Early Book Review: Amber Smoke by Kristen Cast

Amber Smoke by Kristen Cast is the first book in her The Escaped series, and is scheduled for release on June 9 2015. There is a world that runs parallel to our own where the souls of the damned are caged and are looked over by the Furies. The barrier that separates our world from theirs has weaken and damned souls are escaping. The Furies send an untested warrior, their only son, Alek to try to bring those souls back. However, he won’t be able to do it alone. Eva has grown up, beautiful and beloved, but surrounded by secrets. First, she will be hunted in an ancient feud that will threaten her life. Then, she will become the hunter. With the police closing in and two worlds on the verge of crumbling around them Alek and Eva must find each other, discover the limits of their powers, and work together to save everything they hold dear, including one another.

In Amber Smoke we see the worlds on Alek and Eva collide and their adventure together begin. There is significant world building; getting the mythology, characters, and larger story arch in place for the continuing story. I enjoyed the character building. I liked Eva and Alek, and found myself caring about them and a few of the side characters quickly. I feel like I can predict at least one plot twist in book two, or maybe later, just by

Blending elements of mythology with the dazzling storytelling that her fans have devoured through the House of Night series, Kristin Cast weaves a spellbinding and passionate tale that starts a thrilling new series with an explosive charge.

You might recognize the name Cast from the writing team of the House of Night series, which Kristen co-wrote with her other. I read the Night, and recommended it to many. However, about halfway through that series I lost interest. I did enjoy a few references to the House of Night series made in the book, and sincerely hope that this series either holds steady or gets better rather than slowly sliding downhill like the Night series.