livinliterary

Book by Rachel Vincent

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she’s too busy trying to actually survive. Her town’s population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can’t survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

This book is an immensely entertaining and fast-paced read. Rachel Vincent does a terrific job of merging paranormal elements into a dystopian world and she creates a strong and compelling story.

Nina is a tough and determined character who will do anything to protect her sister. Her fierce loyalty is incredibly admirable and she goes to great lengths to ensure her sister’s survival. I really liked Nina as a heroine; she goes through incredibly tough situations but doesn’t let herself lose focus. Despite the fact that she has a mother who doesn’t care enough to take care of her, Nina is able to make ends meet, even if it means sacrificing her own desires. Additionally, Nina has the ability to quickly adapt to situations, which comes in super in handy once she meets Finn and his friends.

The dystopian world in this book is quite a unique one and this book has the perfect balance of world-building and action. I wasn’t really that surprised by any of the reveals but I didn’t mind because there was just so much happening and I was really enjoying the storyline. The characters are charming and full of humor; even during their fight scenes, they are still able to make light of their situation. Additionally, amidst the action and humor, Rachel Vincent is still able to get at philosophical questions related to souls and purity.

My only complaint about this book is that there is a particular concept that was difficult for me to wrap my head around. Once Nina decides to join the rogue group, she learns something about Finn; I don’t want to say exactly what that something is due to spoilers, but for some reason, it was just incredibly difficult for me to accept the revelation. I especially felt the strangeness of Finn’s situation during the romance scenes but kudos to Rachel Vincent for creating a romance that was unique and surprising. By the end of the book, I was a tad bit more comfortable with the concept and I hope that in the second book, it won’t strike me as being super weird. (I know this all sounds super vague but if you’ve read the book, you might know what I’m talking about.)

Overall, this book is incredibly enjoyable and is a fantastic start for a new series. I’m excited to see where the next book, The Flame Never Dies, takes us, especially considering the major reveals and plot twists in the first book. I definitely recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy and dystopian YA. 

“Thanks' is the typical response when someone goes out of his way to supply you with new underwear so you can comfortably go into hiding because you're wanted on two counts of murder."
I found it hard to believe that particular scenario was common enough to have a typical response, but...
"Thanks. And wow.”