Starling by Lesley Livingston

Series: Starling (bk. 1) Spin-off series of Wondrous Strange

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Subjects: Mythology, creatures, magic, supernatural,  New York

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 341 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Mason Starling is a champion fencer on the Gosforth Academy team, but she's never had to fight for her life. Not until the night a ferocious, otherworldly storm rips through Manhattan, trapping Mason and her teammates inside the school. Mason is besieged by nightmarish creatures more terrifying than the thunder and lightning as the raging tempest also brings a dangerous stranger into her life: a young man who remembers nothing but his name--the Fennrys Wolf. His arrival tears Mason's world apart, even as she feels an undeniable connection to him. Together, they seek to unravel the secrets of Fenn's identity as strange and supernatural forces gather around them. When they discover Mason's family--with its dark allegiance to ancient Norse gods--is at the heart of the mystery, Fennrys and Mason are suddenly faced with a terrifying future.
Set against the gritty, shadowed back-drop of New York City, this first novel in award-winning author Lesley Livingston's epic Starling Saga is an intoxicating blend of sweeping romance and pulse-pounding action.”

My Rating: êêê1/2

My Review: This book is the first of a spin-off series, and I’m happy that Fenn is one of the main characters. He was one of my favorites in Wondrous Strange, Darklight and Tempetuous. Even with amnesia, he still was his same awesome self. Mason I wasn’t so thrilled with. Compared to Kelley in the other three books, her (3^rd person) perspective was not very interesting. It made the story a bit difficult to get through because she annoyed me. And the other perspectives, like Cal and Rory. That’s more than 2, but I guess the author kind of did that in Tempestuous. I’m not a big fan of 3^rd person, but since I listened to Wondrous Strange and Darklight as audio book (the author narrates so well! She is an actress like her character Kelley), and read Tempestuous, I was actually enjoying the 3^rd person perspective. Not so much in this case. But Fenn was so hot, that I loved his parts.

There were a lot of action scenes in this book. I actually have a difficult time with those because I couldn’t picture them very well. I liked the romantic scenes better. Or the part where we find out about the Fennrys Wolf’s destiny. And when he rediscovered stuff about himself. I also like all the mythology stuff. Really, it’s Norse and Greek and Egyptian…and pretty much all of them. I love the world that Lesley Livingston created, and I really hope the next book is more interesting, since this book get us past some of the more boring part of setting the plot for the series. Hey, the beginning was awesome, and the book was pretty good. I just didn’t like Mase that much. The fencing was cool, but still. Her personality needs to be developed better. Her being claustrophobic is a nice touch, but she needs to become stronger. Let’s see if she does in the next book.

Cover Art Review: I wish the cover was metallic. It would look so much better. It’s a pretty photo. And I like the title’s typeface.

 

~Haley G