The Lost Saint

Where The Dark Divine had mystery and the unknown (and one of my favorite romances in the paranormal genre) to move it forward, this has an overall feeling of doom and dread to push the story along (and a rift in my favorite romance). Despain does not fall into the paranormal trap of making either Grace (the girl) or Daniel (the love interest of the paranormal) helpless or unable to read the hints right in front of them, but there were still plenty of moments where I just knew that Grace was Going the Wrong Way, and just like while watching a horror movie, I could do nothing but yell at her through the pages and watch her go. Her little tiffs with Daniel that turned into petty I'm-not-speaking-to-you problems that turned into secrets show more kept were believable and painful. They also made her vulnerable, and that vulnerability made her trust people she shouldn't have. And that, of course, gets everyone in trouble.

The upside to all of this is the return of April. And, well, she's just awesome. From her superhero aspirations to her wink-wink-nudge-nudge secret keeping to her inability to not see the upside of everything Grace is going through, she made this book for me. This is what I absolutely love about Despain's writing and why I will keep reading anything she puts out. There is so much about these books and others like them that is serious and stressful (in a good way), but she so far she has managed to put in something to balance it, and it is not a serious and dramatic love story where no one smiles but instead gazes. In the first book, it was the happy flashbacks to Grace and Daniel's childhood together and the fluttery first love between them. In this book, it is April's excitability and the rekindling of Grace's friendship with her. These additions help to pace the story and help to create well-rounded characters (did I mention that April is designing Grace a superhero outfit as part of her art school application?). The world does not fall away in the face of the Despain's werewolves; they exist in it.

And I can't wait to see what they do next!!!

Book source: Philly Free Library show less

Much like the opener in the series, The Lost Saint is an addictively good read. Grace’s newly wolfish state sets her up as an almost entirely different person. The old Grace is still there, but I loved seeing this new, strong, dangerous Grace. The majority of the book throws hints about how she may or may not be losing herself to the wolf. Despain even adds little angry and sometimes menacing wolfy thoughts.

Grace’s change in personality means that her relationship with Daniel changes quite a bit as well. The Daniel we got to know in The Dark Divine isn’t gone, but like Grace, he’s changed. Their relationship hits more than a few bumps in the road and I was thrilled by that. No two people could have gone through all that Grace show more and Daniel went through, and are still going through, and come out unscathed.

The inclusion of gorgeous older man/lumberjack looking Talbot brings so much tension to the book; both for Grace internally and externally. He’s attractive and attracted to her – hello sexual tension! Still, all of the tense, 'let me fight the world to find my brother' moments are lightened thanks to April. Seeing as how I hated April in TDD, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the character this time around.

The Lost Saint also delves much more deeply into the Urbat world and what it means to be the wolf. Biblical references abound, as well as demons and the repercussions of killing another being, human or otherwise. Grace grows a lot in this installment and really begins to come into her own. Was the story somewhat predictable? Absolutely – I had figured out much of the ending before I even got there, but I still enjoyed reading it. Grace’s need to save Jude, to do for him what she had done for Daniel, is raw and pure. She gets a little lost along the way, but don’t we all? Even the best intentions can get lost in the shuffle and become muddled in our worlds.

Bree Despain has once again created a werewolf story that, while full of supernatural elements and plot twists, is still carried by a simple girl who can’t give up on those she loves. The Lost Saint may not be for everyone, with its more than obvious Christian overtones, but that never overpowers the storyline and how losing your way does not have to mean you’re lost. If you loved The Dark Divine or even if you only enjoyed it a little, pick up The Lost Saint because it is even more thrilling and heart-pumping. Oh, and the cliff-hanger ending? That killed me – I need more now!

Opening line: “Do what he wants, and you might survive,” a harsh voice said into the boy’s ear before he felt a sharp blow to the kidneys. ~ pg. 1

Favorite lines (I had to pick one with Talbot):
“You swear there are no demons waiting inside to jump me?” I could just picture a room full of Gelals with their claws out, ready to pounce on me the second I entered.

Talbot smirked. “Well, I might jump you – but only if you ask for it.”

“I’d like to see you try.” ~ pg. 252 show less

I still can't believe that it took me so long to get to The Lost Saint. I mean, I really loved Bree Despain's first book. Grace and Daniel stole the show for me, and all I wanted to know was what would come next. After doing a reread of the first book (and swooning all over again) I was ready to tackle and devour the second I knew I was in for a treat.

For those of you who haven't started this series yet, Grace had to make a huge sacrifice to save Daniel. In other words, she loves this boy to death. So you can imagine my utter annoyance when Daniel suddenly starts treating Grace like she has the plague. Let's be honest. I knew it was a plot device. I understood that it was necessary to allow a new guy to come into the story. That doesn't show more mean I liked it though. Daniel's behavior drove me crazy.

The good part about all of that is Grace is allowed to show her true colors once again. Despain allows the reader to see how strong a person Grace really is. Sure, she's a teenager. Yes, she makes mistakes. Still, it is that she stands up for herself that makes her so likable. I wasn't always happy with her decisions, but I was always glad that she made them herself. Even with Daniel being odd in the background, I liked Grace a lot in this book.

In terms of plot, The Lost Saint brings a lot of new information into play for these starcrossed lovers. I loved the in depth explanations that were given about the Urbats and their history. I also had no problem eating up Talbot's story as well. I wouldn't say that this plot moves as lightning fast as the first book did. However it is paced in a way that will keep you reading on. Each time I had a question, it would be answered a few pages later. It made for a very immersive read.

If you've already started The Dark Divine Series, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what is waiting for you between the pages of the The Lost Saint! More Grace, more Daniel, more dark twists and turns. This is the book that you've been waiting for. show less

Coming hot on the heels of The Dark Divine, Grace Divine is having trouble dealing with her newly altered circumstances. The mysterious events with her boyfriend Daniel have all been sorted out and there’s no longer any danger that he’ll be forever morphed into a dangerous creature beyond the realm of humanity. But things aren’t as easy as all that because Grace’s brother Jude has been greatly changed and is on the run, trying to escape the terrible monster inside him. To make matters worse, Grace has also been attacked and altered and is just beginning to discover what it means to have unusual powers and impossible strength.

When a few newcomers to town begin to shake up the status quo, Grace will find herself both with an show more unlikely ally and in thrall to a very handsome man who might not be what he seems. As Grace discovers more about this man, she becomes embroiled in a plot to hunt down and kill other unlikely creatures that have invaded her town, much to the disappointment of Daniel and the other people who care for her. But with Jude still on the run and a dangerous contingent of supernatural criminals on the loose, it will take all that Grace and Daniel have to keep the inner monster struggling inside of her from breaking free. Fast paced and utterly thrilling, this second installment of The Dark Divine series will leave readers breathless with anticipation until the final act is closed.

This book was very different from the first in the series because, while it basically continued the story from the first installment, it was much more robust and action packed than The Dark Divine. While the first book moved a more slowly and sedately, this one ratcheted up the suspense and tension to a much higher degree. It’s understandable that the first book would have a lot more scene setting and exposition, and because I liked that book so very much, I was excited when this second installment began and I was thrust directly into the action so quickly.

At the close of The Dark Divine, many things have changed. It’s no longer a mystery why Jude has chosen to leave his family, and the secret that Daniel has been hiding from Grace has been dealt with head-on, resulting in both terrible and wonderful repercussions for both of them. Grace now finds herself in a strange predicament, because now it's she who’s not fully human and she has to deal with the newly encroaching powers that will one day take over her life. Most of Grace’s angst comes from the fact that she has no idea how to harness these powers, and though she wants to be a force for good, she’s coming to suspect that she will not be able to use the gifts she has in any kind of positive way. This conflict within Grace sets her in the perfect position to be both exploited and revered by the two very different men who make an unexpected appearance in the town. Grace takes an immediate liking to one of the new visitors and a dislike to the other, but are her powers of discrimination another one of those things that she just doesn’t have a handle on quite yet?

Into the confusion that are Grace and Daniel’s lives comes the news that a crime wave is sweeping the city and no one can discover who’s responsible. Security cameras consistently go on the fritz during these crimes and there are no fingerprints or physical evidence left at the scene. Grace finds herself thrown headlong into investigating these crimes by her new acquaintance Talbot, a man whose mysterious background is only overshadowed by his rugged and handsome good looks. Before Grace knows it, she’s hunting down these criminals with a vigilante’s sense of justice, and she begins to get in way over her head. These events must be kept secret from all those who love Grace, for she’s in terrible danger, and the more she immerses herself into this world, the more risks she begins to take.

When it’s finally revealed who is behind these crimes, the unlikely Jude resurfaces, but his presence now is malignant and horrible. With Daniel also being secretive, Grace resorts to putting more trust in Talbot, but comes to discover that he’s not who she believed him to be. All these questions and suspicions boil down to an ugly and dangerous confrontation between a group of other-worldly criminals pitted against Grace and Daniel, and it’s unclear if they’ll survive the ordeal. Someone from both of their pasts is orchestrating these nightmarish events, and he won’t stop until he's dispatched Daniel and taken possession of Grace.

I must say that by the end of this book, I was flipping pages madly, racing to discover what would become of the heroic Grace and the steadfast Daniel. When I finally got to the conclusion, I was flabbergasted! Despain leaves the reader with such a dramatic and unexpected cliffhanger that I was frantically searching the interwebs to see when the next book would be published. Alas, there was no information to be had, and I was almost overwhelmed with impatience to find out what happens next. It certainly was an unexpected development in an already superlative book.

This series clearly worked for me, and was so full drama and pathos that by the end of the book, I made myself a promise that I would see this series to the end, no matter what the cost. In these books Despain creates both a set of characters and a mythos that I found to be utterly irresistible. With a plot that seems to move forward on oiled springs and a handful of unexpected twists and turns, this is series that shouldn’t be missed. It transcends the YA genre and does its best not only to be relevant, but genuine. If you haven’t gone out to get these books, you simply must do it now. It’s a rockin’ good paranormal series and I very highly recommend it! show less

I spent a lot of time during my reading of The Lost Saint wondering how Daniel could act like he was. At times, he irritated me to no end. Grace's love for him, her ability to save him, should have counted for something. And then I remembered, Grace and Daniel - they're teenagers. And everything made sense. They were acting their age, something we don't always see in young adult fiction, especially when it comes to relationships. That, along with all the other wonderfully realistic character traits carried on from The Dark Divine, is what makes this series wonderful.

While the religion in The Lost Saint remained non-preachy, it seemed a little more heavy handed than in The Dark Divine. The nature of the werewolf mythology in this series show more requires religion to be a focus, but it seemed like there was so much more of it in this book than the last. Perhaps how much you notice it will depend on how averse you are to religion in your fiction.

The story felt inevitable, yet still managed to be surprising along the way. That ending though, it demands a sequel and the sooner the better. Readers will be dying to know what comes next. show less

Things I liked about this book: First off, I started to really hate the main character which was making me not want to read the book until I realized that my hatred of the main character was part of the story. She was turning bad. Cool. Got it. I also liked that I couldn't tell for sure if the new guy was good or bad... it kept me guessing.
Things I didn't like about this book: The cover has nothing to do with the book at all, and the story was pretty see-through. This book was sort of like New Moon where the entire time you were just pissed of that Edward was gone. Daniel is distant in this book which makes it less fun to read. Finally, I can't stand books like this where the most interesting thing to happen in the book happens RIGHT at show more the end and you have to wait until the next book to find out more. Grr..... show less

After reading The Dark Divine, I didn’t really have high expectations for The Lost Saint. The first book was so explosive and so epic, so the second book had to be a step down, right?

Wrong. Very, very wrong.

The Lost Saint is just as intense as the first book, with all the romance and action and eerie mystery as well. Grace still has to struggle with controlling a wolf, but it’s not Daniel this time. The monster inside of Grace, that makes her feel angry and violent, is written to flow with her natural mindset, so it was kind of shocking, brilliant and thrilling when it crept up on her in certain situations.

Of course, all of the swoon-worthy romance from the first book has returned between our favorite couple, Daniel and Grace. But show more while it has its cute moments, nothing can stay perfect forever, right? New characters like Katie, a perky girl who pays way too much attention to Daniel, and Talbot, someone who can relate to Grace, who helps her deal with her inner wolf, threaten their relationship. But never fret, all of that drama builds up for one of the most epic endings ever. Emphasis on the epic. I was gasping. I was crying. I was screaming and shaking and trying not to rip the pages on my galley. And finally, when I closed the book, I was stunned speechless.

Getting an advanced copy of this book? Maybe not the best thing in the world. It means your wait for the next one is unbearably longer.

Overall, I absolutely loved The Lost Saint. I can’t even appropriately sum up just how much I loved it in words. But if you were a fan of the first book, you should love The Lost Saint just as much as I did, maybe more. It’s intense, romantic and action-packed with an ending so epic, it’ll leave you flabbergasted. That’s right. I said flabbergasted. I definitely recommend! show less