Bree Despain

As with any story involving the Greek gods, fate and predestination are major issues within The Shadow Prince. However, Ms. Despain adds her own unique spin by adding the idea of choice, something not typically associated with the gods. Haden and Daphne may be destined for each other, but they do not have to end up together. By the end of the novel, their relationship is still tenuous enough to be subject to change. This is an exciting twist in the god canon because there is no obvious and show more set path for any of the characters. This means that anything can happen, and it creates infinite possibilities for the main story arc and future stories in the series.

Not only does Ms. Despain amend the idea of fate within the story, she also adjusts the mythos. Hades is conspicuously absent from the Underworld, something fully explained until the end of the book. The animosity between the Underlords and the Skylords is a fascinating twist, as is the origination of the Underlords. The cult followers of each God are not new, but the rewards for following certainly take unique forms. Finally, there is the idea of an asylum, a place where humans and demi-gods can stay without fear of reprisal from the gods. Ms. Despain’s version of the gods mythology is different enough to create a freshness for mythology fans and entice new ones for whom the Greek myths are unknown.

Daphne is a riot. Opinionated and confident, she knows what she wants and is not afraid to take chances to get it. She also is unusually honest with herself and about others. She recognizes her inner vulnerabilities and accepts them, even as she chides herself for them. She has no fear of calling someone out and does so with Haden quite frequently, to a reader’s perpetual enjoyment. Her reaction to Haden’s inept wooing is priceless and a refreshing alternative to the other teen heroines who accept boorish behavior as true love without a moment’s hesitation. Her role in the story remains cloudy, but there is no doubt she has the fierce determination, talent, and strength of character to play an essential part in whatever unfolds.

Haden is a perfect foil for Daphne, or vice versa. His arrogance and quick realization of his lack of preparedness for his quest is amusing and touching. His first few fumbling attempts to talk to Daphne are hilarious in their clumsiness. Yet, for all his pride and egotism, he wears his vulnerability more openly than does Daphne. It is this difference which allows readers to overlook the pricklier aspects of his character and accept him in spite of his gaffes and rather crude behavior. As with Daphne, his potential remains obscure but palpable, and the anticipation about future reveals – of his power, of his growth, of his fate – is high.

The only true questionable area within the story is the addition of two secondary characters and their inclusion on Daphne’s and Haden’s journey. While the rest of the story unfolds adroitly, well-plotted and well-written, the appearance of these characters and the swiftness with which they accept Haden’s story feels forced. It is as if she is repeating the quest process by providing the necessary entourage. The fact that the entourage exists is a distinct difference to all of the changes Ms. Despain makes to the myths, and one can only hope she will add another unique spin to the prerequisite.

The Shadow Prince is an exciting and fun twist on the Hades myth. With its Underlords and Boons, Champions, gates, keys, rules, and limitations, this is not your parents’ Underworld, and that is a good thing. Daphne is the intellectual equal to any god or goddess and has a matter-of-fact approach to the proceedings that provides entertainment and a much-needed reality check. Haden is brooding and dark as befitting not only a young adult paranormal love interest but also a lord of the Underworld. However, he remains vulnerable and open and recognizes his limitations. He understands the need to change and, more importantly, learns to identify when he is wrong and when others may have better ideas. Daphne and Haden play to each other’s’ strengths, making it one of the few young adult relationships that does not require one holding power – literal or figurative – over another.

The story itself moves quickly but never so quickly as to lose readers in a mire of unanswered questions. Ms. Despain does provide many an answer and plenty of world-building for readers, but she does so slowly, metering out bits and pieces throughout the novel. She thereby requires readers to use their imagination, their prior mythological knowledge, and patience until such time as she can give a full explanation without interrupting the flow of the narrative. A reader never worries about the unfamiliar backdrop, however, as the story is simply too engrossing and both Haden and Daphne are too entertaining. The Shadow Prince is the type of novel in which readers continually want to read just one more page only to find out that they are at the end of the first book. Readers will still want to read one more page, so hopefully, Ms. Despain does not take too long to write the sequel. show less

Fuck, Bree Despain!

(seriously, last 3-5 chapters of this book, I could say nothing but Fuck!)

Because here I thought that Tal was gonna die.

But, nooo, Bree Despain, you just couldn’t resist, could you?

(couldn’t resist RIPPING MY HEART OUT, that is)

Can you believe that around the halfway point, when there were reunions and happiness, all I could say was “This is nice and all, but can we get back to the action and death?”

(give me two hours, and I’ll thank you profusely for surprising show more me, but I just closed the book and there’s a GAPING HOLE in my chest where my heart used to be, so you’ll understand why I can’t do it now)

Btw, that last thing that Tal said (texted whatever) was so. TOTALLY. PERFECT. Especially since I’ve been binge-watching Heroes for the past couple of weeks… yeah, that was really good, and I was setup to be a sucker for it.

(now, go write something else so I can read that and you can rip my heart out again)

Wolfy voice in Bree Despian's head: Yes, rip her heart out. Kill her. Embrace me!

I really need to stop this. I have a problem. show less

At the end of The Immortal Throne, Ms. Despain has a note that mentions how, thanks to the closing of her publishing house, the final section of Daphne and Haden’s story may have never been published. I am so thankful for Carolrhoda Lab for picking up the series and allowing the fans to find out what happens. To never find out would have been a tragedy because their story is so much fun.

The Immortal Throne picks up right where the previous book ended. While Ms. Despain does try to connect show more the two by providing some of the backstory, there is no doubt that this is the continuation of a series with the assumption that the reader has read the first two books. All of the characters from the first two novels are here with minimal reintroduction. The book starts with the action already in progress, further taxing a reader’s memory as they must recall all that happened up to this point. Granted, nothing about the story is very convoluted, but for those who may not have read the previous two books recently before starting the finale, it can be a bit overwhelming at first.

Thankfully, that is really the only issue you will find with the book. Haden and Daphne are just as cute a couple as ever. The story ends with a satisfying and intriguing conclusion that will please the romantics and cause imaginations to run wild. Ms. Despain does a tremendous job utilizing Greek mythology as the basis for her story all the while adding her own spin to create something fresh and exciting. For younger readers, it provides a great introduction to Greek mythology without getting into the weeds. The Immortal Throne is not the most intellectually stimulating ever, but it is a satisfying and creative story that entertains. show less

***I've received an ARC of this in exchange of a honest review***

Publicado originalmente: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Bree Despain es una escritora de la cual conocía de nombre, mas su trabajo nunca lo había experimentado. Por alguna razón, cuando este libro llegó a mis manos, sin saber de qué iba o ver la portada (mi ARC vino solo con título), alguna fuerza mística me dijo que TENÍA que leerlo.

Definiré el libro así: LO AMÉ.

Personajes, historia, narración, maquetación. TODO

Daphne show more y Haden son geniales. Haden tiene una inocencia muy extraña, al venir del submundo, no tienen ni idea de lo que está pasando. Daphne sale del tópico pequeña-damisela-en-apuros, hay pocas protagonistas altas, a pesar de que mi tamaño es nivel duende, me gustó (y a mi Parabatai seguro también :D ). Es un libro completo porque los personajes secundarios no son solo relleno, Tobin, el papá de Daphne, las malas pero divertidas o que no son tan malas, el Séquito del Campeón. Disfruté cada instante de interacción entre ellos. Así que no solo tenemos historia de Chica-Conoce-Chico.

Lo que me gustó también es que no pierde el factor sorpresa, mientras yo construía mi tería de conspiración y premeditación con un poco de poción multijugos, el final del libro fue tan "WHAT?" ¡¿Cómo no me di cuenta?!Estuve feliz con la sorpresa, aunque no exactamente feliz porque la sorpresa fue... sería un spoiler.

Sin embargo, The Shadow Prince robó mi corazón no solo por lo que ya les conté, no sé si sabes pero estoy un poco obsesionada con la mitología griega, y este libro es un retelling de uno muy popular, Hades y Perséfone, una historia que tiene varias adaptaciones literarías (vease Underworl de Meg Cabot, Aprendiz de Dios de Aimee Carter por nombrar algunas), siempre me gusta leer de nuevo o algo nuevo sobre ese mito. Pero, lo que más me gustó, es que creo que es la primera vez que mi mito favorito de la vida tiene cierta importancia en un libro: "Orfeo y Euridice" AMO ESA HISTORIA. Como digo no es la historia central, sí tiene cierta relevancia, Bree va combinando de poco a poco los dos mitos, así que mi ojo de Oráculo me dice que en los siguientes libros podría tomar más importancia. ¡Ojalá!

Por si quedan dudas AMÉ EL LIBRO, no tienen idea de como espero su continuación que se publica en... 2015 ._.

NECESITO LA CONTINUACIÓN DDDDDD: 2015 VEN A MI!!!!


Reseña Completa (comentarios, quejas y amenazas): El Extraño Gato del Cuento show less