Alyson Noël

Fated already had me hooked, and I couldn’t wait to crack this one open. I just had to know what Dace being the “Echo” meant and I just knew I would find out!
I can say that I was not disappointed in the least, though I was upset to learn exactly what Dace being Cade’s echo meant. Things seemed a little rushed in this book, and I can only assume that is due to wanting things to progress enough for the third installment due in a few months.
Paloma is almost back to herself minus her majick and while Daire has seemingly been lax in her training it doesn’t seem as though a whole bunch of time has passed since the ending of the first book and the beginning of this one; Daire’s training soon picks up. While Cade has been mostly absent in the first few chapters, we soon see him and all the devastation he has been causing in the Lowerworld. Things are dying and being poisoned at an alarming rate and Daire knows that she must find and rid the Lowerworld of the undead Richter’s that Cade unleashed during the last book.

While searching for the undead Richter’s Daire happens upon Dace at their spot “the Enchanted Spring” and while mostly everything around them seems to be dying it is as thought the spring has healed itself. The two end up taking their relationship a step further and then the spell is broken by Cade and they realize that everything they were seeing was just what Cade wanted them to see.

After the run in with Cade, Dace and Daire realize that them being together and loving each other is really just making Cade stronger, so Dace takes it upon himself to put them on a break. This of course devastates Daire, whom has never had a boyfriend and is afraid that now that Dace has gotten what he wanted that he is done with her. Though as it turns out, neither can really stay away from the other.

They both continue to make trips to the Lowerworld where Dace ends up hurt more times than not, and Daire just can’t seem to reconcile what she needs to do with the small amount of majick and strength she believes she possess. While Dace believes that he holds enough majick to do what must be done to protect Daire, which he believes is to kill Cade.

Things pick up again and Daire finds and kills the undead Richter’s and you start to see the Lowerworld heal itself. Then she happens upon Cade, who isn’t the least bit pleased that she has stopped his efforts at dominating all levels of the world. Cade attacks and of course here comes Dace to the rescue.

Without saying too much to give the ending away, if you are invested in the characters, have some tissues handy, and run, don’t walk to get the third book Mystic due out May 2013!!!!
… (meer)

I wasn’t too sure about this one when I checked it out. I mainly grabbed it for the cover alone, though I can honestly say that I am super thrilled that I did!

I loved Daire, Dace, Xotichl and most of the other characters in the book. I even had a soft spot for Cade, as much as I hate to admit it! Learning about the visions and dreams that have been haunting Daire, was a little shocking at first, and how everything happened after the latest vision was beyond messed up, I still knew that once her mother took the call from Paloma, I was hopeful that things would look up for Daire quickly.

Daire is sixteen and has just been told that she comes from a long line of Seekers. This at first prompts her to run away like her father before her did, though there is an accident and she ends up staying and learning what she must. She has been having the same dream featuring the same two boys; whom happen to be twins, and she realizes that one of them is “fated” to be with her. She tries to keep her distance, though it proves to be harder than she thought.

While trying to learn everything she can about being a Seeker, she has to end up battling with the undead thanks to Cade; the evil twin” in order to save Paloma’s soul. Dace and Daire find her soul and bargain to get it back. Once everything has settled, Dace and Daire return to Paloma’s house to find all of their friends there, and once Daire senses Cade’s presence she goes out to speak to him and she hear’s once again that Dace is the Echo…

I am so glad that I already checked out the second book in the series, otherwise I would be scrambling to get my hands on it. The writing style of Fated was amazing, and I had no problem getting sucked into the story. I cheered everytime Daire made progress and cringed when Cade was being particularly evil.
… (meer)