The time I reviewed a book {9}

Posted August 12, 2014 by Stacee in Blog Tours, Interviews, Reviews | 0 Comments

I was invited to be part of the Eternal Night blog tour a couple of days after reading the book.  I had really enjoyed reading it, so of course I agreed.

EN Blog Tour

Before we get to my review and the interview answer from Carina, let’s check out the book.

22617086There are gods among us…

Six young gods are hiding in plain sight among mortals, living secretly in cities across the world. From lavish penthouse soirees to pulsing underground clubs, for them, the party literally never ends. Until now.

On a hot June morning, the body of a beautiful girl is found floating in the rooftop pool of the Jefferson Hotel, her white-ink tattoos revealing the story of a life much longer than seems possible. Only the immortals know the truth: Nadia was the goddess of hope. Now she’s gone, and the world as they know it is ending. The Hudson River has turned blood red. Storms rage overhead. Mania is rapidly spreading across the globe.

It is up to the remaining gods—Lola, Dean, Weston, Mark, Nike and Peitha—to put aside centuries of betrayal and heartbreak, and stop the mysterious source of darkness that is taking over… before the sun sets forever.

Carina Adly MacKenzie, writer for The CW’s hit series “The Originals,” has penned a steamy, romantic, and ultimately redemptive story of forgotten gods, the persistence of hope, and the power of love to save us.

Sounds good, right?  Onward to the review.

**Thanks to my pretty prancy PA AKA Christina from The Book Hookup for letting me steal borrow her review format**

Rating & First Reaction:

4 stars. I was immediately drawn to the cover and eagerly requested it on NetGalley after reading the intriguing premise.  When I got approved for it, I was so excited to read it and it didn’t disappoint.

MCs:

There are six gods: Lola, Dean, Weston, Mark, Nike and Peitha.  The chapters alternate with different POVs and it was a great way to get the background story on everyone.  I think if there would have been one narrator, it could have been a rambling info dump.

My favorite god was Lola.  She was quirky and sort of adorable and I really liked being in her head.  Because of the god she is, she has some insecurities and for me, it made her a bit more relatable.

{I’m being vague on purpose — it was fun figuring out who was who}

Secondary characters:

Jude: We don’t realize who he is — or who he will be — until later, but every scene he has with the gods is entertaining. Jude is blind and the opening scene immediately introduces us to him and his humor:

“I’m guessing that there are lots of big, glass display cases in here, and that they wouldn’t fare particularly well on a collision course with a hundred and seventy pounds of idiot. So, if you don’t mind leading me around.”

— quote taken from the e-arc of Eternal Night at 2%

I especially loved Lola’s interactions with Jude and found myself wanting more of them.  And when we get the reveal of Jude’s role in all of it? Gah.

Plot & Pacing:

The story was a bit of a slow burn, so it did take me a bit to get settled in. However, once that pivotal shift happened, it was a roller coaster. I found myself wanting more from whatever god’s chapter I was just finishing with. The only complaint [for lack of a better word] is that I wish we would have gotten an epilogue. The ending is hopeful, but I would have liked something more concrete.  However, it kept me entertained.  The spark that I often complain some books don’t have? Don’t worry, this one has it…

Rec It?

Yes! If you want an interestingly unique take on the ancient gods, this is definitely for you.

Interview Question

Which character are you most similar to? Which one are you least similar to?

I found little pieces of myself in all the characters, but I could really relate to something in Weston – this urge to know everything, and to spread important messages. I want to know everybody’s secrets and understand everything that’s happening, all the time – I like to think as I’ve matured I’ve developed a certain respect for people’s privacy, but I’ve been called out for eavesdropping more than once in my life.  I think Weston is like that too. He feeds on information and loves the idea of using that information to reach out to the masses. The irony is that he’s been keeping his own secret for centuries. I think that after the events of the book, Wes would go on to use his modicum of celebrity for activism, to use his voice to stand up for the voiceless. I really like that about him.

I am least similar to Nike. I really, really hate to run.

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carinam_hs1_lowCarina Adly MacKenzie grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she boldly defied the no-reading-at-the-dinner-table rule time and time again. After studying English at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Carina moved to Los Angeles to pursue a writing career. Carina was a television critic and entertainment reporter for Zap2it.com, the Los Angeles Times, and Teen Vogue, among other publications. Currently, she spends her days obsessing over vampire sibling rivalry as a writer for The CW’s new drama, “The Originals.” She loves coffee, Twitter, and her little dog Pacey. Eternal Night is her first novel.

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Huge thanks to Paper Lantern Lit for the invite.  Make sure you’re checking out Carina’s website, following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page and adding her book to your TBR shelf on Goodreads.

Click here for the other stops on the blog tour.

Eternal Night comes out on August 26th.  You can pre-order at Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Amazon.

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