Book Review: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

It is always hard to review a sequel without spoilers from the first book in the series!  So I'll just keep this brief and say that I really enjoyed the second book in the Caster Chronicles series. It is however a long book and took me a while to make it all the way through. There is a lot of detail in this book and it takes place over a short period of time. Personally I love all the detail but some people may find that the book lags a little.

If you read and enjoyed Beautiful Creatures you'll likely enjoy this one just as much.  I'm glad the release date for the 3rd book, Beautiful Chaos is just 2 months away.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Source: Audible.com download

Content: A little language, some kissing

Beautiful Darkness was released on October 12, 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

#BIR2010 - Book Giveaway: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Team writers Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl released book 2 in the Caster Chronicles series this fall.  Beautiful Darkness is the sequel to Beautiful Creatures.  2 additional books in the series are scheduled to be released in 2011 & 2012.

Beautiful Darkness
By Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Pulished by Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Released October 12, 2010
http://beautifulcreaturesthebook.com/

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.


Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Giveaway Details:
1 copy of Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Giveaway open to those with a US or Canadian mailing address, no PO boxes
Last day to enter is 12/16/10

If you have not yet done so please fill out the BIR2010 mailing address form if you plan to enter multiple giveaways.

To enter this giveaway please fill out this form:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

I ended up really liking Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. It seemed to take me forever to get into this story. I was half way through before I got hooked and then I didn't want to put it down - thus I was up until 3 am finishing.

This book has fantasy, romance and some history woven together to create a unique plot and mythology. I liked having a book written from the male perspective for a change since most in this genre are written from the female perspective.

"Mortals. I envy you. You think you can change things. Stop the universe. Undo what was done long before you came along. You are such beautiful creatures."

I'll definitely read the sequel Beautiful Darkness when it comes out in October.

Content: There is mild language throughout the book and some innuendo but nothing graphic. Since it's paranormal there is talk of light and dark Casters, cursings, spells, claimings, etc. Although I can't classify this as a clean read it a book I would let a 16+ year old read.

Rating: Despite the slow beginning I was hooked by the end so 4 Stars.