Conflicted by Julia Crane

Release Date: 14th September, 2011

Publisher: Valknut Press

Pages: 210pgs

The Story

In the Elfin world, magic and destiny determine who will be together. "Chosen" pairs are fated to meet at the age of 18.

Keegan, however, is an anomaly. Having fallen into the battle between the Light and the Dark, she is only alive due to Black Magic, and her bond with her Chosen is broken. She cannot remember Rourk at all.

For the first time, she feels like a normal teenager. She is dating Donald, her long-time crush, and everything seems perfect. But Rourk still feels their bond, and despairs for the woman he was always meant to love.

Keegan's best friend Anna is determined to find a way to use her powers to return Keegan's bond, no matter what it takes. The question is does Keegan want it?

The Review

A big thanks to the author Julia Crane for providing me with an ebook copy!

CONFLICTED starts right after the events of Coexist and you can read my review on the first book here. The last time we saw Keegan she was saved from death, but because of a nasty side effect of black magic, she has no memory of her Chosen one, Rourk. Without the memory of Rourk and the freedom it offers of not having a Chosen one, in CONFLICTED Keegan decides to date her friend, Donald. And all through the book, Rourk is of course not happy about this situation he's put in but he decides to enlist in the army so he can try and let go of Keegan forever.

I can't necessarily say I liked this book more than the first, but it was entertaining to say the least. There was only one character I felt bad for and that was Rourk. The poor guy wants the girl he loves, Keegan, to remember who he is and retrieve back their bond . . . but it all seems impossible when his love falls for someone else. I'm always Team Rourk but for Donald fans, I just don't see his appeal whatsoever. As for Keegan's character, readers will see an entirely different girl in this book due to the side effect of the black magic. I didn't like the new Keegan and I wanted the old one back, and despite the crazy things that happened, I was still very happy with the way things ended - though the author did rush the ending.

Overall I thought CONFLICTED was a fast-paced, easy-to-read book. I enjoyed the world Julia Crane created and like I said above, even though it wasn't better than the first book, but the novel's series are going in the right direction in entertaining the reader and I can't wait to see what happens in book three.

The Rating

3/5 stars

Coexist by Julia Crane

Release Date: 19th June, 2011

Publisher: Valknut Press

Pages: 210pgs

The Story

Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends - she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans. In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and makes his presence known. An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle . . . without losing Keegan.

With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together they both desire?

The Review

A big thanks to the author Julia Crane for providing me with an ebook copy!

In the book COEXIST, elves must marry their destined one when they come of age. Destined partners are matched to every elf chosen before they are born, and they're supposed to connect and have this amazing chemistry for one another. Sounds good, right? The only thing is: they are not supposed to know their destined partner until they turn eighteen. But for the main heroine of this tale, Keegan, she knows her destined one's name because her brother had a vision that told him Keegan needs to seek protection from her destined partner. So to cut to the chase, Rourk is Keegan's destined one and from afar he watches her, and they end up meeting and having this instant connection like nothing else they have ever felt before, and due to an upcoming war between the dark and the light elves, both Keegan and Rourk must work together.

When I came across this book on goodreads and read the plot, I knew immediately it was my type of read. And, thankfully, I won a contest hosted by the author, giving readers an ebook copy of her books. So kudos for that Julia Crane. Anyway I'm happy to say that this book was quite well-written and didn't disappoint. Keegan's character was a solid character. She has many friends, enjoys her school life and has great support. Same goes for her love interest, Rourk. Now he was a great character! During the course of this book there were a lot of moments where I shouted, "Just meet her already boy!" but other than those small outbursts, I truly loved his character and when he needed to act in protecting Keegan, I felt like he did it at the right time. Thank god for a love interest like that because most fictional boys take their time on things.

But like most young adult stories, the killer was the ending. There's always a twist at the end and I'm looking forward into reading COEXIST's sequel, which I have at the ready. All in all, this was a pretty great read and surprisingly a very cute story. If you're a fan of destined love and matched couples, then a lot of readers will enjoy this book!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars