Release Date: July 10th, 2012
2012 Imogen Rose
Softcover Edition; 416 Pages
ISBN: 978-0985676605
ASIN: B008IVNJTC
Genre: Fiction / Young Adult / Paranormal
Source: Review Copy by Author (Bewitching Book Tours)
4 / 5 Stars
Summary
Second haiku warning:
A boyfriend missing
A lover must pay in blood
A princess must die
Welcome back to Bonfire Academy.
My Thoughts
Integration is the second novel in the Bonfire Academy series and I thought it was just as interesting and fascinating as the first novel, if for very different reasons. Initiation began with a huge bang and was quite relentless in its action, with non-stop twists and turns leaving very little room for the reader to breathe. While Integration was slower in its pacing and in its action, I found the character developments and the focus on the plot twists to be just as intriguing and found it was the little things that really made this novel. Typical of a second novel in a series, it was more about the build-up and the set-up for novels yet to come, but that didn't make the plot any less interesting to read.
It was great to see Cordelia develop and grow both as a potential future leader and as a paranormal being. I was glad to see her up to her usual tricks, and the trouble that ensued, even as an apprentice staff member, and although she often got into a lot of trouble, she is fiercely loyal to her friends and colleagues; it definitely made for some fun and unusual situations.
Along with old faves, such as Faustine and Jagger, there were some new characters or previously mentioned characters who played a much larger role in this novel. Perhaps I am dating myself but I am a serious fan of King Sebastien and just adore his character and his love of his children. Perhaps it's the sense of power and authority that he seems to carry with him all of the time, or maybe it's the sense of secrets that's always alluded to by the author. I was happy to see how well Cordelia and King Sebastien got along and am glad we will see a lot more of him in future novels. I also like the friendship between Colton and Cordelia and seriously hope that as he's a shifter that relationship doesn't backfire on her one day considering the poor relationships she has with the shifter community. I would be so sad to know that Colton is actually her enemy. When you read the novel and read the Prologue, you might understand what I am referring to as something serious is going to happen to Cordelia and I sort of feel like the Quinn / Cordelia thing is just a bit too trite and pat to fit the scenario. Ms. Rose has shown in the past how easily she can deceive her readers and make us think one thing while in fact it's actually something else; and considering the line TRUST NO ONE keeps popping up all the time, I'm trying to keep an open mind as to who will actually betray her.
Verdict
Integration is a worthy follow-up to Initiation, and while it did tend to slow down in some spots, it was still interesting in terms of character and plot development, if perhaps not in terms of the action that was like a roller coaster ride in Initiation. While there were some characters I would have liked to have seen a bit more, or who could have been fleshed out a bit more, the main characters were nicely developed and showed some growth. Naturally ending on a cliffhanger, it will be interesting to see what happens as the main characters head out into the working world in the next book in the series, and I am looking forward to more betrayals and more interesting and fun paranormal activities.
Giveaway
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Good review!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fun series to read!
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