Indigo Awakening by Jordan Dane

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarlequinTeen Australia

Pages: 304pgs

The Story

Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.

Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He’s warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish on the streets of LA. In her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can’t explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy—to touch him—to protect him even though he scares her.

A fanatical church secretly hunts psychic kids—gifted “Indigo” teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind—for reasons only “the Believers” know. Now Rayne’s only hope is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power—a force darker than either of them imagine—that could doom them all.

The Review

A big thanks to HarlequinTeen Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

What else to say except that Jordan Dane has yet again hooked me with her new book!

INDIGO AWAKENING, the first installment of The Hunted series, has something really exciting going for it! Even for a much shorter read, the book can still captivate its readers by delivering an interesting storyline, unique voices, quirky characters, super-awesome supernatural powers, and yet the author still manges to weave together a bit of the 'real world' into the mix of it all, which, I guess, made me enjoy this book even more than I already did to begin with!

I think what I loved the most about this book - out of everything else - was the characters. Jordan Dane, like in her previous two books, has this way of bringing such an emotional complexity to each one of her characters - ones either playing a much greater or smaller part to her story - and it is evident in this particular book that she does exactly the same thing here - she brings the emotion to the book. While I wouldn't go and say I loved every single one of the characters as some did have their very major faults, but I had much love for the two main characters, Rayne and Gabe.

Gabe, a boy also known as Gabriel, was a very striking character to me and he brought a lot to the storyline and made things . . . let's just say . . . really, really interesting and I totally loved him too! He was kick-ass for the most part and compassionate about everyone around him, even if he doesn't want to admit to this at first. Now as for Rayne's character, another one of the main characters, she too had something special about her, even if she didn't possess any supernatural power of any sort like the other teens we meet in this book. I mean, despite being only seventeen-years-old, Rayne was really strong, independent and pretty darn tough for her age, and even with no powers she can still bring the power of bad-ass totally human girl onto the playing field and really what more could you ask for than that? Needless to say I quite enjoyed her character and I'm looking forward to seeing much more interaction between her and her potential love interest Gabe. I just loved those two together!

Overall, INDIGO AWAKENING is something you just gotta read to see what all the fuss is about! With an exciting first installment and with fantastic characterization, if you love books crossed between X-men and Shatter Me, then you will definitely enjoy this one!

The Rating

4/5 stars

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane

Release Date: 27th December, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 384pgs

The Story

Five years ago Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her lucky break came at the expense of her mother's life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death - by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky - she would never be normal again.

Now she's the target of Death's Ravens and an innocent boy's life is on the line. When Nate Holden - Abbey's secret crush - starts to climb Alaska's Denali, the Angel of Death is with him because of her.

Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.

The Review

A big thanks to Harlequin on netGalley for accepting my request in reading this book early!

Prior to reading this book, I absolutely loved Jordan Dane's young adult novel In the Arms of Stone Angels and you can read my raving raving review of it here. Now for Dane's second young adult novel, ON A DARK WING, a book I've been looking forward to for quite some time, it is an eye-catching and a very interesting novel that deals with the heavy issues of grief, loss, death and love. While I enjoyed this book and every bit of content inside it, however it doesn't beat the author's first YA novel. But it's still a great read.

In the book ON A DARK WING, Death is everywhere. It's seen in the ravens across the sky. It's felt in the presence of the dark shadows. No matter where you go or where you are . . . death is not too far behind. For the main character, Abbey, Death took away her mother in a car accident five years ago and she too should've died along with her. Only she miraculously survived but with several consequences following the tragic incident. As she struggles with her own personal grief - and with the loss of her mother - Abbey begins to feel even more withdrawn from the world and other kids prey upon her with much teasing and bullying because of her sudden seclusion from the world. The only true friend she has is Tanner - a boy who had serious injuries from an accident he was involved in - and his relationship between him and Abbey was very strong and realistic. But due to their neared deaths with Death itself . . . everything is about to change.

One of the things I deeply admire about Jordan Dane's writing is how she brings the real depth and emotion to her novels. She deals with some of the most uncomfortable issues in this young adult setting and writes them in a way where all of her readers - teenagers and adults - will enjoy and have some heart for. On another note, one of the other things I admire is how Dane wrote about Death himself. But Dane didn't portray him as the "ghost" of our stories with the common perceptions we know of today. She portrayed this main character with far more human emotion than one reader would expect from her and from Death himself - and I love to be surprised and I was. And I must say she was pretty spot on in the details of Death and he's what I imagined him to be like. So two thumbs up for that!

When it comes to the characters themselves, they were all pretty great in their own unique way. Abbey, the main heroine of this tale, took me a long time to warm up to and some of the things she did . . . I personally wouldn't do if I was in her position. But for Abbey's character, she's the kind that has a little bit of brat with a little bit of whine blended into her and I admit it's hard to like a character drowning in her own sorrows. But once you get to know this character and learn more about her, you will soon understand and form some respect for her, and I love the way her maturity grows towards the end of the story which completely redeems her character. Overall, she's a great character to have. As for Abbey's best friend, Tanner, he was the best friend you want for this particular story and main character. He was super supportive, super sweet and super genuine in many ways you wouldn't believe a boy to be, and he would do things for Abbey as any best friend would - only he did so much more which I adore. Then there's Nate, Abbey's long-time crush, whom Abbey can't stop talking about . . . but he'll never beat my love for Tate. Never ever ever.

On a whole Jordan Dane's second book ON A DARK WING starts off slow but eventually builds up to a dramatic and epic conclusion, leaving everyone satisfied. With unique mythology, some creepy and gritty darkness in its mists, this book has definitely shown Jordan Dane's talent. It may not have beaten my super-duper love of her novel In the Arms of Stone Angels, but it follows close behind.

The Rating

3/5 stars

In the Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane

Release Date: 1st May, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin

Pages: 313pgs

The Story

Two years ago, Brenna did the unthinkable. She witnessed the aftermath of a murder and accused her only true friend - the first boy she ever loved - of being a killer.

Now sixteen, Brenna returns to Oklahoma only to discover that Isaac 'White Bird' Henry isn't in juvie. The half-breed outcast is in a mental hospital frozen in time, locked in his mind at the worst moment of his life. When Brenna touches him, she's pulled into his hellish vision quest, seeing terrifying demons and illusions she doesn't understand.

Feelings isolated and alone, Brenna's up against the whole town: targeted by bullying former classmates, a bigoted small town sheriff and a tribe who refuses to help one of their own.

But when Brenna realizes she's as trapped by the past as White Bird is, this time she won't turn her back on him. She's the only one who can free them both. Even if she has to expose her secret - a 'gift' she's kept hidden her whole life.

The Review

Wow, wow, WOWWW! When I first read the synopsis of the book, I wasn't all that interested. Didn't think it was for me. But when I came across a copy at the library I then thought, "Why not? Let's have a go . . . " After finishing the book, I am most certainly very happy that I did grab this book! Honestly this book . . . OWNED me. From the first page to the very last. IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS is absolutely riveting - it's such an intense, emotional and a super cool story about a teenage girl in search of some redemption. Brenna is an outsider when you first meet her. She has always been an outsider, and probably will always be one. When she returns to the scene of the crime - you'll learn about what she sees as the crime and what the town sees for themselves - in which she must not only confront her fears, but she must confront the boy she accused of the murder. The boy she once loved and still does.

For once in a young adult book, I loved every moment of it! Of course there were some paragraphs that were la-de-da but the majority of the book was so freakin' fantastic! The book itself touched on so many different real-life issues - racism, bullying, trauma, relationships, and so much more - and it was something so unique that I can't compare it to any other young adult book on the planet! Well, unless you count the common theme of a girl with a special 'gift' but other than that, I say TWO THUMBS UP for Jordan Dane! IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS lands, hits you, and delivers in every possible way.

I can't even describe the complexity of the characters! Brenna was a wonderful heroine. She thought she was doing the right thing but then she's the one paying the price, and not only that, but she's carrying so much weight on her shoulders and is still willing to protect her mother from her own mistakes. As for the boy she loved, White Bird . . . yet again Jordan Dane has delivered another hottie. Like Brenna, he too is such a wonderful character. White Bird - which he prefers to be called as - is an outsider and with some flashbacks you get to see how him and Brenna formed a solid friendship. It was super sweet! Despite him being accused of murder, sent to a mental hospital, and living a hellish nightmare that is all in his mind . . . he's still so gentle and understanding. *sighs* When it comes to the other characters - like Brenna's harsh former classmates and her own mother - while they were so irritating at times, but ultimately each character had a purpose for the novel's drive and I love them for it!

Anyway, I better stop gushing over this book even if IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS deserves every bit of praise it can get! *happy dance* With thrilling suspense, a compelling mystery, a hint of Native American culture (the best bloody thing to add in a book by the way) and a fresh take of the paranormal genre . . . this book MUST be read by all wanting something new in young adult fiction! I'm pretty sure it's a standalone and I hope it is because it's the best standalone I've ever read in my life! Okay I'm still gushing here . . . so this stops NOW! The end. *forces hand away from keyboard*

The Rating

5/5 stars