Talia VanceRezensionen

After reading Silver, I was wondering if I should read Gold. After I started, I read it in less than a day. This book is a page turner, and once you start it you won't be able to stop. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because there are a few scenes that get way too...intimate for my liking. The writing style is very fluent and doesn't feel forced. Overall I think this book is definitely worth reading.

Berry Fields spends her free time working for her father's PI firm and has snapped enough photos of cheating guys to not trust the whole lot of them--especially not the infuriatingly gorgeous new guy in school, Tanner. When Berry suddenly discovers that her mother's death might have actually been murder, she's determined to uncover the truth, even if Tanner keeps distracting her from her goal. I was expecting "Spies and Prejudice" to be a fluffy spy adventure, but was pleasantly surprised to find it witty, intelligent and well-written--Berry's friend Jason's one-liners are particularly great. Fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl series and, of course, "Pride and Prejudice" will love this novel.

Gold by Talia Vance
(Book #2: The Bandia Series)
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5/5 stars

Ireland is a wonderfully beautiful country (I know, I have been there) except when you are on the run and hoping to simply survive. Brianna has fled her home and is en route to Lorcan Hall, the home of her enemy and the god she returned to Hell, Austin Montgomery. Yeah, you read that correctly. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer . . .

Completely unhappy with her situation, Brianna does her best to settle in to life in Ireland and keep abreast of the changes occurring in her world. The Sons of Killian want her dead, her ex, Blake is a complete asshat, and despite not wanting to like him, Brianna finds herself drawn to Austin. Let’s keep the awful rolling, shall we? There is new god in town, Pwil – once Austin’s right-hand man in Hell - who is bound and determined to start a war that will result in “his kind” being returned to their “rightful place”. Pwil’s very presence has sent out a sort of supernatural signal that is drawing the world’s supernaturals to Ireland and right to Brianna and Austin’s doorstep. Though both want to avoid a war, they know it may be damn near impossible to prevent.

In her search for a solution to the supernatural smack down, Brianna inadvertently trips a trigger that opens a portal to the past. Interestingly, the portal takes her to Austin and the time before he becomes a soulless god and guardian of Hell. Brianna begins to see Austin – both past and present – in a completely different light. Brianna also begins to wonder if she can shut down the current situation by altering the past. Never, in a million years can Brianna envision what she discovers in her quest to save the world. Her discoveries in both the past and the present are one of the strongest and most interesting aspects of this book!! And no, I am not going to spoil it for you in this review 

The Bottom Line: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Vance has apparently never heard of the sophomore slump and came out swinging with Gold!! There is so much going on in this book with the past, the present, the mythology and backstories, the addition of some new and seriously fun characters, the romantic element, the huge supernatural smack down and, the totally out of left-field ending. With all of this, Vance could have easily lost her way and completely confused and frustrated the reader. None of this happened and Gold has proven to be a fantastic follow-up to Silver. Vance takes her time, builds her plot, evolves her characters and, keeps the reader desperate for more. I highly recommend this read but caution the reader to begin with book one!!

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
This is a light, frothy read that would pair well with Aly Carter's Gallagher Girls series or Michelle Jaffe's Bad Kitty series, and it'll appeal to readers who want a little spy action (but not too much) mixed in with all the boy-crushing that goes on, sort of like a sprinkle of nuts on a sundae. It starts off as a sort of Veronica Mars-lite story and I was digging it until the halfway mark, when the plot goes absolutely bananas and the characters lose all credibility, particularly Berry, who is clever and witty enough during the opening that I didn't expect her to be so obviously led around by the nose later. While it was too improbable and swooney-romancey for my tastes, it has its moments. I don't really see the connection to Pride & Prejudice, but maybe it's just been too long for me.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
This is a light, frothy read that would pair well with Aly Carter's Gallagher Girls series or Michelle Jaffe's Bad Kitty series, and it'll appeal to readers who want a little spy action (but not too much) mixed in with all the boy-crushing that goes on, sort of like a sprinkle of nuts on a sundae. It starts off as a sort of Veronica Mars-lite story and I was digging it until the halfway mark, when the plot goes absolutely bananas and the characters lose all credibility, particularly Berry, who is clever and witty enough during the opening that I didn't expect her to be so obviously led around by the nose later. While it was too improbable and swooney-romancey for my tastes, it has its moments. I don't really see the connection to Pride & Prejudice, but maybe it's just been too long for me.

Please someone tell me there is a Platinum in the works, please!! I was just okay with Silver. The mythology of the bandia is hard to follow, the relationship between Brianna and Blake even harder. I never really understood it in Silver. It just never seemed to make sense. It didn't feel right and it was just too hard. They didn't even seem like they liked each other. Now, sexually, yeah, they were hot. But otherwise, meh. So I wanted to see where this novel went. I mean, IRELAND. I'll read about digging graves if it's set in Ireland! But I got a novel that I couldn't put down from the minute I started. Okay, so maybe the first couple of pages I couldn't understand what had happened, but Talia Vance digs right in and tells us in a flashback what happened.

This makes the third book I've read by Talia Vance and this one feels like she has finally found where she's comfortable. The writing flows smoothly and there is no point where there is a jarring disconnect in the story. I thought Silver had those times, I'm thinking those might have been intentional, and perhaps the whole unbelievable relationship was intentional. You'll understand when you read Gold. And I highly recommend you read this one. Gold shines like it's name. There are "sexy times" which come so slow you practically want to reach through the book and help them along. But I'm not complaining. Everything comes at the right pace, the tension is done really well, that's why you're anxious for it to happen. My stomach was in knots so many times- those Sons of Killian are single minded in their desire to kill the bandia. And Brianna is always right there, ready to be killed.

The story in Gold is explained much better. There is time travel, more Gods, and an epic battle scene. Of course, there is loss, isn't that how it always goes? Someone always loses in battle. There are losses I really didn't count on. I confess, I read the ending before I finished the book. I cheat like that sometimes. It didn't spoil the book for me though. I had to find out how they got from where they were to how it ended. And it was one hell of a read! Literally! As a second book, it far exceeds the first and is one of those books I was pulling my sweatshirt over my head juggling my e-reader in my hand so I could still read. When I finished it, there was nothing I could read that would satisfy me. You know when you've just read this great adventure and you come down off this high and you want to feel it again and you have no idea what is going to give you that high again? So I started it over again. I figure as fast as I read it, I'm bound to have missed something. And it's rare, right now that I'm rereading a book. Yes, it was that good. But there has to be a third book, right? Right??? Please! I'm begging! That can't be the end. It just can't.

I received a copy of this novel for review from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Spies and Prejudice is a quick and light read. For those who are tired of the typical Dystopian and Paranormal novels, but are looking for something outside of the ordinary contemporary story, this teen spy novel is for you. For those of you who want a bit more depth and relationship development in your novels, you may want to skip this one. While I enjoyed this book, it definitely did not stand out. The spy content made it a bit different from the regular contemporaries, but at the end of the day, this is just another YA romance with the usual insta-love.

Berry is a strong and straight-forward heroine, both qualities that are rarely done right in YA literature, but Vance nails it. Berry never comes across as bratty or overly dramatic, and I really liked that about her. She does seem real, though, because she misses her mom. She acts like a teenager without acting like an annoying teenager. She should have stood out more to me, really, but for some reason I never fully connected to her. I can't figure out why, though. Tanner and Drew, the two love interests, form the typical and over-done YA love triangle. It's clear from the start who Berry likes, and of course, Berry makes up her mind instantly, though she doesn't act on it right away. One is good, one is bad, the roles reverse, nothing special here. I'm not going to completely spoil it and tell you which is which (there are plenty of times throughout the novel when it's not exactly clear), though. I also was a bit annoyed at the hokey naming of the characters. "Strawberry Fields" and "Mary Chris Moss," really? Some people may find the names cute, unique, and even chuckle-worthy, but I found them annoying. It looked as if the author was trying too hard to be clever, and it just fell short.

The plot itself is reminiscent of the Heist Society books, except Vance didn't do as good of a job making it believable that teenagers would be this involved in spy work. For some reason, I just didn't buy that these characters would have access to, and actually care about, all of this confidential information. The romance, as stated previously, was lacking development, in my opinion, though Vance does throw in quite a few twists and turns with the characters (and romance). I saw them all coming, but at least things weren't exactly straight-forward. The pacing is pretty spot-on, and I didn't feel like anything was rushed or that anything dragged on endlessly. The ending ties things up nicely, but leaves room for a sequel if the author so chooses.

Overall, I'd recommend this novel to people who enjoy spy books and to those who are looking for a light read with (sometimes cheesy) humor. This is one of those novels that will appeal to certain personality types and completely annoy others. I fell more to the annoyed side of the spectrum, but I could see what the author was trying to do. While her particular brand of humor didn't appeal to me, I can see it appealing to others.

A fun, though a tiny bit forced take on Pride and Prejudice.

The frustrating thing about books that use Austen's storyline is...well, you know what's going to happen, who's going to betray whom, and which character will blurt out an awkward "I love you" at a poorly-timed moment.

That said, Vance did a great job on the chemistry between her Lizzie and Darcy, here Berry and Tanner. While Berry's bluster was a little stilted, their close scenes were steamy, and I couldn't help but wish this one was a "New Adult"! :D

Though this one relies a little too much on Veronica Mars elements (blond, spunky daughter of a PI who is responsible for photographing/videoing philandering spouses and is obsessed with investigating her mother), it was a fun diversion from reality.

Okay first I have to comment on the names. Berry is actually Strawberry Fields. But wait for it, it does get worse. Her best friend is Mari Chris Moss born on Christmas Eve. They've been friends since kindergarten, bonding over their names. I did find that truly funny.

Unfortunately, I didn't really find anything else that was funny. The tone of the novel was dark to me and though there is a romance or romances in it and definite nods to Pride and Prejudice, the romance didn't feel natural, and never seemed to take off to me. The mystery was good, though I knew about the mother, or guessed early on, but that may just be me. I have a certain criteria for guessing what happened and if that thing isn't mentioned then I know the ending. Still, it was surprising the way the reveal came about and who was involved.

Berry is a 16 yr old still not quite over the death of her mother when she was 8 yrs old. Her car drove off a bridge and the police ruled it suicide. Berry works for her father in his PI firm because no one notices a teenager doing surveillance. That I never really warm up to Berry is probably the biggest reason this novel and I aren't a good fit. In her pursuit of the truth, she doesn't care who she steamrolls to get it. She is no Lizzy Bennet. And that she constantly jumps to the wrong conclusion and pushes away the only person who wants to help her is really frustrating. Oh, hmm, maybe she is Lizzy Bennet after all. I think the thing with Berry is that despite the story being told from her point of view, I never feel like I know her. People tell her what they think of her and she says what she thinks people think of her, but we don't get to know who she is.
I think the story suffers from that.

Mari Chris on the other hand, though she is a secondary character to Berry is very much Jane Bennet. She is a gadget geek, gracious, kind, forgiving and a lot less shy than Jane B. but still she tends to remind me of Jane Bennet. Composed, less likely to jump to conclusions and therefore less likely to jump into danger. She's a cool, calm headed girl in the face of a dangerous situation. I felt her romance much more than I felt Berry's.

Jason. I have my biggest complaint here. He feels like the stereotypical gay bestie. He brought nothing new to the story. He did go on a little adventure with Berry, but he was left out of the final showdown. Why?

Tanner and Ryan- Nothing really distinguishes these two from each other except for who they like. Ryan likes Mari Chris and is more successful at wooing her than Tanner is at wooing Berry.

The setting takes place in a high school in California and various places around the small town. Nothing really special about it.

The story as I said is a nod to Pride and Prejudice with Berry trying to find out how her mother died. By accident she learns that her friend's father, Mr. Moss, may have information on how she died or that it wasn't an accident and she begins to investigate. Unfortunately, she hurts her friend in the process as well as ruining her chances at a romance with Tanner and messing up Mari Chris' chances with Ryan.

What worked were the nods to Pride and Prejudice. While sometimes I have a hard time figuring out what exactly is supposed to be a reference to my beloved Pride and Prejudice in retellings or reworkings of the novel, in Spies and Prejudice I had no trouble seeing it. In fact, the basic plot is a modern day version of Pride and Prejudice just with a thriller plot line thrown in as well. Tanner as Darcy was sufficiently arrogant. Ryan as Bingley is good. He's pleasant, friendly, adoring of Mari Chris and only goes away when forced to by....Tanner/Darcy. As I said before Berry is excellent as Lizzy Bennet and Mari Chris makes a great Jane Bennett. But I have no idea where Jason fits into all of this.

What didn't work was the thriller part of the story. It started out great, but quickly became unbelievable. I bought into Berry working for her father. I am a full fledged member of the Nancy Drew fan club! But it got a bit out of hand with what the "kids" where trying to take on and then it was just confusing. I did understand that Berry wanted to know how her mom died. I understood that was HER goal. But I didn't understand what Tanner and Ryan wanted or Drew. And though I realized early on what had probably happened to the mom, I didn't understand why it was handled the way it was.

I missed the humor in this one. Berry was not sarcastic or witty to me. But as I read through other reviews, I found plenty of people that found that humor and wit. So I want to make sure you read those reviews as well. You know novels are not a one size fits all kind of thing. So please check out other reviews.

Okay, so are you as confused as I am? Yes, so what am I saying? The Pride and Prejudice part worked great for me! The other story, not so much. So really it's a toss up. I definitely didn't feel like I wasted my afternoon by reading this novel. I'd have stopped reading. It was worth reading just to see the modern retelling of P&P and I think it would have worked without the mystery/thriller element. So I say, give it a shot. Since I won my copy I think I'll be passing it on for others to read.

Strawberry "Berry" Fields' mom died when she was young, and Berry has never been able to accept the police's explanation of suicide. So when she discovers her best friend's father with a letter from her mother, Berry puts her years of working at her father's spy company to the test as she tries to uncover the mystery surrounding her mother's death.

I enjoyed this book while I was reading it. It was a fun and easy read, with just enough of a connection to Pride and Prejudice, but not too much that it was too predictable or anything. Since Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, I enjoyed picking out who I thought certain characters were supposed to be, or certain plot points that were similar. I liked trying to guess what would happen by comparing it to P&P, although I wasn't always right. My biggest complaint about this book is that what are the chances that both Berry and her best friend have names like Strawberry Fields and Mary Chris Moss. Obviously I didn't find much wrong with the book if the characters' names are my biggest complaint. Also, I did get slightly confused with what was happening with Mary Chris' dad's company and the drink, but I think in the end it all cleared itself up in my mind.

Overall, this is a cute book that I would definitely reccomend to middle or high school girls. 3/5

Favortie Quote: "There's a reason it's easier to talk to strangers than people you love. Strangers don't come with preformed expectations about who you are. Strangers don't hold you to a higher standard than you deserve. Strangers won't be hurt by anything you say."

I received an advanced reader copy of this book supplied by EgmontUSA.

Just a warning upfront: I'm about to eviscerate this book. That supposed "rule" that some people quote to make bloggers play nice? Not going for that here. If I think a book sucked, I'll say so.

Guys, this book sucked.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW AT: http://shelversanon.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-spies-and-prejudice-by-talia.htm...

I really enjoyed this book. It really mixed the mystery aspect of Veronica mars with the characters of pride and prejudice plus all the spies stuff. I would really recommend the book for all Veronica mars fans.

Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

This book is 1/3 Veronica Mars, 1/3 Elizabeth Bennet, and 1/3 Talia Vance's original awesomeness. She took two things I LOOOOVE and took her own spin on it. Although it's kind of a retelling of Pride & Prejudice, the characters aren't 100% like P&P Characters. Berry Fields is a bit sassy and definitely closed off to most people -- *cough* Tanner. I enjoyed the mix of who-dunnit, romance, and friendship. I kind of guessed the twist, but it didn't make this book any less enjoyable because it's all about the ride getting to that point. It's about Berry's personal growth and trusting people and finding out what happened to her mom on that fateful day 8 years ago.

TL;DR - This book was pretty stinkin' awesome. Sometimes a little too close to being Veronica Mars, but as the story moves along, Berry gets into her own trouble. Very enjoyable and fast-paced read.

For Fans of: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Veronica Mars, and of course P&P.

Berry Fields is smart, snarky and clever, everything you'd want in a heroine that's channeling Nancy Drew, Veronica Mars and Elizabeth Bennet. Only in high school, she's been gradually working more and more for her father's detective agency, particularly stakeouts, because as they have both learned, people don't always notice teens. There's a lot of great secondary characters, including best friend Mary Chris and newcomers to the high school, Drew, Tanner and Ryan. But just when you're trying to figure out who would be Mr. Darcy, an industrial espionage angle comes into play, and I felt the story lost a bit of its' focus. Definitely a fun, fast quirky read and I can't decide if the ending is deliberately obtuse or not. Sequel in the works? Guess we'll see.

A cynical, tech savvy Nancy Drew meets Pride and Prejudice

Filled with witty banter and high tech spy gear, this book manages to be totally fun while still addressing issues of loss, love, and trust. A composite Pride & Prejudice modernized with high school tribulations, private detection, and corporate espionage, Spies and Prejudice is only loosely based the original, but in this case that’s good. Following its own path allows the story to work better, and its differences make it all the more fun when you turn a plot corner and run into some updated Austen. Having devoured the original more than once, I had some idea of who to trust in this story, but I love the character twists--especially Jason, the gay male version of Charlotte--and like P & P the first time I read it, the story kept me guessing and had surprises right up to the end.

Strawberry (Berry) Fields, the Lizzie Bennet of the story, helps her father with his private investigation business--being a teenage girl turns out to be good cover--but the job and her mother’s suspicious death have made her more cynical than is healthy. Best friends Jason and Mary Chris (A gadget wizard version of Jane Bennet) try to assist in Berry’s investigations while nudging her towards more traditional teenage pleasures. Tanner, the Darcy character, and his brother Drew, the Bingley of the story, are new students and possible romantic interests, but they have hidden agendas, and there is a Wickham character to complicate things further.

I read an advanced review copy of this book supplied by the publisher, but the opinions are all mine.

Berry Fields isn't exactly your typical teenage girl. Working as an assistant for her P.I. father, Berry is more likely to spend her weekend tailing a suspect than hanging out at the mall. She's caught so many cheating boyfriends and husbands in the act that she doesn't fully trust any of the guys she meets. So when drop-dead gorgeous Tanner and his stepbrother Ryan show up at her school, Berry is immediately suspicious and hostile -- especially when she overhears Tanner dismiss her as "nothing amazing." Meanwhile, Berry continues to grieve for her mother, who died eight years ago in a supposed accident. But Berry can't help suspecting that there's more to the story...and the more time she spends with Tanner, the more she's convinced that he's hiding something.

First off, this is definitely not a book you want to judge by its cover (which is pretty awful, am I right?). It has been described as a cross between Pride and Prejudice and "Veronica Mars," and if that concept appeals to you, I think you'll enjoy this book! I found Berry a very believable and interesting character, and her investigation into her mother's death was a great way to propel the story forward. The romance between her and Tanner was well done, not too melodramatic or sappy, and the mystery balanced out the love story very well. I didn't 100% understand the final solution to the mystery, but I was reading pretty quickly by that point, so I probably just missed a few background facts along the way. Finally, I really liked the way P&P was incorporated into the story; there's enough for Austen fans to pick up on and appreciate, but it's not an exact replica of the original plot. I like the fact that this book uses the P&P framework but incorporates its own spin. Definitely recommended to YA and Austen fans!½

This Jane Austen YA adaptation is a quick and easy read with a little spunk, teenage angst, spy gadgets, and of course a bit of Nancy Drew mystery. The characters are great, especially Mary Chris and Jason, but I would like to see a little more development with the Berry and Tanner characters (maybe in a second book). A fun interpretation!

Net Galley Feedback
[book:Spies and Prejudice|10194632]
[author:Talia Vance|4575398]

I've been waiting forever to share my thoughts on this one, guys. I read it back in January because...how could I not? It's a Pride and Prejudice retelling...WITH SPIES. (Side Note: I was going through super early posts yesterday and...I didn't like Pride and Prejudice retellings when I started blogging. Can you BELIEVE that?)


So, let's start with Berry. Can we talk about how super badass she is? One of the earlier descriptions of the book pitched this book as Veronica Mars meets Pride and Prejudice and it's SUPER accurate. Berry and Veronica are really similar in levels of awesome. If I had to name a book that had characters and a general feel that reminded me most of Veronica, this would be it.

I also adored Tanner from the get go. But most of you have seen me review enough Pride and Prejudice retellings to know that I ALWAYS love the Darcy character. Always. Without fail. But Tanner was really sweet and had an epic back story that put his characterization into perspective. It all genuinely made sense.

Of course, I absolutely adored the plot. It had it's own mystery-spin on the traditional Pride and Prejudice. This was an added element from the usual misunderstandings and class differences that are prevalent in pretty much every Pride and Prejudice remake. I mean, it was obviously in this one as well, but there was something more to it. As much as I always love my retellings and movies and various ways of telling P&P, sometimes it's nice to add a twist I haven't seen before.

Talia is also just a great writer. I was really engaged in the story and I didn't want to end. I'm kind of crossing my fingers that she'll write other Austen retellings or retellings of SOMETHING. Or even just more contemporary. She tells a fantastic story that's fun with a very serious undertone and she really made a classic her own. I think she could do a really fantastic job retelling other stories I love as well.

Basically, you guys should all be picking up this book today or this week and then joining me in my plea for more contemporary/retellings from Talia as well as more books that feel like Veronica Mars and come with the added bonus of a Darcy-like character.

I really loved this book! Lately I've been on a streak of amazing books, but this one is by far the best. I loved all the myth surrounding Blake and Brianna, and with the exception of Christy and Jonah, I loved all of the characters. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

I really loved this book! Lately I've been on a streak of amazing books, but this one is by far the best. I loved all the myth surrounding Blake and Brianna, and with the exception of Christy and Jonah, I loved all of the characters. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

I really loved this book! Lately I've been on a streak of amazing books, but this one is by far the best. I loved all the myth surrounding Blake and Brianna, and with the exception of Christy and Jonah, I loved all of the characters. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Dark and captivating tale about powerful magic and tragic love.

Opening Sentence: Beauty is pointless when no one’s looking.

The Review:

Brianna Paxton is invisible. The only people who can truly see her are her two good friends Haley and Christy. She just thinks it is a weird quirk of the people around her until the day Blake actually “sees” her one night at a party. She can’t believe her luck, not only can Blake see her but another boy at the party, Austin, takes an interest in her. Both boys know exactly that Brianna is a descendant of Danu, a powerful goddess and witch. Blake and Austin have their own plans for Brianna, good, bad and sketchy.

Blake comes from a family that hunts down those like Brianna, but he can’t deny the attraction he feels towards her. One night of passion leaves them bound together, body and soul. As Brianna slowly learns about herself and the people around her, she believes that a curse can be broken and not everyone has to live up to their legacy.

Brianna is a complicated girl. One minute she hates being invisible and then the next misses her invisibility. She has no problem getting into fights with her best friends. Brianna is also a little “stalkery” when it comes to Blake. She has kept a diary about her interactions with Blake on a daily basis for the past year.

Silver has a dark, tragic tone that flows throughout the novel. As a descendant of Danu, Brianna holds some powerful magic, but as generations of her kind have been hunted down by Blake’s family, their relationship is not taken well. Blake hides the fact that he is bonded to Brianna from his family, the only solution to the bond is death, but Blake seeks another way to lose the bond without either one of them dying.

Brianna’s first person account is well written even during the angsty teen parts, even as I wanted to scream at her to talk to her friends instead of constantly getting in fights with them. I had a hard time with many of the decisions that Brianna would make throughout the novel, especially when she would follow Blake around like a stalker. And I didn’t understand why she couldn’t believe Blake about a little thing like her bracelet when other even stranger things were happening around her that she believed with no problem.

Overall, Silver is a dark and angst filled teen novel. Readers who love highland magic and lore may want to give this novel a try. Beware to all horse lovers because there is a scene with a horse that may be a little hard to take even though all works out in the end. The ending of Silver has me hooked for the sequel Gold. I can’t wait to see how the relationships play out after that.

Notable Scene:

I don’t feel dizzy. At first, nothing is out of place. It’s not until I realize that I can no longer hear Matt cleaning up behind the counter, or even Christy as she repeats the spell that my pulse kicks into overdrive. The fact that the room is devoid of sound is the only warning I get before the entire room goes pitch black.

Crap. It occurs to me too late that I might be considered an evil creature who should be banished from earth, and I wonder if the spell really did work. But then the room comes back into focus, everything and everyone immobile, lost in silence.

I wait for something to happen. For someone to move in the stillness, but at first there’s nothing, just a frozen moment in time, stretching into a hollow void. The movement comes from behind me. I let go of Haley and Christy’s hands and get up from the table. When I turn around, everyone is still. Matt’s hand hovers over a note pad, but his eyes are locked on Christy even as his pen is pressed to the paper.

There is a flash of silver dancing in the air to his left.

Then the fairy tale princess is there, her indigo eyes sparkling.

“Are you Danu?” I ask as she walks toward me, arms outstretched.

“So you know me now, do you? A short lived peace then.”

FTC Advisory: Flux provided me with a copy of Silver. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

I loved silver. I loved how Brianna was always fighting the monster within her and wanting to save everyone to prove to herself more than to everyone that she wasn't evil, a killer, like so many wanted to prove her be. The fight between good and evil, to know what or who was good or bad was captivating.

Brianna is a strong character with a sharp tongue and has always been practically invisible to guys. And then there is Blake. Handsome, popular Blake who is always flanked by girls and who Brianna has been watching and longing for for a year. Blake, like all the other guys doesn't notice Brianna until her bracelet, which her dead grandmother gave to her, accidentally breaks at a party and a flash of silver alerts Blake of her existence. Together, the two of them struggle between their crazy attraction for each other and their loyalties to their families. Not to mention stopping a war from destroying them.

I haven't read anything about Celtic mythology so Silver was a whole new world for me that I didn't hesitate to enjoy. I had a very hard time setting my iPad down to do my homework but I totally don't regret it. Silver was worth it and I was tempted to skip some of my classes just so I could continue reading it.

The sexual tention between Blake and Brianna is always so crazy and I loved it.

A mind-blowing romance, a thrilling, steamy story and badass characters makes Silver one halluva book.

This is the first book I've read by Talia Vance and it sure won't be the last. I can't wait to read Gold, the second book in the Series. Just the title makes my heart flutter in anticipation.

If you haven't read Silver yet, I don't know what you're waiting for. You are missing on so much!

Silver was, simply put, amazing. I was instantly sucked into the story by the beautiful magic and romance. While the love story happens very quickly, it still feels genuine and it didn’t make me like it any less.

Boys just don’t seem to notice Brianna, so when the necklace that hides her identity falls off, she feels like she is being seen for the first time—and in a way she is. Since the story starts out just before Brianna loses her bracelet, we just get sucked into the thrill of being noticed along with Brianna.

I really thought that the story would be filled with quite a bit of angst from the description (“why doesn’t anyone notice me, whah, whah,” etc.). Luckily, that’s not really how it played out. Yes, Brianna had her emotional lows, but rather than coming across as angsty, I really felt for her. Brianna has been through a lot in her life and you just have to feel compassionate for her, as well as intrigued by the cause behind some of the more colorful problems she has encountered.

The mythology in Silver was intriguing—partially because I am not very familiar with Norse myth, so every aspect of the story felt new and fresh to me. My favorite part, however, was undoubtedly the romance. I adored Blake and Brianna. It is kind of a Romeo/Juliet type of love story—tragic, but lovely at the same time.

Prepare to get swept up in the romance and magic of Silver. Talia Vance has woven a tale that is filled with mysterious mythology, forbidden love, and lots of emotion. This is paranormal romance at its best.

I love Celtic lore and anything having to do with their legends. That's where my beloved fairies come from and I love the ancient traditions of the Celts though I am no expert in them by any means. Not many books have ventured into this subject area so it's a bit hard to follow sometimes when you aren't familiar with the lore. Even though I've read some of the old legends, I didn't know Danu or Killian so I found myself foundering a bit as I read the beginning of the book. I was completely lost and disappointed. When I finally got to what I'll call "the beach scene" I was about to give up entirely. Then I decided to start over.

When I started over, I read slower, taking time to understand what Brianna was saying and thinking, what actually happened in the silvery flash moments, what her friends were like, I really read slow because this all seemed brand new to me. As I read the second time, everything clicked and by the time I got to "the beach scene" I understood what was happening. So I caution you to read slowly and really understand what is real and not real in Brianna's words. I thought she loved Blake, but how do you love someone you've only worshiped from afar? And I thought when their souls were bound that they would love each other, but love didn't seem to factor into that. Love is separate from the soul. And that secret that Blake has, yeah, it's a killer!

I really did enjoy this story. I thought it meandered a little bit at first and I was a bit shocked at a couple of the scenes in the beginning, this is definitely for MATURE YA readers. Christy, one of Brianna's best friends is a girl that has a "jerk radar" as Brianna says, only she uses it the wrong way, falling for the jerks instead of turning away. Haley, Brianna's other best friend, is a guy magnet attracting any guy she wants dating them a little while and dumping them for the next guy. Brianna though has been invisible to guys until her charm bracelet falls off and Blake finally sees her.

The story behind their possibly not being able to be together is much bigger than some Romeo and Juliet kind of thing. It goes back thousands of years. And the two go back and forth between trusting and not trusting each other. Blake says things that Brianna doesn't understand and is hurt. Brianna lashes back and in you don't know if they really have feelings for each other or its the bond or both. I thought, from the synopsis this was going to be a boy and girl in love against all odds fighting against someone or something but that's what I get for believing the synopsis. It's kind of like believing in book covers. Sometimes you're lured in by false pretenses. But these two fight against having feelings for each other which was especially hard on Brianna's part as she'd watched Blake from the sidelines for so long. But the urge to fight was stronger.

There are plenty of side characters beside Brianna's best friends, most of them being Blake's friends, Jonah (grr), Austin, Joe and Brianna's parents. Yes, she does have parents that are somewhat involved in her life and bless the girl, she has rescued a horse, Dart, from the race circuit where he didn't do well, and has nursed him back to health. She has to sell him because she used part of her college fund to buy him, but she rescued an animal. Gotta love that girl. I found that I liked her more and more as the story went on and she became what she was meant to be-the Bandia.

The role the fates have destined her to play is not one any of would choose, I think and its one of those recurring ones that's been played out through time, kill or be killed. But Brianna is different and she wants to choose a different path for herself and she is determined to find a different way to live her life. The end of the book is nicely concluded but there is much more to come and I can't wait to see how the story turns out. I know there will be a lot of trials ahead for Brianna and Blake. I just hope their love becomes something more solid than it seemed to be in this first novel. And I'm sure there will be quite a few battles to be fought in the coming books, whether it be of wills or physically, they will come.

I recommend this to anyone who loves a bit of fantasy and legend, Celtic lore, magic, romance. This is definitely for Mature YA readers as there are sexual references in the book that are fairly explicit.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publishers Flux via NetGalley for an honest review. I received no compensation for my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.