Captivate: Carrie Jones (ARC)

SUMMARY (Courtesy of borders.com)

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

OPIONION: 5 STARS

WOW! This one was even better than the first and built on the world created so splendidly. Yes, this book captivated me from start to end. It picks up abruptly, wasting no time recapping what happened in the first book which is something that I love. Throughout, a pretty steady pace is kept with enough intrigue and mystery to keep me going through slower parts.

The events in this book are things I never would have imagined happening and they play out and tie together beautifully. I can see the effort and thought Jones put into this one which makes me appreciate it even more. The lore that is introduced is done so at a good pace, showing more as needed without it being overloaded and drowning. I am definitely liking the bigger picture that develops in this book that was not a part of Need.

Zara's character continues to build and develop and though there were a few times I sat there yelling at her to not do something, I could see exactly why she was doing it and if I were in that situation, I probably would have made the same choice. She didn't do it because the author needed it to happen- there were reasons and motivations and for me, they were solid. Her mental reference of phobias comes out in this book again although instead of the chapters being titled with phobias, they are titled with facts/hints about pixies- many of them humorous- that help the story even more. I loved the chapter titles in this book and am interested to see what Jones has in store for the next installment.

Astley is a new character that is introduced- and one I love. I won't say whether he is good or bad- I fell in love with him anyways and it wasn't for either of those sides. He is just awkward enough for me to find him pretty much adorable. It comes out in unexpected ways and places but it makes him seem far more human- something that is big in this book since Zara is in danger of being turned pixie which means she is not human either. The debate of that, the implications of it, and even the feelings towards are ones that play out in many fantasy books but I still think they were done very well here with some originality added.

I thought this about the first and I certainly think it about this book- this take on pixies is amazing. It reminds me in many ways of vampires, fairies and even shifters in some ways and yet, Jones has painted them into something all their own. Their hierachy, ways and attributes are perfectly carried out. From the glamour to the blue skin to the gold dust, I adore how unique, personalized and original these pixies are- and how the stereotypical, Tinkerbell type view of them comes into play so often. The Buffy references in this book also made me laugh- it is a show I watched and can relate to and I like it even more because it is older rather than newer trend.

The writing in this one was about the same as the first- I didn't see much improvement but I do like her writing style. It is again in Zara's frame of mind but the instances of humor are put in quite well. There were only a few places where I had to stop and reread because things jumped unexpectedly for me but I did read an ARC- so such istances could change.

I give this one 5 stars because it kept me interested, it had plenty of twists and unexpected surprises, and I adored the ending. It was a perfect cliff hanger- closing enough of this story while leaving me thirsting for the next one without an overwhelming number of ifs, whats, whys and hows. I recommend this set to anyone who likes fantasy- it has a love story but that isn't the central focus and it is original and steadily paced.

Craving more? Visit the Need website here- there is also a very awesome giveaway going on for a few different prizes so check it out!

Note: This book was provided courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishers.