Author: Melissa Marr
Genre: Teen Fiction, Paranormal Fiction
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN-13 Book: 9780061659287
Audiobook Publisher: Harper Audio
Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins (Unabridged)
Disclosure: I purchased an audio download from Audible. This is my honest review!
Carnival of Souls by Melissa MarrMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Summary:
For her whole life, Mallory and her father have moved from one place to the next always in fear that the daimons would find them and take back what her father Adam stole from their leader, little does Mallory know, that she is the item Adam stole. Her father’s powers as a witch have always kept them safe until now.
Aya and Kaleb have chosen to compete in competition that would allow them to move up in the rigid class system of their city. Aya longs to rule, and become more than a wife and a mother as she is expected. She longs to be free and hopes that winning the competition will allow her to hide her deadly secret. Kaleb has always belonged to the lowest class in their society, and sees winning the competition as his opportunity to join the ruling class. He doesn’t plan on Mallory changing his life.
Review:
I know part of my burn out with teen books lately has been the lack of anything original on the market. Oh, I know it is out there (this novel is proof of that), but it seems like lately everything is the same old story being rehashed. What I liked about this novel is that while it involved witches and daimons, it did it in an original and somewhat gritty manner.
The story of a girl not knowing her parentage is not new in YA lit, especially in the paranormal genre, but this fact didn’t stop me from liking Mallory. Mallory has been raised by the witch Adam since she was a baby. He has protected her and kept her safe, and ignorant of what she really is. She has been carefully trained to fight off any daimon that gets near her, but she didn’t count on being attracted to one.
Kaleb is the typical bottom of society boy, who wishes to be more than the status he was born to. He hopes by joining the fights he can rise to the ruling class and make the world better. Then he meets Mallory and his whole life changes.
While not terribly original, I found these characters compelling. I couldn’t wait for Mallory to discover who she really is, and determine what her life will be like. She is a pawn in a greater game, and I hope that before this series is over (yes, I said series) she will show all the other characters, that she can take care of herself and most importantly make decisions for herself.
The setting is really what makes this novel shine. The Carnival of Souls is gritty, and dangerous. It is a place of mystery and hidden traps. It definitely isn’t a place I would want to find myself in, but I think that is what makes it so intriguing. Our characters wander around the Carnival of Souls with purpose, and fear. I want to know more.
As I said earlier, this novel is the first in a series. It is a different take on witches and daimons, and I admit to some curiosity as to where this series may lead. I will definitely be giving the next book a chance, because I long to see Mallory come into her own strengths.
Audiobook Review:
I purchased the audiobook from Audible. It is narrated by James Masters, who did a wonderful job with the narration. I was able to lose myself in this audiobook, and I consider it a good narration when I am so wrapped up in the story, that I cease to notice the narrator. His narration never pulled me out of the story, which is the mark of a good narrator. The audio is 8 hours and 5 minutes long and is produced by Harper Audio. I highly recommend listening to this book on audio.
Overall:
I was in the mood for something different, and I would say that Melissa Marr delivered with this novel. True you will see some of the motifs in other novels, but this novel feels different and has enough gritty details to keep the pages turning. I will definitely be seeking out book 2.
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I just purchased this recently, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! Looking forward to reading it, now!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope you enjoy it. I was looking for something different, and this book qualified. Be prepared for the violence though!
DeleteI got this at BEA and it really surprised me! This series could easily be a New Adult or adult novel. I thought Marr really created some strong characters and I was impressed. Can't wait for the second book, and I plan on reading Graveminders by Marr sometime in the new year.
ReplyDelete