Avery North was already running from trouble when her car broke down on the outskirts of Industry City. With no money and no way out, her only option was to make a living in the ruins of a concrete jungle, where the souls of its residents were as cracked and broken as the pavement they walked on. Now Avery has found herself marked and hunted by the evil lurking in the shadows of the city, and she … city, and she must quickly decide who she can trust to save her, and who will lead her to destruction. In the corrupted heart of Industry City, the darkness takes what it wants…and it’s coming for her.
*** This is a full-length novel ***
more
I found the setting interesting. I didn’t feel like I was too swept up in wondering where EXACTLY they were, but the picture Louis sets for this book had me wonder how the world got to where it was at the time of the story. Perhaps this will be covered in future books, but I don’t think it will be necessary to have any kind of prequel. She paints a detailed picture with her words and I was able to picture, in my mind, the setting she described without needing anything more. I found her writing style easy to read. There are always little quirks different writers show in their writing and Marlee P. Louis was no exception. As you are reading through the book you start to see patterns in writing and in language choice. I noticed a few things different from how I would have written them, but of course that is part of the fun of reading! I love to see these differences and consider how the style of the particular writer brings different elements to a book for readers to enjoy. Overall, I feel like her laid back, easy to read writing style will appeal to a wide range of readers. When I finished reading this book, throughout reading it actually, I kept thinking to myself how the main character seemed to want more than friendship from every guy she met. I found it odd how there was no clear answer who she might end up with or what she was aiming for with the guys she met. The simple romantic in me had hoped that she might find one guy and know she wanted to be with him, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Even after the book is done, I am still wondering exactly what kind of feeling she had for the different male characters. Perhaps she didn’t want anything romantic, but if that were the case I think it might have been a bit more obvious. I don’t know, maybe I am crazy or reading too much into it!The ending felt like a good resolution to the story. I still felt slightly confused about one character, regarding whether or not he had been alive throughout the entire story or only part. I think that was just me though and I am pretty sure he was alive during the story timeline…pretty sure. There was a small part of me that wanted the main character to find safety in a particular male character. Her understated strength was really shone in the last portion of the book. I think her character was developed this way on purpose and it worked well, but it really was an understated strength that was, well, beautiful. Overall, I really found this to be an easy read, in the best way possible. It is something that I might not have picked up for myself. I actually haven’t read a lot of paranormal romances, but I found the storyline refreshing and really quite intriguing. Her writing style kept me interested and she painted a really pretty picture in my head through her words. I was left wondering where the second book might go, but not hanging on the edge of a cliff needing any particular resolve. I look forward to reading From the Ashes when it is released.