Thursday 16 July 2015

Torn, by Laney McMann - Review

Torn, by Laney McMann
Book Two of The Fire Born Novels
Published by: J. Taylor Publishing, August 28, 2014
Pages:  249 Adobe Digital Editions
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Paranormal
Source:  J. Taylor Publishing, via NetGalley

Find Max. That’s all Layla cares about. Not healing from the Fomore attack. Not finding answers to how she survived a fall that nearly killed her. Nothing will stop her. She will find him. She’ll even pair up with an overbearing Fallen Angel who’s hell bent on making everything harder than it needs to be if she has to.

Protect Layla. For Max, nothing else matters. Not the bruises covering his body. Not the pain radiating from his broken bones. Not even his hands tied behind his back. He will find a way to save Layla, and the Fomore will pay if they’ve hurt her. Every. Single. One of them.

In the second installment of The Fire Born trilogy, a new breed of villain looms—one Layla and Max will never suspect, and this killer has nothing to lose. Better yet, with Max & Layla’s deaths, victory is in the grip of the enemy.


Will Max and Layla find each other in time, or is it already too late for them both?
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I came into the Fire Born series at Book 2, Torn. I don’t think you need to read Book 1 first, but it just takes a little while longer to sort out the story.

Layla and Max have just been through a horrific battle in Book 1, but Max is now missing and Layla must recuperate. She’s willful though and driven and takes off asap with fallen one, Justice, to hunt for the door to the Shadow Realm to find Max.

The action is constant and we learn some new things about Max that are contrary to his Fire Born tie with Layla. We also find out about Layla’s kind and the divide between her and Max. Layla is very determined and fierce, and there’s no doubt about her and Max’s commitment to each other despite powerful obstacles.

I love the Celtic lore, magical scenario, and the use of the raven, and the oghams (ancient British/Irish alphabet) as living symbols with power. Also, the build up to what's happening within Layla is well done.

However, I find that the author tries too hard to describe all the scenes. There are too many adjectives, too many descriptive sentences to frame scenes that would come through clearer with less. As a result, I found the book somewhat overwrought. There are many explosions, scenes with lightening, blood, and the oghams constantly searing their skin. It’s exhausting and I found this took away from my reading experience of an otherwise interesting story.

I think King Elethan is a great evil character, and he’d make a great movie villain.

We are left with a cliff hanger as Layla and Max must apparently now battle to the death to break the curse that lays over them.

Ultimately, I like the story line but think I will need to be wired on coffee for Book 3 to enjoy the energy level. Love the cover!

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