Vanish

Man oh man... where do I begin?

Ok. Ok. Ok.

No, not there. Ok... How about... nope not there either.

Yeah, I'm stumped. I'll just start and see where this goes.

I began this series with really high hopes. I honestly felt that the concept of the Draki was a pretty unique one because I for one have yet to read about dragons or descendants of dragons. You know this already because I mentioned it in my review of book one, Firelight. I walked away from Firelight not fully happy but happy enough to continue with the story. I walk away from Vanish just utterly disappointed.

The Firelight series is definitely a teenage book. The teenager-ish feelings, the indecisiveness, the angst is all over this book. I was ok with that because Jacinda and Tamra are relatively still young, about 15/16. No biggie. I didn't even mind the love triangle. I think the justification for the triangle is an ok one. I hate them but it works in this case. It's like having your marriage arranged at the age of 5 and then actually falling in love with someone else but that arranged marriage is very much alive and in effect. No biggie. I can deal with all of this.

What I couldn't take anymore was the following:

Jacinda has returned to her pride. She never wanted to leave the pride but did so because her mother took her away. While she was away she fell for hunter Will. She returns to the pride only to find out that she's an outcast and no one treats her with the same respect or reverence that they once did. Why? Because she decided to manifest into her Draki form to save Will from a fall that Cassian (Draki prince) set in motion to begin with. Cassian knows this. Tamra knows this. Hell, everyone knows this and points out that Cassian kicked things off but yet still blame Jacinda for exposing the Draki and what's worse is that Jacinda accepts fault for it.

This is not the only time it happens. Something else happens in Vanish and although it is not Jacinda's fault she not only keeps quiet about it but accepts fault and agrees that she is to blame for all that happened.

Folks, Jacinda is a fire breathing Draki. The last one. She is FIRE! She should show some of that fire! She doesn't and this irritates me. She doesn't defend herself not once.

Another pet peeve was that she was moping around mostly because her home no longer felt like home. The people had changed and she felt alone. Her mother checked out emotionally and mentally too. Instead of people recognizing this they turned things around and made it all about her pining for Will. Yes she was worried about Will but it wasn't all about Will. Instead of Jacinda stating the facts and telling it how it is she decides to once again agree.

She's not accepting fault/accusations out of honor or to avoid conflict. No, she just accepts as if it were true. These books are told in the first person. We are in her head. We know what she is thinking even if it's not what comes out of her mouth. She fully accepted these things that happened as a direct result of her supposed actions.

I think this is what people call a Mary Sue. I don't know because I'm not too familiar with the concept. What I do know is that this girl had to be written to be a lot tougher than she really was. If she is meant to be some kick ass Draki then she needs a whole do over because this thing she has going on is not cutting it.

Once again we don't really get too much of the Draki lore which leads me to believe there really won't be any in book three. I could be wrong but it's not looking to be that kind of series. We find out about a few other Draki and what their strengths and weaknesses are but we don't get actual history or much of anything else. There was a perfect opportunity to witness a Draki come into their “Draki” and hone in their power but we don't even get a glimpse of it.

UGH! I finished this book wanting a lot more. I expected a lot more. I expected this because I can see that the writer is a good one but the execution is falling short with me. I've already committed this much time to the series, so yes, I will read the final book of the trilogy this week and hope for the best.

On the flip side: You might like this series a lot more than me. My son loves it and has been reading it with me. Try it and let me know what you think.

On to the next one!

What do I say about Vanish that hasn't already been said on every other blog? It's amazing, it's well-written, it's one of the best books I've read so far this year. Sometimes I have a phobia of reading the next book in a series, worried that it won't be as good as it's predecessor. This one? Better. Hands down.

Jacinda is back and she's just as stubborn and passionate as ever. In fact, I really felt closer to Jacinda in this story because her emotions are so much stronger. She knows what she wants, and she's not afraid to break the rules if that's what it takes. As always, it doesn't exactly make her a popular character, but this time... well I won't spoil it but let's just say she takes some others along for the ride. I have always loved Jacinda's fire. That's why I was so happy that it is present and accounted for. One pleasant surprise for me though was that Cassian's personality is a lot more fleshed out in Vanish. I got to know so much more about him, and I really loved it. If I was having a hard time choosing a side before, now I'm even more lost.

Readers will get a much better idea of the day to day life of the pride, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The plot is quick, but easy to follow, and the action sequences abound without taking the spotlight from the bigger picture. The relationships between Jacinda and the people in her pride are so much more vivid in this book. Characters that were previously hidden in the shadows emerge, develop, and become so essential to the story. Vanish gave me a new appreciation for the world that Sophie Jordan had so meticulously built. I simply cannot wait for the next book!

If you fell in love with Firelight, I'm going to personally guarantee that you'll eat Vanish up. Whether you are on the side of Will, or the side of Cassian, this installment has a great fiery love triangle that burns up the page. Pair that with a great story line and you have a book that I devoured. Start to finish in one night. Sophie Jordan fans rejoice! There is one more book left in this fabulous trilogy. Just be warned, the ending of this one will leave you wanting more.