Torn (Trylle) (edition 2012)

I'm really enjoying this trilogy. The plot flows well and the characters are interesting. I'm also relishing the romantic tension and chemistry between the main characters. I went straight into book three. I couldn't wait. ( )

First off I have to say that I enjoyed this book more than I did the first one. Which might be partly due to the introduction of Loki, who I adore for some reason. I had been disappointed by Wendy by the end of the first book but it seemed the second book she is back to being the girl I liked originally. The strong no nonsense kind of girl that wasn't going to be weighted down by her heartbreak.




Amanda Hocking continues where she left off in Torn. It doesn't miss a beat between the two books. I was a little disappointed that we didn't spend more time finding out about the Vittra from their perspective but some questions are answered. I liked the happenings in the book, it wasn't just Wendy trapped in a palace getting belittled.




A few new characters are introduced in this book, one of which is Loki. He was actually introduced in the bonus material of the first book but if you don't have an edition with that then this is the first we really see of him. I'm not sure what it is about him that I like so much. Maybe it's that damaged bad boyness about him, where he doesn't care what other people think. He only cares about what and who is important to him.

We also meet Sarah, who doesn't have a prominent role but you feel empathetic to her from the minute you meet her. Like she is probably too good not to like. There seems to be a little bit of loneliness to her.

We also get to know Duncan, Wendy's new tracker and see a lot more of her host brother Matt. Rhys pretty much disappears at some point in the book.

Finn fades a little bit into the shadows. He is still there to pull some heart strings but he doesn't stand out to me very much. I wouldn't consider myself on his "Team" if you are going to pick one.

Tove steps up a little bit and he has a more defined role in the whole scheme of things.

I had some cover love for this book and that's why I picked it up so quickly. I'm glad I did though.

Of course like Switched, Torn has some alternative covers that I actually like as well.

First off I have to say that I enjoyed this book more than I did the first one. Which might be partly due to the introduction of Loki, who I adore for some reason. I had been disappointed by Wendy by the end of the first book but it seemed the second book she is back to being the girl I liked originally. The strong no nonsense kind of girl that wasn't going to be weighted down by her heartbreak.




Amanda Hocking continues where she left off in Torn. It doesn't miss a beat between the two books. I was a little disappointed that we didn't spend more time finding out about the Vittra from their perspective but some questions are answered. I liked the happenings in the book, it wasn't just Wendy trapped in a palace getting belittled.




A few new characters are introduced in this book, one of which is Loki. He was actually introduced in the bonus material of the first book but if you don't have an edition with that then this is the first we really see of him. I'm not sure what it is about him that I like so much. Maybe it's that damaged bad boyness about him, where he doesn't care what other people think. He only cares about what and who is important to him.

We also meet Sarah, who doesn't have a prominent role but you feel empathetic to her from the minute you meet her. Like she is probably too good not to like. There seems to be a little bit of loneliness to her.

We also get to know Duncan, Wendy's new tracker and see a lot more of her host brother Matt. Rhys pretty much disappears at some point in the book.

Finn fades a little bit into the shadows. He is still there to pull some heart strings but he doesn't stand out to me very much. I wouldn't consider myself on his "Team" if you are going to pick one.

Tove steps up a little bit and he has a more defined role in the whole scheme of things.

I had some cover love for this book and that's why I picked it up so quickly. I'm glad I did though.

Of course like Switched, Torn has some alternative covers that I actually like as well.

While I really enjoyed Switched, it was absolutely nothing compared to Torn! This one was so much better. I didn't even realize that book one was lacking that extra spark until I read this. Hocking really steps it up a notch and I was so satisfied! The end of book one certainly left me craving more and Torn really delivered.

In Torn, Wendy has a lot of decisions to make and I certainly don't envy her. I love how she faces everything with such courage and determination even though really, she is in way over her head. She's not even 18 yet and the future of an entire kingdom is resting on her shoulders. Wendy went from having one torn apart family to having three- her ''host'' family, her mother and her kingdom, and her father and his kingdom. There are a lot of emotions at play and I liked watching Wendy handling everything. It can be hard to know what to believe when everyone's telling you something different and I admire how she approached the whole situation.

I love that we really get to know more characters in this one. We really get closer to the Queen throughout Torn. She's not the most open or emotional of people but I enjoyed learning about her past and how she plans on dealing with the future. I think everyone will like seeing Wendy get to know Elora better even if it's not a typical parent-child relationship! She's quite a complex person and I both like her and dislike her at the same time.

Loki was the high point of this book for me! I think he's a fascinating character and adored every conversation he had with Wendy. There's just something so likable about him and I love that he doesn't take anything too seriously. I definitely enjoyed all his scenes in the book! We don't see Finn as much in this one as in book one. I still really like him but it's hard to get a real impression of him when he goes from open to mysterious in the blink of an eye. He's much more in the background than he was in the first book.

Amanda Hocking is brilliant at world-building. It was really great to get to know a little more about the history of the Trylle and their rivals. Everyone in the book seems to have secrets of their own and I definitely liked uncovering them. Torn really moves the plot along and I think some people will be a little shocked at the direction it's taking- I personally am! Fans of Switched will love this one and I'm very excited to get to book three to see how it all wraps up. ( )

Wendy's story continues with being rebellious and getting captured by the Vittra. In doing so she ends up finding out who her real father is and that he really isn't dead.

Wendy has many decisions to make as finding out who her father is puts a wrench in things and gives her more options than she realized were viable with the Trylle it also gives her more realization of her responsibilities as a princess and heir to the throne.

All the while she still loves Finn the Tracker but she realizes she cannot be with him as she would like and along with that there are many other twists and turns that keep this story going and interesting.

Excited for the next installment in this series. ( )