Visions

In the second installment of the Cainsville series, Olivia Taylor-Jones, daughter of the notorious serial killers, and Gabriel Walsh, her mother’s ex-attorney who is self serving and morally ambiguous, become allies. While again chasing down leads they end up having to take refuge in Cainsville where Gabriel’s past mistakes come to light and cause a rift between them. Olivia, going back to her parent’s house to retrieve her belongings comes out to find a dead woman in her car dressed to look just like her. The problem is that the dead woman disappears before Gabriel or anyone else sees her. Olivia becomes increasingly convinced that its an omen of impending danger, then she learns that a troubled woman went missing just a few days ago. Olivia’s efforts to figure out what happened to the young dead woman and why she was made to look like her puts her in the line of fire with some old and powerful forces that have their own agenda, especially when it comes to how it relates to Olivia. Someone has gone to great lengths to leave a dead woman as a warning to Olivia, but who and why? And does Cainsville have some role in the disturbing murder? What secrets does Cainsville and it’s residents hold and what do they have to do with Olivia? Read the book to find out more, trust me you won’t be sorry.

I really do love this series and no matter how many times I read it it always feels like the first time. It is really well written, and has such fluidity that you’re never given a chance to get bored. You know something bad is just around the corner but you know that Olivia is able to handle it because she is of strong character. And with Gabriel by her side? Well, she will always come out ahead. I think that the best part of this book (and the most interesting to me) is the strength of the relationship between Olivia and Gabriel, even when Gabriel is acting like an idiot, I mean he doesn’t think he is but we all know he is. Gabriel is very logical and analytical because of his background while Olivia isn’t but she has the emotions and the feelings that seem to help him along. In the end they both seem to think that they are just using each other in a way to get what they want but really they are forging a friendship that will change their perspective in life, love, community, family and death. It will be tested in so many ways over the series itself but reading to find out how it will fair in the long scheme of things will be the most fun for the reader.

If you want to read a series that will cause you to continue to pick it every every few months its this one. The easy to read page turner that it is offers so much more than a great read. It keeps you on the edge of your seat until you finish but then you want more.

Anything by Kelley Armstrong is a must read

Again, the Cainsville series continues to capture my attention.

This time, the plot focused on the murder of a Cainsville native whose corpse is used to torment and bait Olivia Taylor-Jones/Eden Larsen throughout the novel. The purpose of the corpse-baiting is apparently to direct Olivia’s attention and loyalty to one side or the other of an ancient battle between two supernatural beings, and to illuminate her own heritage.

And we finally get to learn what these supernatural beings are….sort of. Visions reveals that Cainsville is home to an ancient race of fairies, whose intermingling with humankind has resulted in some troubled children. They’ve “solved” this problem by placing said children in human families. Turns out, the murder victim was one of these fairy children. Is Olivia as well? The answer to that question is (hopefully) revealed in the next book.

Olivia’s “gift” for reading omens is fleshed out, as she discovers her heritage–an old relative who was blessed with the same ability–and enjoys some terrifying and intense visions of some supernatural alter-ego who loves to hunt and is tormented by her love for two different men.

Meanwhile, Olivia’s visions seem to parallel real life. A romantic love “square” frames the plot, with Olivia’s former fiancé on one corner, Gabriel on another, and Ricky the biker on the third. Each man apparently represents a specific path for Olivia, as well as a side in this supernatural war that she seems to be a part of.

Olivia’s former fiancé transforms into a obsessive stalker, apparently under the influence of a shadow organization desperate to ensure the success of his political career with Olivia by his side. Then there’s the romantic biker, Ricky, apparently designated her protector by the forces behind the curtain. And Gabriel (my favorite character), an almost-love-interest, who’s by turns Olivia’s greatest adversary and strongest ally.

I’m Team Gabriel all the way, in case you were wondering.

I continued to be frustrated with the vagueness of Olivia’s gift: reading omens. Firstly, I don’t find this gift terribly compelling and more importantly, she never uses it in any specific or meaningful way. The plot line involving her serial killer parents is nearly abandoned. In my opinion, the mystery Olivia unravels with the murder victim and her (assumed) fae heritage should’ve been woven in with the murders her parents were accused of committing. And what about the mind control business dangled in Omens? Nowhere is it followed-up in Visions.

The books also suffer from an odd combination of having an over-complicated plot and a lack of specificity. Strange characters are interested into the story with murky motivations, then leave before anything is explained. Every element of the plot is hinted at without being defined, which is more confusing than anything else. As I wrote this review, I struggled to remember the plot, and I think the over-complicated/vagueness is to blame.

Despite that, I did enjoy the book. I’m desperate to uncover the over-arching mystery, so I’m on to Deceptions next. I’m rooting for Gabriel to make his move.