Shine Light by Marianne de Pierres

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Random House Australia

Pages: 300pgs

The Story

Ixion. The island of ever-night. 

If she had a choice, Naif wouldn't go back. But her friends will die if she doesn't find a cure for the badges that are slowly killing them, and her brother is there, fighting against the Ripers who hold everyone in thrall. And Naif has knowledge that might save them all.

First she must solve the mystery of Ixion’s eternal night. Then she must convince everyone – rebels and revellers alike – to join her cause. And all the while, she must fight the urge to go to Lenoir – her greatest love, her mortal enemy. 

The secrets of Ixion must be revealed. The evils must be stopped. A new dawn will come.

The Review

SHINE LIGHT is the third installment to the Night Creatures series. Having loved its predecessors, Burn Bright and Angel Arias, Marianne de Pierres has certainly set up a very lush and a very unique world for her readers and one where you cannot help but be swept up by it all. And, in this final conclusion, it bears no difference through my eyes because it's just as adventurous, as dark, as thrilling, and equally as intoxicating as Pierres's previous titles!

Unlike the other two titles, what I loved most about SHINE LIGHT was how fast-paced it was and how it had this race-against-time kind of vibe going on with it . . . I just loved it! It didn't waste time with the unnecessary details that we were already aware of (which a lot of sequels tend to do nowadays) but rather just dived straight into the action of where these teenagers are trying to survive and fight against these night creatures terrorizing all of humanity. Or rather what's left of it. It was sure thrilling to say the least! But not only that, I loved the characters too - including Rollo, Suki, Markes, Ruzalia, Dark Eve and Lenoir - who had played such a prominent role this time round in the book, and gave our main character, Naif, such strength towards the final climax of the book!

Now all of my love and high praises goes straight towards Naif, our main character, who was such a joy to read about and she has grown so much within the course of this series! I don't know what it is about her but there was always something so compelling about Naif's character and for those readers who have actually read this book . . . you will know what I mean! But then there's Lenoir, a favourite character of mine, who I was always cheering for despite some people not liking him so much. I guess he's not exactly a hero nor the good guy you want him to be but . . . I loved him and I guess I was hoping for something more from his character but . . . I'll take what I get from him and it was enough! Trust me.

Overall, SHINE LIGHT was such an enjoyable read for me! Even though the ending didn't entirely satisfy me as there were so many questions left unanswered and where I expected so much more to happen in the actual ending, but regardless there was still enough love there in this book and I can't wait to see what else this Aussie author has up her sleeve next! I'm sure it will be amazing as this series was!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Angel Arias by Marianne de Pierres

Release Date: 3rd October, 2011

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 270pgs

The Story

Retra - now called Naif - has escaped from Ixion, the island of ever-night. She doesn't know if her friends on the island survived the battle between the Ripers and the rebels. But she does know that she must return home, behind the sealed walls of Grave, to find out why the Ripers have been seen there talking to the councillors. What links the two worlds?

First she must convince Ruzalia to help her. The fierce pirate captain saves those who face terrible fates on Ixion, but that doesn't guarantee their gratitude. Instead, she faces a revolt - and Naif is caught in the middle.

Naif will need all her courage to survive. For Lenoir, who wants to keep her safe, for her friends Suki and Rollo, if they live, for Markes, who has secrets of his own, and for the new friends she will make on this journey.

The fate of worlds depends on it.

The Review

Being a huge fan of the first book Burn Bright, I was super excited to get my hands on Marianne de Pierres's sequel ANGEL ARIAS. With yet another beautiful cover to match its predecessor book Burn Bright. It was a very interesting continuation of the storyline, and it sure didn't disappoint and I think a lot of readers will enjoy this book much, much more. And what was even cooler was that my blog Tales of the Inner Book Fanatic and part of my Burn Bright review was quoted in the praise pages at the start of the book. So thank you very much to the author and the publisher for doing that. It's great to see my blog being recognized. So, so cool.

The last time we saw Naif - a girl who was renamed and originally known as Retra - we saw her need to return to her homeland of Grave, a place we only got a glimpse of in the first book and the place where Naif was running away from. In Burn Bright, she was exploring a whole new and dangerous world that was so different from her own, on an island called Ixion, where freedom, pleasure and never-ending parties brought this island and their people to life. However in ANGEL ARIAS, Naif needs to revisit her past and return to the home she left behind in order to save her friends - and her brother who still remains on Ixion - and even her own entire future depends on this next adventure.

I loved Naif even more in ANGEL ARIAS. From the first book's events to the sequel's ones, her character had evolved so much and she's no longer the girl who holds back. Turning into a very strong young woman, I have to say that I admired her strength all through the fast-paced action that was going on and she had to face a lot of difficult decisions within the book. As for the supporting cast, while we see a few familiar characters but we are also introduced to some new and unfamiliar ones, too. There was one character that I loved - that being Jarrold, a young boy who helps out Naif. Like Naif, I admired his character a lot because even while Grave is his home, he's still willing to risk his life for mere strangers and he was far more intelligent that I wouldn't have been at his age. As well as the new characters, there was also some new kind of species of Night Creatures that we learn more about, so that was a very interesting aspect of the book also.

As tempting as it is, I won't be giving away too much of the storyline, but much like Burn Bright, ANGEL ARIAS offers another unpredictable, engaging and interesting plot, and the dark Gothic-like world that will still make readers want to devour more. While I was a little disappointed by the lack of my beloved-sexy-guy Lenoir, but Marianne de Pierres continues to surprise me with each and every book, and I wished everyone could join in and love it as much as I did. Unfortunately for international readers, this series is only available in Australia as far as I know . . . so be sure to join the Burn Bright Worldwide Campaign to ensure this book can be appreciated by everyone around the world because it's such a great book series.

The Rating

5/5 stars

Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

Release Day: March 1st, 2011

---
Publisher: Random House Australia

-----

Pages: 316pgs

The Story

Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures

comes a girl whose innocence maybe her greatest strength.

In Ixion music and party are our only beliefs. Darkness is our comfort. We have few rules but they are absolute...

Retra doesn't want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night. Retra is Seal - sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn't crave parties and pleasure like all the others. But her brother left Ixion two years ago, and Retra is detemined to find him.

Braving the pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she's ever known, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the night creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion?

Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures - but its secrets are deadly.

'Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.'

The Review

If Isobelle Carmody and Melissa Marr had a book baby together, BURN BRIGHT book would be the finished product! No kidding. I've been a big fan of Marianne de Pierres other books, but since this is her first young adult book, I have to say...she pretty much nailed it! It was weird (and I mean weird in a good-weird-but-interesting kind of way), adventurous, edgy, provocative, dangerous...and kind of thrilling with each and every page you turn. The author has created a world that is by far...very different from most YA books and that's why I liked it so much!

---

By the end of the book, the main heroine, Retra/Naif, changed from this frightened and sheltered girl to a inquisitive young woman. What I loved about her character was how the novel focused on all her uneased feelings, the pain, and longing for a better life...it's all very interesting once you get sucked into this absorbing world de Pierres has created! As for the other characters, most didn't really do anything for me...well, except for Lenoir - a leader of the pale and inhuman enforcers called Ripers, which was so very fascinating for me...damn he was pretty hot despite everything else that was going on! Cause there's a lot going on by the time you read the last page.

---

Without revealing anything, I will say that it's very hard for me to review this book let alone do BURN BRIGHT some justice...so you'll just have to pick yourself up a copy to fully understanding how much this book rocks! It's the most engaging and one of the most oddest books I've read since the weird-but-interesting Across The Universe. So, if you like Isobelle Carmody, a little bit of Melissa Marr, and a new read that's different from the rest of the fantasy genre, then give this one a go!

The Rating

4/5 stars