YA Review: The Soul Seekers
Hey everyone! The Soul Seekers is a series, and I have different thoughts on each book, so you'll technically be getting 4 reviews today! Woot!
Fated By: Alyson Noel Hardcover, 352 pages Published in 2012
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Until now, he's existed only in her dreams -
but fate is about to bring them together.
I shove through the crowd, knocking into girls and bouncing off boys, until one in particular catches me, steadies me.
I feel so secure, so at home in his arms.
I melt against his chest-lift my gaze to meet his. Gasping when I stare into a pair of icy blue eyes banded by brilliant flecks of gold that shine like kaleidoscopes, reflecting my image thousands of times.
The boy from my dream. The one who died in my arms. Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter’s sanity, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met. A woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker—one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead. There on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But it’s when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. Now Daire is forced to discover if Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.
First of all, I loved the cover. Everything about it is just so... pretty. I've read Alyson Noel's Evermore and the books following it, and I was a bit worried that I was going to read something very similar with this series as well. I mean, Evermore was okay, but the plot was very similar to other fantasy stories that I have read about. I do have to say that Noel did a wonderful job in straying away from her usual "steamy" style and writing in a different tone with Fated.
I loved how she wrote this story in New Mexico. I'm a sucker for the cultural aspects of things, and she definitely won me over with the way she portrayed the Hispanic culture in the small town of Enchantment. I mean, the evil people in this book are a huge family, which is a trait of the Hispanic culture (strong family ties)!In the beginning of the story, I liked how she started seeing the dead spirits, crows, etc.: it gave a very mystical and eerie feel to it. However, as I read on, it turned out to be a lot like your typical fantasy book: common magic, the girl (yep, usually a girl) carrying the burden of saving the world, the fated (see what I did there?) love, etc. Nonetheless, it had its differences, like how both Daire (main girl character) and Dace (main guy character) sees the same dream about each other.
She inherited a magical destiny—and a mission to stop a powerful family of dark sorcerers. She never expected to fall in love with one of them.
There’s still so much Daire Santos has to learn about being the last Soul Seeker….and about herself. As her magical training becomes more intense, so does her relationship with Dace. But when she learns that his connection to the evil Richter family goes far deeper than she ever imagined, she begins to question if love really can conquer all.
Dace is painfully aware that he wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the Richters’ dark magic—and now his brother Cade is determined to use his love for Daire against him. Dace is willing to sacrifice anything to protect the girl he loves —including his own life. But will Daire allow it? And what if defeating Cade costs not only his life, but his soul too?
Enchanting, haunting, romantic, Echo is the second book in the Soul Seekers series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël!
After reading Fated, I seeked out the second book, Echo. As I started it, however, it started to seem less and less appealing to me.
Everything started off slow, and there wasn't much going on. I felt like a majority of the book was just filler. I would rate it a 2 out of 5, but the fact that the filler was actually good keeps me from doing so. It has been a while, since I read this, so I apologize for the lack of in-depth explanation. I do know that I was definitely not in a rush to finish it.
Until I got to the end part of the book.
Since arriving in the dusty desert town of Enchantment, everything in Daire Santos life has changed...and not always for the better. While she's come to accept and embrace her new powers as a Soul Seeker, Daire struggles with the responsibility she holds navigating between the worlds of the living and the dead--and her mission to defeat the evil Cade Richter. But Cade's soul is inextricably entwined with that of her boyfriend Dace, putting their love to the ultimate test. How can she can't defeat Cade if it means destroying Dace too? And is their love strong enough to survive death—and what lies beyond?
This is where shit goes down. I don't want to give much away due to people who may want to read it, but there is something that I would like to point out that is the key to this story: fate.
Setting aside the fact that the first book of the series is called Fated, this story is all about going against the odds. It questions whether fate is set in stone, or if it can be changed. Mystic explores fate in a way that really leaves you wondering. More specifically, the story revolves around the fate of Daire, Dace, and the rest of the people in the town.
Daire's and Dace's story is truly devastating. Everything starts with their dreams of each other dying in their arms. The things the two characters go through end up being what was written for them to go through, A.K.A. fate. However, to follow what fate has written for them means that
one of them will die SPOILER.
The relationship between Daire and Dace is one of a kind. I almost always read books where either the two lovers begin with not liking each other, or the guy is totally for the girl and the girl is insecure/figuring out what is going on (ESPECIALLY in the fantasy genre). This one was different: both characters are plunged into a separate world and are expected to figure everything out. They are both insecure and are experiencing new things with each other...well, except for
when they sleep in bed together. Dace comes out and admits that it wasn't his first time, but it adds to the realness of the story. Having it be their first time for both of them would have been so cliche. SPOILER
Fate has bound them together—and torn them apart. Now Daire and Dace face one final fight that will seal their destiny forever.
Daire Santos is the last of the Soul Seekers, and the only thing standing between the Richters and the destruction of everyone she loves. With her grandmother gone and Cade back in Enchantment, Daire must finally step into her destiny and lead the fight against the Richters. But what if that means sacrificing the person she loves most?
Bound to the Richters by blood, Dace struggles against the darkness growing inside him that threatens to claim Daire too. Though Daire refuses to give up on him, the choice may not be hers. An epic battle is on the horizon and the end of the world looms near. With such insurmountable odds stacked against them, is their love really enough to conquer all?
This is the final book: the book that will end it all.
Wow... how to explain this without spoiling...
To me, the book was rushed, but it wasn't a bad thing. I don't know, it actually seemed to fit, and Noel managed to pull it off. I think that it was because everything got exhilarating and fast-paced, making it fit well with the rushing of the story.
I am familiar with Alyson Noel's writing: she doesn't usually kill off the main character(s), but the situation of Daire and Dace is SOO complex and their fate is nearly impossible to dodge...
Soooooooooooooooooooooo many feeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllssssss...
The ending.
Oh. My. God.
HUGE FREAKING PLOT TWIST!!!
I loved this book. Hands down. If I could rank them from best to "worst", it would be Horizon, Fated, Mystic, and Echo. The way everything went down and how Noel tied in the stories/fates of the other characters into Daire's and Dace's and put them into one huge melting pot---I seriously cried while reading this, especially towards the end.
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All in all, I started this series and stuck with it through the end, and I am glad I did because it was SOOO worth it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find someone else who read this book, because writing this review re-hatched all the emotions and feelings I had that went along with this book series.
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