Book Review: Vanish by Sophie Jordan.

Product details:
Publisher: HarperTeen
Hardcover, 304 pages.
Release date: September 6th 2011.
Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Series: Firelight #2
Other books in series: Firelight.
Source: Netgalley.

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is gree...moreTo save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

With its refreshing dragon-themed take on the paranormal romance genre, and one hot, forbidden love match that I couldn’t get enough of, Firelight by Sophie Jordan is a firm favourite of mine, and with that huge cliffhanger right at the end, I simply couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.  In Vanish, Sophie Jordan has written a fast-paced read with the same intoxicating blend of danger and romance, and so, while it’s a worthy addition to the series, for me it didn’t quite live up to the addictive page-turning nature of its predecessor.

The action here continues right from where it left off in Firelight. With Jacinda’s secret exposed, she has put her life and the future existence of her kind in danger.  We join Jacinda, along with her mother, twin sister Tamra, and Cassian as they try to escape from the draki hunters who are in hot pursuit and out for the kill.  It’s only by a surprising twist of fate that Jacinda and her family escape and find themselves back in the safety of the pride, shrouded from the hunters by shader Nidia’s mists.  While Tamra is welcomed back to the pride with open arms, rule breaker Jacinda is shunned, and forbidden from ever seeing Will.  Sad and lonely, Jacinda finds herself with nobody to turn to but Cassian, who proves his true feelings by always coming through for her no matter what.  Soon, Jacinda begins to look at Cassian as more than just a friend, which makes things complicated as not only has Tamra always been in love with Cassian, but it also looks as though Will hasn’t given up on Jacinda.

The emerging love triangle here was my favourite part of the story.  In Firelight, the chemistry between Will and Jacinda practically leapt of the pages, and their romance had a forbidden, dangerous element to it that was hard to resist. Cassian though, was always there in the background, and even though he was a secondary character in Firelight, I was drawn to him, and wanted to know more.  With Will largely absent from proceedings here, it’s all about Cassian, and I have to say, I am a fan! In Vanish, Cassian does everything he can to protect Jacinda from the wrath of his father Severin as time after time she breaks the rules of her pride, putting herself and her family in constant danger as she tries to maintain a connection to Will. While I loved the character of Jacinda in Firelight, here, rather than being fierce and fiery, she is sullen and troublesome, and so is less likeable this time round.  On the flipside, I warmed to the character of Tamra as she takes on a new and significant role in the story.  The sisterly bonds between her and Jacinda are also explored making her a more well-rounded character than she first appeared to be.

While I enjoyed Vanish, I felt it lacked the intense excitement of Firelight, due mainly to its setting amongst the pride, which I found regimented and boring. There are less shocking twists and action sequences in this one too, and at times I found the storyline slightly repetitive. From the ending it is obvious that the purpose of this book was to set things up for one hell of a final showdown in the series conclusion when I’m predicting that lives will be lost and hearts will be broken. Bring it on!