If you haven't yet read my review of The Emerald Talisman, let me fill you in really quickly. The last book kind of left me feeling a little bit let down. Not because of the writing, and definitely not because of the characters, but because one of the key components of the book felt unfinished. It was Julia's empathetic abilities that drew me to the series, and I had felt that they weren't fleshed out enough. My hope was that by diving into The Sapphire Talisman I'd find the answer to what I was missing before. How right I was!

This sequel blew my mind. The first chapter covered the basics of what happened in the last book, and essentially allows you to read this one even if you hadn't read the last. Although I wouldn't recommend it. How will you know the sheer epicness of this book if you miss the first half of the story? Sorry, I digress. Needles to say that everything I loved about the first book was still present, but (and I didn't know this was possible) the writing was even better and so were the characters. I was completely absorbed into Julia's world.

It's a bit difficult to review this book and not spoil something important for you, dear readers. There is so much going on that I am still reeling from just recently finishing the last page. I'll slake my hunger for spilling the details by simply telling you that the blinding love that Julia has for Nicholas is fantastic. Above all else, it was that deep love that she had for him that kept this book moving. Sure, at times she was irrational. However Julia's character was so well developed that I knew her irrationality only stemmed from the need she felt to be with Nicholas. There was no confusion here about how she could adore him so much. Trust me. He's an amazing guy.

I'll end here, for fear I give away some of the plot. I realize that this review is vague, but those of you eagerly awaiting this book's release will probably thank me. I hate spoilers, you hate spoilers, I keep them out of my reviews. It's easy for me to admit that I am fully on board with Julia, Nicholas and the rest of their motley crew. I cannot wait to see if Brenda Pandos has more in store for us! ( )

Meh...I thought it was interesting that 1/2 way through the second book we finally got a description of the main characters. I'm baffled by the amount of time spent on inane conversation so the character can get a zing in. I feel like these stories have promise, but again it feel like I'm reading an early draft rather than a completed manuscript. ( )

I was quite excited to win this book as a first reader on Goodreads! The Emerald Talisman introduced Julia Parker, a 16 year-old empath who becomes involved with vampires—-some good, some not so good. The Sapphire Talisman extends this complexity of the “bad guy” characters by really messing with the reader. My favorite part of the story was how Brenda Pandos manipulated my loyalty to Julia’s love interests by creating layered characters facing vexing challenges.Here’s a quote from page 73:Julia: “I can’t afford to lose you . . . lose you to the dark side.”Nicholas (chuckling): “Sounds like Star Wars.”Scarlett, the shape-shifter formerly known as Enigma the cat, plays a more prominent role in this story. I love cats so it was fun to read about her feline exploits, though there was so much antagonism between Julia and Scarlett that it was difficult for me to warm to Scarlett.One of the vampire’s descriptions of experiencing Hell intrigued me. I don’t think I believe in hell but it’s chilling to think about spending any time there.There was a good bit of action and surprises. Hello, Mommy Dearest! And I really liked when Julia visited her grandmother. Overall I enjoyed this book even more than The Emerald Talisman! ( )

I was quite excited to win this book as a first reader on Goodreads! The Emerald Talisman introduced Julia Parker, a 16 year-old empath who becomes involved with vampires—-some good, some not so good. The Sapphire Talisman extends this complexity of the “bad guy” characters by really messing with the reader. My favorite part of the story was how Brenda Pandos manipulated my loyalty to Julia’s love interests by creating layered characters facing vexing challenges.Here’s a quote from page 73:Julia: “I can’t afford to lose you . . . lose you to the dark side.”Nicholas (chuckling): “Sounds like Star Wars.”Scarlett, the shape-shifter formerly known as Enigma the cat, plays a more prominent role in this story. I love cats so it was fun to read about her feline exploits, though there was so much antagonism between Julia and Scarlett that it was difficult for me to warm to Scarlett.One of the vampire’s descriptions of experiencing Hell intrigued me. I don’t think I believe in hell but it’s chilling to think about spending any time there.There was a good bit of action and surprises. Hello, Mommy Dearest! And I really liked when Julia visited her grandmother. Overall I enjoyed this book even more than The Emerald Talisman! ( )

I was quite excited to win this book as a first reader on Goodreads! The Emerald Talisman introduced Julia Parker, a 16 year-old empath who becomes involved with vampires—-some good, some not so good. The Sapphire Talisman extends this complexity of the “bad guy” characters by really messing with the reader. My favorite part of the story was how Brenda Pandos manipulated my loyalty to Julia’s love interests by creating layered characters facing vexing challenges.Here’s a quote from page 73:Julia: “I can’t afford to lose you . . . lose you to the dark side.”Nicholas (chuckling): “Sounds like Star Wars.”Scarlett, the shape-shifter formerly known as Enigma the cat, plays a more prominent role in this story. I love cats so it was fun to read about her feline exploits, though there was so much antagonism between Julia and Scarlett that it was difficult for me to warm to Scarlett.One of the vampire’s descriptions of experiencing Hell intrigued me. I don’t think I believe in hell but it’s chilling to think about spending any time there.There was a good bit of action and surprises. Hello, Mommy Dearest! And I really liked when Julia visited her grandmother. Overall I enjoyed this book even more than The Emerald Talisman! ( )