
Redemption
by Veronique Launier
ARC received
by Flux Books via Netgalley
Release
Date: 9-8-2012
Reviewed
by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters
Say: An twisted tale with a new
paranormal creature
Guillaume: For five hundred years I've existed as a gargoyle. Perched atop an old Montreal church, I've watched idly as humanity wanders by. With the witch Marguerite gone, there is no one left to protect, nothing to care about. I never planned to feel again. But then a girl released me from my stone restraints, allowing me to return as a seventeen-year-old human boy. I must find out all I can about this girl's power . . .
Aude: Getting attacked twice in as many days is strange in itself, but even stranger is the intriguing guy I keep running into. There's something so familiar about him, like a primal drum rhythm from my dreams. But spending time together only raises more questions--about my heritage, a native Mohawk prophecy . . . and an unearthly magic threatening our city..
Aude: Getting attacked twice in as many days is strange in itself, but even stranger is the intriguing guy I keep running into. There's something so familiar about him, like a primal drum rhythm from my dreams. But spending time together only raises more questions--about my heritage, a native Mohawk prophecy . . . and an unearthly magic threatening our city..
Redemption started off with a bang, capturing
my attention right away. In the first
few pages, Aude is attacked and somehow manages to awaken Guillaume and his
family from the form they have been stuck in for 70 years. From this part I was intrigued and couldn’t wait
to read more, however, from this first bang, things began to slow down.
I had to push myself through the middle of the
book in order to finish. It was slow
going, and there were many parts that needed to more action. There were small bits of action (mainly more attacks) throughout the middle
of the novel, but they started and were over very quickly, and they didn’t seem
to add the spice the novel needed.
Perhaps if there had been more romance, it wouldn’t have been so slow.
It did pick
up again near the end and I found myself, once again, interested to see how the
story was going to unfold. The end was
fun and interesting, and it set things up for the next installment in the
series. Had the rest of the story had
the same bang as the beginning and end, it would have been a great book.
I did like
the idea that Guillaume was a gargoyle.
It was completely unique, and I really enjoyed the parts that dug into
his history and the history of the witches that created him. I wish there had been more because these
parts were the only things that kept me going through the middle of the
book. Guillaume is broken and he feels
like he can’t love someone. Watching him
grow and discover himself was one of the better parts of this book.
I liked Aude—she’s
spunky and self-aware, but I found it difficult to read about her when she was
letting her mom get into her head. Her
mother is, in my opinion, broken beyond repair and her views about men and life
are rubbing off on Aude. Her mother
really frustrated me, and I wanted Aude to stand up for herself and let her
mother know that life isn’t that bad.
There were
times when the prose was tight and poetic, but at other times it seemed forced
and bland. One of my favorite quotes in
the book echoed the shattered lives of Guillaume and Aude: “Because things fall apart, that’s what they
do. There’s no such thing as happily
ever after.” I really loved this line
because it was heartfelt, and for the characters, it held so much truth. I wanted more of this type of prose and
revelation. Again, hopefully the next book
will be written more fluently.
The romance
was sweet near the end, but there was so much lost in the middle because each
of them were denying their feelings. It
wasn’t angsty, either. It was just flat—I
wanted to see more spark. I wanted to
see a moment where Guillaume grabs Aude and presses her against the wall with a
breath-taking kiss. But, that moment never
came. If this romance is going to help
the story, it must be more pronounced and steamy in the next book.
Overall, I
found the idea of gargoyles to be unique and interesting, and I truly did want
to know more about them. However, the
slow-paced action really made it difficult for me to want to move forward. The characters were different and at times,
fun. I am curious about what the future
holds for them, but am I curious enough to read the sequel? Right now, I just don’t know.