Author: J.L. Bryan
Series: The Paranormals #3
Pages: 310
Publisher: J.L.Bryan Books
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Won from Author!
Goodreads Description:
While Seth searches for Jenny, Dr. Heather Reynard of the CDC unravels Seth and Jenny's secrets. Alexander opens Jenny's mind to her deep past, and to the full horrific extent of her powers. Torn between her feelings for Alexander and Seth, and between her past lives and her present, Jenny must prepare to face her enemies in the final, catastrophic battle...
My Review:
How much do I love the Paranormals series? SO much! I have been with dear Jenny and Seth from the very beginning it feels like. I have been a long time supporter of the series and J.L. Bryan's books in general. I really need to get around to reading Helix, which is the only book of his I have yet to read. He has such amazing books that I am super surprised that he is still and indie-author. I feel like some publisher should have swept in and scooped him up after the first Jenny Pox book, or at least at the release of the Haunted ebook...oh well their loss, and our gain. Alexander Death is the epic conclusion to this series and is just as fast paced, original, and interesting as the first two. I actually think I liked it even more than Tommy Nightmare. There was a ton of action in addition to the usual awesome character elements that are so strong in the first two books.
Alexander was the big change in this book. I almost fell in love with him actually. At the end of Tommy Nightmare, we left Seth being manipulated by Ashleigh once more, and he is still too weak to stop her from messing things up. I was upset at him for not being the strong, capable person that Jenny is. When Alexander comes sweeping in, bringing both power and intellect, you can't help but start to swoon. He's determined where Seth is confused, strong where Seth is weak, and yet...there's a dark edge to him that you can't seem to shake and it makes you wonder if you can trust him. Seth at least seems to possess a genuine heart, while you're not entirely sure if Alexander has humanity. Then again, the bad boy thing can be appealing. I guess I'm short a moral or two, but if someone kills in defense or to prove a point, I'm not too upset about it. Even a little bit of necessary torture doesn't bug me if the ends justify the means. Unfortunately, when is enough enough? Once you've crossed that line, how far do you go? It's tricky when you're dealing with shades of grey, right and wrong, good and bad...and where Seth is mostly white/light grey...Alexander could either be a dark grey or black...
Sorry to go off on tangents, but all this comparing the two boys has made me go all intellectual. It makes me want to ask you guys a side question...what do you think makes supernatural characters so appealing? Besides the obvious like superpowers, and usually good looks, and super strength, what makes them so much more attractive than normal human boys? And oddly, I'm thinking that it might be their humanity. Alexander is as lovely, if not more so than Seth. But...he's still otherworldly. He is "other" while Seth has become humanized and though he has his share of scary and awesome powers, he also has emotions, feelings, and morals. Think about it. We love a bad-boy, because we think that we will be the one's who can take his motorcycle riding, rough housing, womanizing behavior, and dive deeper into the "real" him who is a gentle and caring lover. It's pretty powerful stuff. It makes us feel needed and important and special. Now add in a paranormal aspect. Of all the fantastic things and people they have seen, they choose us. What appeals to us about them isn't that they are magical and fantastic, but that when they have a choice, they will lose the death, the destruction, and the pain and give it up to be with us mere mortals.
Jenny herself was very different in this book. I loved seeing her coming into her power, but she made such odd descisions and choices that she kind of threw me for a while. There was one heart-stopping minute when I really thought she was going to go over the edge into darkness and kill someone she loves with the pox on purpose. I was happy that she found the strength inside her to be her own person and to stop letting everyone manipulate her. I thought that it was really horrible that just as she escaped Ashleigh and her evil manipulations, she finds herself at the mercy of someone who is just as conniving. It was really ironic that the one with the power to make you love her had less of an effect on controlling Jenny than someone who just used good old fashioned persuasion and common sense to color her feelings and perceptions. Very nicely done. There were layers upon layers of story and plot that all intertwined excellently! I totally loved it!
In this book, you really don't know who to trust. Nothing is as it seems and you can't even trust your own emotions let alone the characters. There are twists that you wouldn't even dream of and lots and lots of character development. Also action. The final battle scene is epic and terrifying and heart-stopping. Characters are turning on each other left and right, and with a cast that has such terrible and awesome powers, things are going to get ridiculous up in herrrr. Alexander Death is seriously one of the best endings to a series. It ties up all the loose ends nicely without leaving any glaring questions. At the same time, there is a possibility that there could be spin off or future novellas in the same world so you are left with a little bit of hope. I'm just sad it's over! I'm going to miss Jenny and the gang! Even the total beotch Ashleigh was like an evil frenemy to me!
This is a great science fiction novel. It was fast paced, never boring, and very imaginative. I felt that the plot was original and well thought out. And the writing, as always with this author, is fantastic.
ReplyDelete