Review: Gold by Talia Vance

Gold by Talia Vance

Book Two of the Bandia series

Publisher: Flux

Publication Date: September 8, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Descended from an Irish demigod, Brianna has fled to Ireland to escape destruction at the hands of her sworn enemies, the Sons of Killian. Taking refuge at the estate of her former nemesis, Austin Montgomery, Brianna discovers a rift in time that opens to an era before the feud began.

Wrestling with her newfound feelings for the more innocent Austin, Brianna begins to wonder if she can alter the past. But when Brianna and Austin learn that the Sons are raising an army of mythical beasts, the pair will need to use their magical strength in the present to avoid a tragic end.

What I Liked:

I won Silver from Talia and A.L. Davroe last year, and I read it almost immediately upon receiving the book. I really liked the fresh concept, the Irish mythology, and the crazy characters! Brianna is a unique heroine in Young Adult literature, for better and for worse. I liked her, and I liked Blake. There is a love triangle presented in Silver, but at the end of Silver, Talia makes it clear who Brianna chooses.

Or so I thought.

It's just like Crown of Midnight. In the first book, I was all Team Dorian. The second book? Team Chaol forever and always! Gold completely changed my mind about Austin. I love Austin so much in this book, and not just as a love interest. He really developed into a solid, trustworthy character that Brianna relies on for help and support. And other things...

Brianna is in Ireland, trying to run away from the Sons of Killian, and Blake. She's pretty sure Blake hates her, and he doesn't trust her. Add on the fact that the next time she sees him, he's bonded with a different Bandia, and that's the last straw for Brianna. Blake doesn't deserve Brianna - that much is clear. You may not think Austin does either, from Silver, but in this book, some of the things that he did are explained.

Brianna finds a rift in time, at Austin's castle/mansion. She goes back in time and finds the younger Austin, from centuries back. This is how the Austin of now knew here and pursued her - because he fell in love with her back then, when she stepped through the rift in time.

Anyway. The plot and action in this book is nonstop. The beginning is a tiny bit slow, but it's balanced by Brianna's confusion about her feelings toward Blake, and Austin. The climax of the book is a final showdown kind of climax, in which everyone comes together and meets for one final battle. In a way. Read it and you'll see what I mean!

The romance is amazing in this book! Like I said before, I was rooting for Blake before. Actually, at the very beginning of Silver, I was rooting for Austin, but by the end of Silver, I was all for Blake. Throughout Gold, not once did I waver - I was all for Austin. There are some STEAMY scenes between Austin and Brianna - I was so happy to see that turn in their relationship!

The ending... well, see the next section. I kind of love and hate the ending. It's a good ending in terms of the conflicts in the book, between the Sons and the Bandia and the demigods and whatnot. But it's a horrible ending in terms of the romance.

What I Did Not Like:

There was only one big thing that I didn't like about this book... and that was the ending. Sort of. I liked the ending, but I absolutely hated it. If, by the end of the book, you're still Team Blake (How?!How could you be?!), then you won't care. If you're a convert like me, or have always been Team Austin... then prepare to have your heart broken. I'm trying not to spoil anything, but I cannot believe Talia would do that to Austin and Brianna. I knocked off a star because of that ending.

And the fact that there are no more novels to this series (this was the last one!) makes it worse. It's permanent. Unchangeable. Unbelievable. I'M SO SAD!

Would I Recommend It:

I would recommend this book, ESPECIALLY if you didn't like the first book. If you liked the first book, you'll read this one anyway. You must. If you weren't a fan of the first book... I have a feeling you'll like this one. It's more complex and deep and crazy and swoony!

Rating:

4 stars. My heart hearts, but I seriously loved this book. PLEASE write one more with a happier ending, Talia, PLEASE. I'm begging. I don't beg. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

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Review: Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

Publisher: Egmont

Publication Date: June 11, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either. 

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death. 

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

What I Liked:

I really thought I would enjoy this book more! I loved Talia Vance's other book, Silver, and I had high hopes for Spies and Prejudice! The synopsis drew me in, and the beginning of this book was AWESOME. Vance introduces us to most of the main characters in the very beginning of the story, and she sets the tone of the story quickly. 

Berry (whose full name is Strawberry Fields) and Mary Chris (whose full name is Mary Chris Moss) are best friends. In the first scene of this book, they are at a restaurant, and Berry is spying on two people, in hopes of proving that the guy is cheating on his girlfriend with the girl he is currently with in the restaurant. But then two cute boys walk into the restaurant, and Mary Chris can't help but notice.

Berry is wearing a pair of glasses that take high resolution photos. She also has something that amplifies sound, and she overhears the two cute boys talking. One of them says that she, Berry, is "nothing amazing". Sounds like Pride and Prejudice, right? When Mr. Darcy says that he is not really impressed with Elizabeth? Anyway.

The two boys come over, effectively ruining Berry's spying. Berry immediately dislikes the boy that called her "nothing amazing" - Tanner. But Mary Chris really like his brother, the other boy - Ryan. Berry gets away from the restaurant to follow the two people she was originally spying on - and hears something else. She sneaks up on a man and a woman talking. One of them has a file - with her mother's name on it. There's a catch: Berry's mother has been dead for quite some time.

So that's how our story begins. Berry wants to know why her mother's name was on that file, and how her mother REALLY died. She enlists the help of Drew, a hot boy from school, and tries to bat away the attention of Tanner. But Ryan likes Mary Chris, and so Tanner and Berry see each other often.

The story is kind of interesting, but for me, it tapers off pretty quickly. Or, at least, my interest did. Things just got too weird and not-interesting, and even the semi love triangle couldn't bring me back to the world of interested, especially when I knew which way the love triangle was going the whole time.

I like how Ms. Vance twists the story, especially with Tanner and Ryan and Drew's roles, but I find it hard to believe that teenager had that much access to classified information. Most of this story was a bit unbelievable. And I know, fiction is usually beyond normal. But I feel like the author didn't do a good enough job of convincing me that the story is real.

The story ends well, romance and everything. I'm still confused, but, well, yeah.

What I Did Not Like:

Like I said above, the author didn't do a good enough job of convincing me that this story could be a real story. I just didn't see how Berry and Mary Chris and Drew and Ryan and Tanner were that invested in serious top-secret information.

Also, the love triangle was annoying. It's obvious which boy is the winner, but still. I felt bad for the other boy, even though he's spun as a bad guy by the end of the book. And I wasn't completely suckered by the "winning" love interest. There was one scene, where the boy and Berry are in Mary Chris's father's office, and they kiss - that was pretty convincing! But I feel like we as readers don't get a good enough read on one boy (the "winning" love interest).

And like I said before, my interest went away pretty quickly. The first scene at the restaurant is AMAZING. I'm not really sure about the rest of the book. I can't even remember most of it, and I didn't read it too long ago! But I know that I was disinterested and slightly bored for the rest of the book. Good thing it wasn't too long!

Would I Recommend It:

Not really. If you're not dying to read this one, skip it! While I enjoyed it for the most part, I won't be reading it again. But I will be reading Gold (Silver's sequel), and I will read any other books Ms. Vance writes!

Rating:

3 stars. Good, but not amazing. I wish I could have liked it more! I had such high hopes for this one.

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