Dark Dreams and Dead Things by Martina McAtee - 5/5
~ I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. ~
Dark Dreams and Dead Things will be released July 15th, 2016. For more information, you can visit http://www.martinamcatee.com.
Summary from Goodreads:
17-year-old November Lonergan spent her whole life feeling like an outsider. She was right. She’s a reaper like her mother; like her two cousins, Kai and Tristin. The supernatural world believes they are part of a prophecy to save them from an evil known as the Grove. Ember just wants to survive high school and fix the fallout from bringing back her friend. Old enemies are lurking; waiting for their opportunity to strike but the pack has a new problem. A group of legendary hunters has resurfaced, threatening the reapers and anybody who stands with them. They are making good on their threats too; attacking those closest to the pack. Their only hope of defeating the Legionaries involves trusting a stranger to perform a dangerous spell to advance Ember and her cousin’s powers. But Ember has a secret; a secret she can’t tell the pack. One that leaves the pack vulnerable. An attack on pack allies, leaves one member of the group injured and another missing, along with a mysterious girl named Evangeline who may play a bigger part in this than any of them realize. As the Legionaries are closing in, the pack must trust their enemies, enter hostile territories, and play a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a psychopath. Their entire plan lynches on a dangerous bargain, but rescuing one member of the pack could mean losing another in their place…possibly forever.
Review:
Side note: I really appreciate the character guide at the beginning of the series. I’d JUST finished the first book before I started reading, so it wasn’t a huge deal, but because there are so many characters, it really helped refresh my memory when I needed it.
I mentioned in my earlier review of book one in the Dead Things series, Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things, that I was really excited about it. That being said, Dark Dreams and Dead Things had a lot to live up to after I was blown away by the first one and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT. I tried very hard to take it slow and savor it, but as soon as I started I just couldn’t stop.
Book two begins exactly where book one ended, which is nice because there isn't any catching up to do between books. At this point, Ember and her twin cousins, Kai and Tristin, have learned that they need to work together in order to hone their powers and protect their ever-growing family. Quinn’s soul is squatting in Mace’s body, and Mace is a soul without a home who quickly goes missing.
The biggest difference between this book and the first for me was Mace. I was left unsure what to think of him after the first book, but after reading this one and learning his backstory, he’s won me over.
Again, I mostly wanted to throttle Tristan, but I think that’s part of her charm. I also kind of started to agree with her about Ember and her constant need to drown in self-guilt. (Get it together, girl!) It was nice to see that they finally had a chance to sit down and have it out.
I mentioned in my earlier review that I really enjoy the family aspect of this series, and it grew exponentially in this book. I was worried that, because there were already quite a few characters to follow, I would get lost when more and more kept coming, but I never did. I REALLY enjoyed the addition of RJ and I loved his special connection to Rhys.
Rhys was another who stood out in terms of character development. I love watching him grow and gain confidence. He and Kai are my absolute favorites.
While I really enjoyed all the good guys, I was also struck by the bad ones. The Legionaries, the Grove, Silas, and Finn…they’re all so evil in their different ways, and they add so much to the story by providing all the horrific situations that our main characters need to brave in order to (mostly) stay alive.
Ember’s resolution at the end was a strong reminder that she started this story and it’s probably going to be her job to end it. The story is very much not over and I don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait for the next book. It has been such a treat to dive into this world over the last few days and I’m so excited for the journey to continue in the future!
