Title: Shadows (Ashes Trilogy #2)
Published: September 2012 (It was published on my birthday! 250989, that's the not-so-secret-code for my birthday hint).
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Source: Captain Hook
US-based bookstores: The Book Depository | Amazon
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| Captain Hook gave me this e-book copy of Shadows. |
It's the US version of the cover. I like the UK cover more than the US version. The UK version has a creepy one-eyed girl on it. The US cover looks less creepy, in my opinion. Covers with real faces/faces that remotely look real always creep me out.
And, yeah, that's my phone, Nokia Lumia 620 I guess (not sure). It has served me well as a phone and as an e-reader. I installed Legimi e-reader on it, and I like that it can download books from my Skydrive.
I want a Kindle, but meh, I think I'll skip that one until Amazon opens the market to Malaysia. I doubt that will happen soon or in the future, though.
For now, I'll just hope that one day, a postman will miraculously drop an Amazon box (containing a Kindle, of course) in front of my door as a result of his mistake and I'll forever be thankful to the poor guy/girl for the mis-sent parcel. My second job is daydreaming the impossible, if you were wondering.
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| Zee first sentence. |
I couldn't wait to know what happened after that major
cliffhanger ending in Ashes. So, I downloaded the book from a site that offers
a library of free e-books *cough*Captain Hook*cough*.
But I couldn't resist. I live in a country where books (especially English books) are very expensive. Much more expensive than KFC’s X-meal. I don’t know why I’m comparing books with fast foods, forgive my irrationality. But, yeah, it’s expensive.
And, it would take like months for Shadows to be available in bookstores here. And, I don’t have a credit card to buy books from Amazon or The Book Depository. So, what choices do I have?
But I couldn't resist. I live in a country where books (especially English books) are very expensive. Much more expensive than KFC’s X-meal. I don’t know why I’m comparing books with fast foods, forgive my irrationality. But, yeah, it’s expensive.
And, it would take like months for Shadows to be available in bookstores here. And, I don’t have a credit card to buy books from Amazon or The Book Depository. So, what choices do I have?
(I think you will probably know by now, that Captain Hook isn't a person.)
OK back to the book. I really liked it! It’s still full of
suspense and action and blood at every turn. Like BAM! Blood. BAM! Blood. BAM!
Blood. Part of me who is the
self-appointed gore-enthusiast approves this book.
And, you couldn't imagine
how many times I had to refer to dictionary, English isn't my primary language,
that explains a lot. But, even so, it doesn't stop me from continue reading the
book. This also happened to the first book. It just made me want to read
despite the abundance of difficult words. Usually, I just ditch the book if I
found it hard to understand the language and fed up of looking up the
dictionary every now and then. But it’s not the case with this book.
The story picks up directly where Ashes left off. And, there is no
recaps of who is who, who did what. So, you have to rely on your memory of
Ashes. It was easy for me because I read it directly after finishing the first
book. If you need refreshing, Ilsa Bick has written one here, check it out. Or better yet, just read Ashes again.
Spoilers ahead! I don’t know how to describe the book without giving away of
what happened in the first book. So, if you haven’t read the first book, I suggest you to stop reading this now, you've been warned.
OK, so, Alex finally knows the dirty little secret Rule had
all this time. They were feeding the Zapped kids. I don’t like to call them the
Changed for the same reason Alex doesn't like how it sounds.
Those who were exiled from rule were given as sacrifices to the Zapped kids, in exchange for them sparing the village. That’s why none of the Zapped kids attacking Rule after the EMP.
And, now, it’s Alex’s turn as a sacrifice. She had to face the Zapped kids alone. A girl with super-smell ability against 5 Zapped kids who now know how to operate a gun and a knife. Yeah, the zombie kids were kind of evolving, from killing and cutting people’s throat with bare hands and teeth to guns, knives etc. That was so scary. Facing a meat-hungry zombie was one thing, facing a meat-hungry zombie who wields swords and rifles take zombie-killing to another level. I’m sure I won’t survive but I’m not Alex.
Those who were exiled from rule were given as sacrifices to the Zapped kids, in exchange for them sparing the village. That’s why none of the Zapped kids attacking Rule after the EMP.
And, now, it’s Alex’s turn as a sacrifice. She had to face the Zapped kids alone. A girl with super-smell ability against 5 Zapped kids who now know how to operate a gun and a knife. Yeah, the zombie kids were kind of evolving, from killing and cutting people’s throat with bare hands and teeth to guns, knives etc. That was so scary. Facing a meat-hungry zombie was one thing, facing a meat-hungry zombie who wields swords and rifles take zombie-killing to another level. I’m sure I won’t survive but I’m not Alex.
Alex is still kicking asses in this book. I liked that her
ability to super-smelling things was used a lot in the book.
The second book deals a lot with evolved Zapped kids and mine shaft and Tom. I was glad to know that Tom was alive and now it was his turn to save Alex. Or rather save each other, as he called it in the first book. You get the hint of Ellie at the end of the book.
Also, this book described about inhumane experiment. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was disturbing to read that part. The ending was yet another cliffhanger, urgghh! And that ending! I wanted to give Tom a hug. That ending left me sad and worried, I couldn't wait to pick up Monster to know what happen next.
The second book deals a lot with evolved Zapped kids and mine shaft and Tom. I was glad to know that Tom was alive and now it was his turn to save Alex. Or rather save each other, as he called it in the first book. You get the hint of Ellie at the end of the book.
Also, this book described about inhumane experiment. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was disturbing to read that part. The ending was yet another cliffhanger, urgghh! And that ending! I wanted to give Tom a hug. That ending left me sad and worried, I couldn't wait to pick up Monster to know what happen next.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
May peace be upon you ;))
