Review of Foreshadow by Brea Essex

Foreshadow by Brea Essex

Review by Gabryyl Pierce

4 of 5 stars

What do you when your delicious new boyfriend is out to kill you—and the class pain turns out to literally be your guardian angel?

Following the death of her mother Raena Davenport has gone to live with family friends. New boyfriend, Andrei, is helping her cope — until she finds out he wants to kill her. Andrei is a devil, a fallen angel who wants to use her sacrifice to get back into Heaven. Then there’s Logan, her guardian angel. He’s done nothing but annoy her, but now he’s got to save her.

Foreshadow is the first book in the Shadow Imperium Series by Brea Essex. Overall the story is intriguing, the characters interesting and the plot works fairly well, though the ending feels a bit rushed. Definitely an enjoyable YA read.

About Brea

Brea Essex was born in Gilroy, California, called the "Garlic Capital of the World." She graduated college with a degree in Medical Assisting. She lives near San Jose, California with her husband, their dog, three cats, and enough books to start a library.

PYN Review of Airel

Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

Review written by Morgan Wylie

Blurb for the book:

All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

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Airel is a YA fantasy of epic proportions! Not to mention it has a fantastic cover! It’s not your typical fallen angel story (I know, most people say that, but it’s true!). For one, this story is written by two men writing the POV (point of view) from a female teenager for most of the book. It also has varying points of views from several different characters including the best friend, the ancient warriors from an earlier time, and the personification of evil. Aaron and Chris do a tremendous job pulling this story together. It is well written and the imagery is fantastic- vivid and alive! 

I will admit it is a lengthy read, but it is split into multiple “books” within the one novel. It will definitely hold your attention and is full of fascinating characters and is an excellent read. The story and the narrator, Airel, will draw you right into their world and bring you along for the ride. Surprisingly, there is not a lot of dialogue. Although, personal insight into individual thought is abundant, and it works extremely well also adding to the uniqueness of this book. We follow Airel as she starts to experience some odd changes and she struggles to figure out what is happening to her. 

Airel is a great character and is still discovering who she is and what her purpose might be almost up until the end. Michael, the new guy, is also a fascinating character; complex and intriguing and will keep you questioning as to his part in this saga. The evil in this story is also quite descriptive (‘eww! factor’). However, throughout the book there are great (yet not overdone) positive messages of hope, faith, strength of character, and the power of love.  

I can’t wait to see how more of this story unfolds in future novels. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone especially if you like fallen angels.  

You can win it! Visit our interview with Aaron Patterson HERE and comment for a chance to win, but hurry time is short!