Review: The End of Days by Max Turner

Title: The End of Days

Author: Max Turner

Series: Night Runner #2

Pages: 288

Genre: Paranormal (YA)

Publisher: St. Martin Griffin

Publication Date: 9/28/10

Source:

Goodreads Description:

In this thrilling follow up to Night Runner, Zack Thomson is back with his friend Charlie, searching for answers all the while being hunted by a creature most deadly... While Charlie struggles with his vampirism, he, Zack, and their friends are pulled into a conflict with the mysterious Mr. Hyde, a creature who hunts vampires. As the story unfolds, and the ties between Zach and his girlfriend Luna intensify, the network of support around them collapses, forcing them to redefine their notions of good and evil and find a way forward.

My Review:

I'm really not too sure what to write for this book. I liked the first in the series...it was decent, had an original(ish) take on vampires and vampire hunters, and was full of action. The characters lacked a little oomph, but I was hopeful that they would grow and I would learn more about them as the series goes on. Yet...they didn't. I actually feel like this was a step down for the series. There was a lot of confusion and discrepancy between characters, and were also a ton of loose ends that were left untied at the end of the book. I guess this means that there will be another book in the series, but from the way this one went, I'm not sure I will be reading it.

The plot was still action packed...but this time the feel of the novel was sketchy. I felt like things jumped from place to place too quickly. I wasn't connected to the action like I was in the first book. The flow, the suspense, the mystery that was what drew me in, was sorely lacking. There were some interesting new developments and the introduction of a werewolf, but there were whole scenes and characters that seemed irrelevant. The characters also didn't change. They are the same old flat-ish characters that you really don't know all that much about. You know Zach and Charlie's history...but you know almost nothing about Ophelia, Entwistle, Luna, and Suki. Also...Turner seems to like killing off random people who you think are going to be important. I had to attatchment to the characters, but at the same time it was really jarring when all these random people kept dying. Every time I think someone is going to be a main character and do something awesome...they freaking die...drove me practically mental, it did....

One thing I really liked was the use of prophecies and scriptures from the bible. In the face of all of this end of the world talk that is going on about 12.20.12 and that one random dude with the billboards, I am totally fascinated by all the prophecy and stuff. I watch the armageddon programs on the history channel all the time and I love seeing all the predictions that look like they have come true. Nostradamus predicted certain tragedies that have befallen the world...Hitler's rise to power, the Halocaust, the terrorist attacks on 9/11...The Mayan's calendar runs out on 20.12 (though I bet if they would have lived longer, they would have had time to finish their calendar...) I might not believe all of the stuff they say, but it is creepy and fun to watch. According to the prophecies that Ophelia and Entwistle find, Zach is either the savior or the scourge of vampire kind and will bring about a revolution. That sounds pretty cool to me. I would have liked to learn more about that angle of the story, rather than the werewolf one.

You see, I have this horrible inability to stop reading a series even if I don't enjoy it. Some weird part of me will always wonder what is going to happen to the plot or to the characters, especially if I really like who the characters are. Some series that I keep reading despite my growing dislike of where the plot is going or a change in the writing style, I keep reading simply because I've fallen in love with the characters and can't stand to not see if they live happily ever after or not. Even the Night Runner series...I don't really identify with the characters a whole lot...but I would be curious to see where the story takes them and if they finally grow a little bit.

1/2 

Rating: I give this book 2 1/2 Keys. It was just kind of blah. I'm really missing the character development that I crave, and the action was a little to choppy for me. I will probably read the third one, but only because I will get irritated because I don't know how the story ends. And I will wait to get it from the library...I wouldn't waste the money on something I might not enjoy...

Alrighty, time to get back to work :)

Later Loveys!

~Andra~