Angel Leya

I have mixed feelings about this one. The characters seemed real, the setting was pretty great. There was a lot to like about the book. There was also a lot I didn't like about it.

Twylla is the embodiment of the daughter of the gods. Her beautiful singing voice and ability to execute those who commit treason with a single touch make her both revered and reviled. She is taken to the castle at a young age, betrothed to the prince (whose family line generally sticks to inbreeding to keep it "pure") and her family is taken care of in return. But all is not as it seems, and when the new guard becomes more than her protector, Twylla is faced with some terrible decisions that could bring the whole kingdom down.

Twylla is only 17 in this book, and as such, she is quite immature. I get it, she's been pretty much locked in a tower for years, bereft of human contact on account of her skin being poisonous. Her growing relationship with Lief, the young new guard is understandable. He dares to get close when no one else will. Of course, something turns in their relationship and it seems to lean to the more abusive and codependent side than the sweet romance I hoped for. By the end, I was totally rooting for the prince, though his aloof attitude seem strange given his later confessions. Merek, alone, seems like an unrealized character to me.

The action is pretty steady in pace, though it definitely picks up towards the end. Some of the actions and motivations kind of fell short for me. When the author throws in some twists at the end, I'm left feeling that the ending threat is a bit unbelievable. It felt like the author spent the better half of the end tearing down the infrastructure of the world, only to resurrect what was little more than a fairy tale to create a new threat.

And then there's the epilogue. It does little to whet my appetite for the next book, and just left me with a feeling of dissatisfaction.

Much of the story was good and clever, and it isn't a dull read. If you like a tidy ending, however, I suggest you either have the next book handy or skip this one altogether.