Rise From Darkness Review + #Giveaway

Rise From Darkness Battle for Souls Book #1 Ciara Knight 
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Release Date: September 24, 2014 Publisher: Defy the Dark Publishing
ISBN: 9781937389925 ASIN: B00N2TO7LO Pages: 250
Goodreads Rating:  3.87 My Rating: 4.5
Book Description:
Alexander Lorre gives new meaning to the term "tormented teen." He's a newly fallen angel, which means he has the self-control of a three-year-old, the hormones of a teenager and the strength of an angel. When he rescues Gaby Moore from drowning, the chemistry between them is undeniable. With a local demon threatening Gaby's life, he struggles to find a balance between remaining close enough to protect her but distant enough to control his desires.  As danger draws closer, Gaby uncovers shattering secrets that will lead to an ultimate choice. Will she fight alongside her father, an earthbound hunter killing fallen angels and demons, give into the demon blood coursing through her veins and join the demon world, or save the man she loves from both? The first two choices damn her, but the last one could destroy them all.

My Take On The Book:
This book was captivating from the go. I dived into the story and was swept away to this world of demons and angels and hunters. It was a great story with action, descriptions and romance. Even if that romance at times pushed the genre of YA to the limits. 
I fell in love with the characters and was invested in their well being by chapter 3 which is a rare feat. And even tho there were some guesses as to how the story would play out I was never 100% sure how it would turn out. I loved that the author kept me guessing, worried yet hopeful. Alex and Gabby are 2 characters that are hard not to love and Sammy is just a breath of fresh air. But ironically enough I felt like the adults had the more interesting story lines. I wish I could sit here and write everything this book made me feel but I know if I get started it would be hard to remove those glaring spoilers and I want everyone to enjoy this story as much as I did.
The Great (Pros):

• The romances. I love romance stories and this was no different except you know, the whole fallen angels business. It was just the right amount of tortured (not long at all) and the perfect measurement of sweet. I had my 'hold your breath' moments with some of the characters and there love interests but everything felt so seamless and well planed out.

• Characters. Its been awhile since I've read a YA book with such planned out characters. I felt like every detail was mapped out so that there were no inconsistencies. It made for a really enjoyable read and a nice transition into their back stories. 

• The plot. I'm a huge fan of story lines. I've been known to read thru books/stories I felt were mediocre in the writing department just because I enjoyed the plot. Luckily, the writing was spot on and the plot was even better in this one.

The Not So Great (Cons):

• Disconnect. My only real complaint was what I felt to be a disconnect with the story and the ages of these characters. Many of the younger ones didn't feel like their age and i mean that in a loose term. At times the angels/demons felt younger and then older and the same goes for the regular characters. It was slightly disconcerting when the mention of school was brought up. like the harsh reminder that yep these aren't adults or even older teens but young teens at most 17 years old. 

4.5 Quills
I personally can not wait to  get my hands on the next books of this series. I am really excited to learn more about these characters and see how the story progresses. And as always once I've read the book, I'll review it! I think I know what I'm gonna add to my list this christmas lol. As for a recoommendation.... Of course. It's a well planned book that is definitely not lacking in umph. It was so good that I struggled to rate this one. I wanted to give it a 5 because I loved it so much but then there were a few key pieces that I felt could be improved upon. I suggest you guys and gals read it for yourself and decide where it stands.
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble
Buy Links for books 2 & 3:
Fall from Grace│Ascension of Evil

About The Author 

Ciara Knight began her writing career in 2008. She writes to ‘Defy the Dark’ with her fantasy, paranormal, and dystopian books. Her first Young Adult Series, Battle for Souls, will be published by Turquoise Morning press, with her prequel novella, Love’s Long Shadow, releasing in October 2011. Followed by Rise From Darkness (Book I) in March 2012, Fall From Grace (Book II), and Ascension of Evil (Book III). 
Also in 2012, her adult fantasy, Curse of Gremdon will be published by Crescent Moon Press.
When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.
Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She's backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska. 
Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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“I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher for my honest opinion. I was in no way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my own”