Review: Reflected by Ariz Brune
Dis be my jam people!
This one was right up my friggin alley. Urban Fantasy with romance sprinkled in, friendship, family, and action!
If you read and liked my book/s of the Myre universe, you'll love this one!
And isn't the cover gorgeous??? *swoons*
What it's about:
Blurb taken from Amazon
As a Reflector, Lyssandra knows there are more supernaturals than her and her small circle of family and friends. As a lab tech at BioTech ChemLabs, the largest bio-engineering company in the area, she has met and worked with every kind of supernatural. Or so she thought. When Lyssi comes home from work to find her best friend and roommate kidnapped, she learns what she thought is not what it seems. Her best friend Mila kept secrets, endangering them all. BTCL is not the company she thought it to be. ‘Work, eat, sleep, repeat’ will no longer be her life mantra as she and her friends fight to uncover the truth. With an angry vampire, hired shifters, and other supernaturals trying to stop them, searching for the truth could kill them all.
What I think about it:
It took me a while to get acquainted with this world (things happen fast at the beginning), and even while the style of story is very similar to mine, the voice of the author is so much different. I fell in love with the characters after I got to know them (which was a bit difficult at first--as I've said--things happen rather fast in the beginning) and I adored their relationship with each other. Especially Lyssi, Alex and Miguel; who are more siblings than friends. The writing left me warm and fuzzy at times, cause it was beautiful, especially when powers (Lyssi's) were described. There were moments I was like: 'Hang on, this feels so familiar! Daphne (the MC in my book) feels so close to this.' And I loved it! Since neither the author nor I have read each others work before the books came out, it was both startling and fascinating to stumble into familiarity like that.
I also adore certain kinds of supernaturals that were in this book. Some of which I have never heard of before. (As an author who makes up her own supernaturals from time to time, I was smitten with what Ariz Brune came up with.)
I will say this though: I fell in love with one character right off the bat--just cause he is a type I have a weakness for, and he reminded me of someone I love deeply--and I will never forgive Miss Brune for what happens to him. *shakes tiny fist*
What's right with it:
The action scenes were clean, well executed and vibrant. I knew exactly what was happening when and with whom. (Believe me, that is not an easy feat. Fighting-writing can be a bitch.)
I loved the dialogue, banter, and interaction between the characters, the humor is spot on, and some of these scenes were my favorites throughout the book.
The romance. I adored the romance! One of the nicest and chillest romantic interests I have read in a long time. Also, the powers of the man in question makes for one of the most hilarious scenes ever!
Which leads me to my favorite part: Humor. There is a lot of it in this book, and I love it! Most comes from dialogue and interaction, and some of the back and forth's will forever hold a place in my heart.
Last but not least; as mentioned before, the description of Lyssi's powers was great! Very visual, and...I felt what she felt in that moment, okay? There is no bigger compliment than that.
What's wrong with it:
There are a couple of things that fall into the category: taste. These are things in the book that caught my attention, but are very much a preference thing.
Lyssi breaks the fourth wall on occasion (meaning she speaks directly to the reader), some might not like that--I had no problem with it. It's just one of those things that often inspires discussions.
The POV comes in threes: Prologue: Third person omniscient. Main character: First person. When main character is not present: Third person limited. Again, I don't mind it cause it makes sense in a way. We are close to the main character, a bit farther away when it comes to others, and even more distant when it comes to the prologues. This is, again, a thing of preference--you either roll with it, or it rubs you the wrong way.
Then there are parts where the story seems to slow, and not much happens for a while, but it's worth reading on for when the plot is hurled forward and action happens.
Who it's for:
Obviously for people who have read The Soul Reaver *smirks*. Seriously, though, if you like Urban Fantasy, action, humor, and weirdly awesome characters--this is for you!
I loved this book and am waiting for the second to come out!!! Go read it! Like now!
You can buy it HERE!
Connect with Ariz Brune here:
