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TheMadHatter's Reviews > Haze
Haze (The Rephaim, #2)
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TheMadHatter's review
bookshelves: fiction, paranormal, young-adult, romance, aussie-author, setting-australia, reading-challenge, own-a-signed-copy, own-in-paperback
Aug 03, 2016
bookshelves: fiction, paranormal, young-adult, romance, aussie-author, setting-australia, reading-challenge, own-a-signed-copy, own-in-paperback
Read 2 times. Last read May 29, 2020 to May 31, 2020.
Second Read: 31 May 2020 (4 Stars) - Enjoyed this more on re-read. Probably one of the best Aussie YA Paranormal series out there. Glad I bought all four books at one of the author's book launches :-)
First Read: 8 August 2016 (3.5 Stars)
Original Review
I am really enjoying this series.
What Ms Weston does really well is create a series of mysteries (or unanswered questions) that hooks the reader. I would really love to see her turn her hand to a YA murder mystery :-). What happened to Gabe and her brother a year ago? What is the back story with Gabe and Raphael? Where are the fallen angels? I need the next book now because I don't like not knowing - and that is an indication of a writer who can create mystery and suspense and make the reader care about finding out the answers.
Even though I am connected with the Gabe-Raphael storyline, I still struggle with Gabe as a main character because she doesn't know who she is because of the amnesia/implanted false memories. I think that confusion comes through really well - but it means as a reader I can't really connect with her and so as opposed to being totally into the book and feeling the character, I still feel a bit of an outsider looking in.
The only other thing bringing this rating down for me is that the first half of this book was a bit of a filler with not much really happening. Lots of going around in circles:
Raphael: Lets go to Melbourne.
Gabe: No we can't because that would solve the mystery too fast. Let us just go the bar and start another fight.
Raphael: Lets go to Melbourne.
Gabe: No we can't because that would solve the mystery too fast. Let us just go and do an unrelated job on the other side of the world.
And on...and on...and on like this until about 75% when they finally get to Melbourne! HURRAY!
The ending makes the journey to get to Melbourne worth it though and leaves you with more questions and a bloody cliffhanger :-).
I have book 3 and the final book 4 on hold from the library. I NEED to know how this ends. A really interesting take on the angel genre that is slowly hooking me in. Worth the read!!!
Reading Challenge
Aussie Reader's 2020 May Genre Challenge: Read a YA book
Aussie Reader's 2020 A-Z Author's Challenge: Read a book with the Author's first initial starting with "P"
Aussie Reader's 2020 Special Social Isolation Challenge: Read books that titles spell out the words "wash Hands
First Read: 8 August 2016 (3.5 Stars)
Original Review
I am really enjoying this series.
What Ms Weston does really well is create a series of mysteries (or unanswered questions) that hooks the reader. I would really love to see her turn her hand to a YA murder mystery :-). What happened to Gabe and her brother a year ago? What is the back story with Gabe and Raphael? Where are the fallen angels? I need the next book now because I don't like not knowing - and that is an indication of a writer who can create mystery and suspense and make the reader care about finding out the answers.
Even though I am connected with the Gabe-Raphael storyline, I still struggle with Gabe as a main character because she doesn't know who she is because of the amnesia/implanted false memories. I think that confusion comes through really well - but it means as a reader I can't really connect with her and so as opposed to being totally into the book and feeling the character, I still feel a bit of an outsider looking in.
The only other thing bringing this rating down for me is that the first half of this book was a bit of a filler with not much really happening. Lots of going around in circles:
Raphael: Lets go to Melbourne.
Gabe: No we can't because that would solve the mystery too fast. Let us just go the bar and start another fight.
Raphael: Lets go to Melbourne.
Gabe: No we can't because that would solve the mystery too fast. Let us just go and do an unrelated job on the other side of the world.
And on...and on...and on like this until about 75% when they finally get to Melbourne! HURRAY!
The ending makes the journey to get to Melbourne worth it though and leaves you with more questions and a bloody cliffhanger :-).
I have book 3 and the final book 4 on hold from the library. I NEED to know how this ends. A really interesting take on the angel genre that is slowly hooking me in. Worth the read!!!
Reading Challenge
Aussie Reader's 2020 May Genre Challenge: Read a YA book
Aussie Reader's 2020 A-Z Author's Challenge: Read a book with the Author's first initial starting with "P"
Aussie Reader's 2020 Special Social Isolation Challenge: Read books that titles spell out the words "wash Hands
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Reading Progress
August 3, 2016
–
Started Reading
August 3, 2016
– Shelved
August 8, 2016
– Shelved as:
fiction
August 8, 2016
– Shelved as:
paranormal
August 8, 2016
– Shelved as:
young-adult
August 8, 2016
– Shelved as:
romance
August 8, 2016
–
Finished Reading
May 29, 2020
–
Started Reading
May 31, 2020
– Shelved as:
aussie-author
May 31, 2020
– Shelved as:
setting-australia
May 31, 2020
– Shelved as:
reading-challenge
May 31, 2020
– Shelved as:
own-in-paperback
May 31, 2020
– Shelved as:
own-a-signed-copy
May 31, 2020
–
Finished Reading
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Mangrovejane
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rated it 5 stars
Aug 10, 2016 11:10PM
Yup. I agree with all of the above. You make a really good point about the hook.that is definitely what kept me reading and NEEDING to read the next book IMMEDIATELY. I am relatively new to the Angel nephalim genre thing, having managed to avoid it thus far because it generally makes me Groan and roll my eyes. But I just loved this series. I do agree with your filler summation though. That made me chuckle quite a bit....ok, it actually made me snort the coffee out my nose that I was trying to drink at the time but I was trying to be polite about it!
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Yes. I am a convert to this series - so I thank you :-). I am so eagerly awaiting the arrival of book 3 and 4 XXXXI had finished recently a re-read of the Mortal Instruments, so when I saw this one I thought not more angels....but this worked on a totally different level. Looking forward to my next book recommendation from you (if I survive The Selection/Elite that is :-P).
I am in a book slump at the moment so you may have to wait a little for the recommendation ;-)
Well we will have to get you out of the book slump. Have you read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss? It is amazing (and not a bacheloresque style competition anywhere to be seen).
You know...I follow Patrick Rothfuss avidly here on goodreads but I have actually not read any of his books. Shame on me!
OMG! You MUST read Name of the Wind (Don't you love when people say that!). But seriously, the guy grew up on a diet of D&D - it is fantasy and story telling and epicness in one small 1000 page book. I am on the second book at the moment and it equals the first. He is a master and soooo clever and geeky! Love me some Rothfuss :-)
Oh and you have to read it so I can redeem myself in the recommendation stakes - although truth be told I did not recommend the other book to you....you just thought it sounded so absurd you had to check it out :-P
Ok. I ordered the first book from the library. It's only available in hard copy but they are all out at the moment and I am on a waiting list!!! And not the first person on the waiting list either!
And it is totally true about the it sounded so absurd I had to check it out thing! LOL!!!!!
