her friends & family doesn't hold true to the character established in Book 1. As if that wasn't enough, the close of the book has answered very few questions -- in fact, Isobel is pretty much back where she started. WTF.
...But I still love Pinfeathers. :P
4 stars. Not awesome, but I enjoyed it.**
UPDATE: I've since donated this & book 3 to Goodwill, but I'm leaving the essence of my review intact (aside from correcting a few typos). I just can't do YA anymore & aside from a very small handful of permanent keepers, I'm continuing to weed those that survived the previous cullings.
April 20, 2015
I really liked the first book so much so that I jumped right into this one without hesitation. What I got was...something different than what I expected.
Being blown away by the darkness that was very reminiscent of a good Poe story, I pretty much devoured book one. And while this did have the same feel as the first book something was off about it as well. Maybe because Varen wasn't as present and it lacked his dark moods and broodiness, I'm not sure, either way, this didn't quite have the same umph that the first book had.
It wasn't a bad sequel but no where near the greatness the first book held although I did enjoy it and will definitely be continuing the series.
Being blown away by the darkness that was very reminiscent of a good Poe story, I pretty much devoured book one. And while this did have the same feel as the first book something was off about it as well. Maybe because Varen wasn't as present and it lacked his dark moods and broodiness, I'm not sure, either way, this didn't quite have the same umph that the first book had.
It wasn't a bad sequel but no where near the greatness the first book held although I did enjoy it and will definitely be continuing the series.
Want to read
December 28, 2010Waiting until 2012 to actually read this is going to kill me. The end of the first book took me off guard a little bit because I didn't expect it to end that way. Of course, that's how Kelly made it out to be, haha. I guess I'll have to occupy myself with something else in the meantime of waiting!
October 5, 2015
Final rating: 3/5 stars
⚠ Despite me writing a review for the first book and the series overall, I will also share my thoughts on the sequels. I read this book in August of 2012. In October of 2015th, i reread it, because i wanted to write review for all three books, and to remind myself of the books.
✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ☸ ⚡ ⚓
Like i said before, while I did enjoy the story, I felt kind of let down with the character development. But this book, especially, felt like a bridge between the stories. At least until the parts, and generally, the last 100 pages or so.
I liked it, and therefore 3 stars should be enough. But i didn't feel the same charm i felt in the first book. It felt like the same, old, bridge book type. You know, the one not really necessary, but it still provides some important info?
Like i said before, this book did provide additional/relevant information for this story. It did show us a bit more about so called Nocs, demons in the dream world... Including more about Scrimshaw and Pinfeathers. We also find more about the Big Bad (Lilith). This is what I appreciated. And even though I didn't mention him before, we get to see the other side of so called Reynolds, the mystery Isobel cannot crack.
____________________________________________
CHARACTERS :
____________________________________________
♛ Isobel: Finding out that Varen is gone didn't really sit well with Isobel. Isobel becames depressed, and... stops carring about everyone else and thinks only of Varen (that's what irritated me, despite her parents trying to find out what happened with her, she would not even talk to them...) Except, she is a type that doesn't give up easily. And given the fact that she found out a little about him during the times they spent together, makes her determined to save him. She is prepared to do anything to dispel his darkness and drag him back with her. Too bad she sometimes has that uncanny habit of not listening to people when they talk. She tries to catch up with Reynolds, whom she suspects is the Poe Taster from the stories, and devises a plan to go to another city (to catch up to him), just so she could try to get the opportunity to rescue Varen.
♚ Varen: Caught up by his own darkness, and darkness of Lilith, the one who pulls the strings, made him despair even more. Changes are brewing and slowly but surely, he is starting to go to the point of no return. Even though he appears rarely in this book, it's not so hard to see what kind of influence dreamworld and darkness surrounding him and darkness inside of him had on him.
♜ Gwen: If Isobel has someone who can help her, it's Gwen. To bad she keeps most of the stuff to herself, instead of letting Gwen know it all. But Gwen is definitely more likeable than heroine herself, and that is a bit sad.
♘ Pinfeathers: This book was more about him, his side of view, rather than Varen's. Pinfeathers is losing himself, torn between his feelings and his master, he tries to prove Isobel that "they" are not worth it. Even so, it's not easy for him to resist his inner feelings, despite being a Noc. He finds Isobel fascinating enough and in the end, from a antagonist whose purpose was to scare and kill Isobel, he became a Noble Demon (trope).
♖ Reynolds: In this book, his circumstances are still a mystery. Despite his warnings to Isobel, he did try to help her. Too bad she is not the type that listens to people until it's too late. Finding out more about him was also something that made me curious.
♟ Others:
» You could say Brad found his closure - .
» Nikki, Isobel's ex-friend, tries to reforge their relationship, but it doesn't really go as planned.
» Varen's family, despite being cold towards Varen, does show signs of regret of their treatment of him. But it's to late to regret the choices after the deed is done. But they are not the only ones worried. Detectives get involved (but not much) because Varen is treated like a missing case.
» Isobel's family is sitting on the edge. Ever since Varen went missing, she - according to them - did some strange things and freaked them out.
And so on...
____________________________________________
OVERALL :
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Even though it was captivating, it wasn't as good as the first book. The last 100 pages were worth reading, and learning more about Nocs proved to be enough interesting for me. Second books in trilogies usually are bridge books, whose point is to buy time and give a bit more info, before the story picks up and action starts again. This one is not exception to that. Although, be aware of the cliffhanger. This cliffhanger made me lust after the last book for three years.
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REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ Nevermore (Nevermore, #1)
◈ Enshadowed (Nevermore, #2)
◈ Oblivion (Nevermore, #3)
“Dreaming aside," he went on, "how can you be so sure your world is the real one?”
⚠ Despite me writing a review for the first book and the series overall, I will also share my thoughts on the sequels. I read this book in August of 2012. In October of 2015th, i reread it, because i wanted to write review for all three books, and to remind myself of the books.
✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ☸ ⚡ ⚓
Like i said before, while I did enjoy the story, I felt kind of let down with the character development. But this book, especially, felt like a bridge between the stories. At least until the parts, and generally, the last 100 pages or so.
I liked it, and therefore 3 stars should be enough. But i didn't feel the same charm i felt in the first book. It felt like the same, old, bridge book type. You know, the one not really necessary, but it still provides some important info?
Like i said before, this book did provide additional/relevant information for this story. It did show us a bit more about so called Nocs, demons in the dream world... Including more about Scrimshaw and Pinfeathers. We also find more about the Big Bad (Lilith). This is what I appreciated. And even though I didn't mention him before, we get to see the other side of so called Reynolds, the mystery Isobel cannot crack.
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CHARACTERS :
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♛ Isobel: Finding out that Varen is gone didn't really sit well with Isobel. Isobel becames depressed, and... stops carring about everyone else and thinks only of Varen (that's what irritated me, despite her parents trying to find out what happened with her, she would not even talk to them...) Except, she is a type that doesn't give up easily. And given the fact that she found out a little about him during the times they spent together, makes her determined to save him. She is prepared to do anything to dispel his darkness and drag him back with her. Too bad she sometimes has that uncanny habit of not listening to people when they talk. She tries to catch up with Reynolds, whom she suspects is the Poe Taster from the stories, and devises a plan to go to another city (to catch up to him), just so she could try to get the opportunity to rescue Varen.
♚ Varen: Caught up by his own darkness, and darkness of Lilith, the one who pulls the strings, made him despair even more. Changes are brewing and slowly but surely, he is starting to go to the point of no return. Even though he appears rarely in this book, it's not so hard to see what kind of influence dreamworld and darkness surrounding him and darkness inside of him had on him.
♜ Gwen: If Isobel has someone who can help her, it's Gwen. To bad she keeps most of the stuff to herself, instead of letting Gwen know it all. But Gwen is definitely more likeable than heroine herself, and that is a bit sad.
♘ Pinfeathers: This book was more about him, his side of view, rather than Varen's. Pinfeathers is losing himself, torn between his feelings and his master, he tries to prove Isobel that "they" are not worth it. Even so, it's not easy for him to resist his inner feelings, despite being a Noc. He finds Isobel fascinating enough and in the end, from a antagonist whose purpose was to scare and kill Isobel, he became a Noble Demon (trope).
♖ Reynolds: In this book, his circumstances are still a mystery. Despite his warnings to Isobel, he did try to help her. Too bad she is not the type that listens to people until it's too late. Finding out more about him was also something that made me curious.
♟ Others:
» You could say Brad found his closure - .
» Nikki, Isobel's ex-friend, tries to reforge their relationship, but it doesn't really go as planned.
» Varen's family, despite being cold towards Varen, does show signs of regret of their treatment of him. But it's to late to regret the choices after the deed is done. But they are not the only ones worried. Detectives get involved (but not much) because Varen is treated like a missing case.
» Isobel's family is sitting on the edge. Ever since Varen went missing, she - according to them - did some strange things and freaked them out.
And so on...
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OVERALL :
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Even though it was captivating, it wasn't as good as the first book. The last 100 pages were worth reading, and learning more about Nocs proved to be enough interesting for me. Second books in trilogies usually are bridge books, whose point is to buy time and give a bit more info, before the story picks up and action starts again. This one is not exception to that. Although, be aware of the cliffhanger. This cliffhanger made me lust after the last book for three years.
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● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
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REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ Nevermore (Nevermore, #1)
◈ Enshadowed (Nevermore, #2)
◈ Oblivion (Nevermore, #3)
April 21, 2025
middle book syndrome. bleh.
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